I'm trying to see if I can find my Grandfather's .38 Special that I believe was issued to him in 1944/45. I know nothing about the weapon other than the serial number, which I found written in one of his notebooks. Is it possible to determine if it has been registered, destroyed, etc...? My goal is to locate it and contact the owner in the hope that they may sell it to me. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

Very unlikely. Not many states have registration and those that do are done at local police stations. You'd have to hit every station in every state that has registration and then hope that the police officer will just give out a stranger's private information to you.

You can post the S# here in hopes that maybe someone here has it

Do yourself a favor and give up now. Really think you can find a specific revolver last seen 70 years ago?

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No life story has happy end.

I understand your desire, but there are far more productive ways to spend your time than chasing a Ghost gun.

Welcome to the forum. Loads of great info can be found here on a daily basis. You can also do some searches and learn much about WWII era Smith and Wessons. Yes, finding your grandfather's gun is a daunting task. However, I'd give it a try by focusing on members of your family and the town or area where he lived. Maybe an elderly aunt or neighbor have a scrap of info that might lead you to where it went. After all, it's probably quite likely he gave it or sold it to an acquaintance.

Another alternative would be for you to find a close example of his gun. If you post the serial number here, I'm sure someone would post a picture of a .38 that is identical or nearly identical to the one your grandfather was issued. Just a thought.

Welcome to the Forum Johnny!
Cool goal trying to find your Grandfathers gun.
How about posting the serial number? It is a needle in a haystack but you need to start somewhere.
Good Luck!

First, welcome to the Smith & Wesson Forum! You can learn a lot here, even if you can't always find an answer to a specific question.

Second, I say go ahead and post the serial number of your grandfather's gun here on the forum. It never hurts to try, and you never can tell what might happen. Just don't get your hopes up, okay? Good luck.

Welcome to the forum.

Good luck in your quest.
With the serial number, we can hopefully ID the exact gun you are searching for. Please include any letters before or after the number. It may be a V or an S or VS.

Welcome to the Forum! In addition to the advice given, a bit of context might help.

We know that you don't have a lot of information to work with other than the serial number. Even with that, the odds are against you. There is no nationwide registry of serial numbers (federal law precludes that), so there's no easy answer. If by chance someone here has a weapon with that serial number AND sees your post, you might get an answer. Some states do have a registry, but you would need a law enforcement official to run a check for you in each of those jurisdictions... And mere curiosity is not enough to justify a check. The federal NCIS system (national instant criminal background check system) does track the serial numbers of weapons reported as stolen, but you would need a LEO to run that check AND have that gun previously reported as stolen... and curiosity isn't enough to do that either.

Help us narrow this down. Was your grandfather issued the weapon by the military, a law enforcement agency, a federal agency, a private organization? Those organizations may (and that's a very long shot) have some records, but anything WW-II era would not be an easy find. The smaller the organization, the better your odds...but those are slim odds at best.

Following the local trail of family knowledge is your best bet. HTH.

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50 Years of DSOTM

A few years ago, a man decided to buy his father, a WWII veteran, an M-1 Garand, as the old man expressed an interest in owning one. When the Garand arrived, it was discovered by its serial number that it was the very Garand issued to the father when he served in the Pacific. I believe the original report of this incident was printed in American Rifleman.

I would agree that those states with gun registration laws, will not disclose whether or not anyone has a specific gun. You can go to the BATFE website and enter the serial number to ascertain if it has been reported stolen. You may also try social media.

I see another problem in that should you locate the gun, its current owner may agree to part with it but the gun might also be with a cold-hearted individual who will demand a King's ransom for the gun.

And how did he part with it? Turned in when he left the service, taken home but sold / traded?

My dad was in the Aleutians. They were not allowed to take so much as a blanket (much less a firearm) when they left the island, as it was so hard to get supplies landed. Everything was reissued when he got back to the lower 48.

If the SN doesn't start with a "V", you're on the wrong forum.

Colt also provided 38 Specials during WWII.

Difficult, yes, but stranger stuff has happened. There are a couple of active SN lists being maintained by forum members. Possible it could pop up on one of them. The reason that you're getting such skepticism is that there were some 800,000 or so Victory Models that were produced (but many went to British Commonwealth forces), and lots were lost, stolen, sent elsewhere in the world, etc. The chances of finding that firearm are probably several-hundred-thousand to one.

On the other hand, folks other than me win the lottery all the time. Post the number...it can't hurt. I own several V's, and if I have it we'll make sure you get it!

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Cy

I found my fathers Model 48 here on this very forum. After looking for Ten years. So don't buy into the negative, cynical mindset. Just ask around, and refresh your inquiries regularly. What can it hurt....let 'em smirk, they're just cranky.

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Halfway and one more step

While it is not impossible, If you do happen to find it buy lottery tickets the same day!

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Tony

Give it a go....you just never know what can happen!

Gary

Johnny,
Welcome to this forum.

Definitely give it a go, post the serial number, you have nothing to lose but a little time. Stranger things than finding it have happened.

If you get to the point of an agency finding who owns the gun but won't give you the current owner's contact information, ask them to supply your contact information to the owner of the gun to contact you if they choose.

