I collect Police as well as Military guns, a recent acquisition is a 1939 Luger that is Nazi marked as well as East German Police marked (numbers don't match but history is more important).

I just heard about what are called Guard Guns. I guess I may already have one in a way. I have a Victory (V serial No) that has no US Prop on top strap and letters to the CT State Police in Hartford CT.

What I would like to find out is there a serial number range that would be considered Guard Guns. Would a Victory without the top strap marked be considered a guard gun.

I guess what I would like to ask is what guns would constitute a "guard gun" collection?

Ben, there is no particular serial range for "guard" guns, never heard them referred to as such. If a gun is a Victory in 38 Special and has no "US Property" markings it is probably a civilian contractor guns used for plant guard duty or a PD gun. Some of these guns shipped to interesting places, saw one sell this week that shipped to John Hopkins University.

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John. SWCA #1586

I own a Colt Official Police with "IBM No. 44" scratched rather nicely on the butt. I'm told IBM made some M1 Carbines during WWII and this decent old piece may have been issued with guard duty in mind.

Edit to add: My O.P. has a 6" barrel marked "+HEAVY BARREL+" on the left side.

Police Positive 38.4in.It is marked CHASE NATIONAL BANK.The gun is real nice shape.
Dick

The only way you would identify a "guard gun" would be markings on it. I did 35 years as a lockheed guard. Our guns had LAC with a company number on the butt. When I hired in we had colt offical polices in 4", some detective specials, went to ruger speed sixs and s&w`s 586s all in 4"s. Guard guns are carried 24-7 and seldom fired.
One other observatin here. We all read, write about and see as a large big discussion about guns rusting and are religiously told to clean them as soon they are shot or handeled. Now I have seen, handled unknown hundreds of "guard guns" in my 35 years. All these guns were handeled from guard to guard three shifts every day, 8 hours. Probley through the years I worked with a 1,000 guards. I NEVER FOUND RUST ON ANY GUN!

Years ago I worked part time for both Burns and Pinkerton's Security on both armed and unarmed assignments. When armed, Pinkerton's issued me a nice, what I thought of as, Model 10, but it may well have been a "pre-10." Burns issued me a Colt Official Police (with MOP grips). Both were 38's of course, with a Sam Brown Belt, and border patrol holster. Training consisted of being told "Don't shoot yourself or anyone else if you don't have to."

I don't recall either of them having any particular markings other than the one's Colt and Smith & Wesson put on them. I always suspected they were police turn ins long before the security companies got them, but I suppose they may well have been purchased new.

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John 3:16 .

I started out as a guard in late 64 or early 65 as a guard for universal movie studios in universal city california. Burns had the contract. I carried my own colt officers model match. As I recall, I belive I could have been issued probley a colt offical police, but they let me carry my own.
I was hired to replace a guard who screwed up and shot someone. The story was he was loading up a bunch of "extra`s" on a bus to go on location somewhere. He was a black guy. Some chick was stepping up on the bus and he tried for a free feel pushing her up by the butt. She happened to have a brother that was also a extra that was in line to get on. He wittnessed it, got irritated and decked the guard. The idiot guard drew and shot the brother in the stomach! I dont think he died, but I bet he has been liveing high ever since!

Ben:
OSS Victories are unmarked on the top strap.
I lettered all my Victories marked or unmarked, you never know what might turn up.
DBWesson

I have a Colt OP 1949 marked ADT XXX

To the S&W purists. "Guard Guns" are the WW2 produced Victory Models that are non-military. The usually don't have military markings, but mey have the "P" proof stamps sometimes. They will letter as having been shipped to the Defense Supply Comm. and/or civilian war plants, law enforcement units or other non-military users qualified to receive these handuns because of ties to critical wartime activities. Victory Models with no markings at all, can sometime letter to the OSS, however they are not Guard Guns. A collection of these guns can be an interesting assembly, as some went to some well known or famous destinations, like Capt. Jack Warner, and Lt. Ronald Reagan, First Motion Picture Unit, Columbia Studios, Hollywoood, CA. Ed.