Good hunting!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

The serial number is 395924

Thank all of you for taking the time to respond. I understand that this is a daunting task, but I've found only one thing to be impossible thus far in life.
As far as additional information regarding his location at the time, I can't be certain. For that matter, I'm not even certain of the time frame. He passed away in December 2012. I hadn't seen him or spoken to him since mid 2009. I was the only member of my family to ever show any interest in his service, but he rarely spoke about it to me, and never spoke of it to anyone else in the family. When my grandmother passed away this past January, my mother started shipping me boxes of his things. It was just today when I found a single page in one of many notebooks that had "Revolver, S&W 38 Special 395924" written on it. I still have dozens of boxes, books, letters, etc... to go through which may provide some more insight, but it's not going to happen overnight.
I've contacted friends (LEOs) in various places and they were unable to come up with anything. One recommended trying thru a forum such as this - so here I am.
If I'm in the wrong place, I apologize. If you can point me in the right direction, I'd be grateful. Again, thank you for your time.

SN 395924 without a letter prefix would indicate it shipped at a much earlier date than WWII - 1921/1922. With a V prefix (Victory Model - V395924) it would have shipped from the factory in about August or September 1943. This assumes, of course, that it is a S&W M&P revolver chambered in .38 Special. It could be another make, such as Colt. That's about all the assistance I can provide.

I recall the Garand story and I believe it was NOT in fact the exact same rifle. That got widely reported but I don't think he found the SAME gun, but one similar.

Whatever. I wouldn't waste one minute of what remains of my life trying to find a gun from 70 years ago and then hope the owner will sell (I bet a 99% chance no go on that).

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No life story has happy end.

All he wrote down was 395924.
That does not mean there was not a V prefix.
He may not have known that a letter prefix is part of the serial number.

I just know I don't have that number.

Yeah Johnny, I sold my Dads S&W 48 no dash .22 magnum I had inherited in '77 when I had to pay for cancer treatments for my young wife. The treatments were to no avail, and I lost her in 1980 ( she was 23). I've managed to live an exciting, varied life, travelled the world, seen some things and done some, too...and now have a fabulous lifestyle, working for a major league ball club owner. Never once has the quest for the pistol that my father taught me to handgun with been a hindrance nor waste.
It has actually led me to some fine collectors and fun outings.
Although your target is a little further than mine (mine was 30 years separated, 10 years searching), remember:
Life's what you make of it, you may never find your grail... It's the journey, not the destination. The road of Happy Destiny.
Good luck to you.

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Halfway and one more step

If we make the assumption that the gun was a Victory model and Grandpa did not record the V prefix to 395924, which was not unusual, close serial numbers went to the US Navy at the North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego. What branch of the service was your Grandfather in? His discharge papers ( DD214 ) will show the unit that he served with and the National Archives may have the unit's inventory of small arms, which was inventoried every time there was a change of command and all revolvers were recorded by serial number and even these official inventory records did not record the "V" prefix for many of the Victory Models. Hope this helps. Ed.

I also believe this will be a monumental task, but worth trying.
Maybe search the ship date request section for that SN just in case it has been posted there?? Roy Jinks may be able to help if you are an SWCA member.
FYI, I checked the SN's on my two Victory Models and they are NOT a match.
Good luck!

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

He was in the Navy and spent some time in CA. There's record of him assigned to:

Fleet Air Wing 14
F.P.O. San Francisco, CA
(BOQ F-25 San Diego NAS)

and

Staff Com. Air SO.PAC.
F.P.O. San Francisco, CA

Here is an image from his notebook that I found the (limited) info in.

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Just thinking out loud here so don't slam me. It's my job to be investigative. Are we positive of WWII time frame. Someone who fought in WWII could not be any younger than appx 88 years old on the very inside if drafted in 1945 at age 18 but average WWII vet, if still alive is in the 90+ age range. Not to many of them left. Perhaps Korea, possibly ? Early to mid 1950s ? At a glance that serial number might also fit into the Aircrewman contract M13 serial number range ( if the "C" was eliminated instead of a "V").

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Interesting thread. With the serial number I suspect it doesn't matter when your grandfather served if the gun can be located. COMAIRSOPAC would have been a WW II command but it may have still been an active organization after this. Long odds but keep trying!

You may want to post a message in this section, one of the other Victory Model experts will see it and it may lead somewhere. Good luck in your search.

Victory data base

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I have a fairly extensive listing of Victories, but not a single one is in the V395xxx range.

The note could've been written at any time, but it's in the same notebook that contains some of his flight logs (I use that term loosely) from 1943/44. I'm just assuming that the pistol was related to his service, but I could be mistaken. None of his children remember him having a pistol, only shotguns and rifles.

I'd never slam you for asking the question. I'm grateful you took the time to read the post and provide some insight and a response.

"......but I would waste two minutes of my time discouraging your pursuit of it!"

ohhhhhhhhhhh, the irony.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I sent a link to this to ordnanceguy

He has the largest database on surviving Vics that exists. If he has your number, we'll at least know it exists.....

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I greatly appreciate it. Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Good luck. Wish I had my dad's privately purchased surplus Victory Model, which he carried in a shoulder holster in the Korean War. Unfortunately it was stolen on his troop ship while coming home. A search turned up nothing, and it was assumed the thief probably tossed it overboard. At least I have a photo of him with it.

I'd also like to find my grandfather's Marlin 336A .35 Rem from the 1950s, but unscrupulous relatives got their hands on it and sold it at a gun show instead of offering it to other relatives.

Hello Johnny101:

Welcome to the Forum.

Was your grandfather a Naval Aviator? I am guessing that he probably was. His assignment to Fleet Air Wing 14 is interesting.

FAW-14 was an organization formed in November 1942 at San Diego and was composed of various Patrol aircraft squadrons and associated units. Its purpose was to permit patrol aviation to be utilized within the task force principle, to include a variety of commands necessary to accomplish a particular objective or mission. Hence, it allowed for the assignment of any and all types of aircraft required by the wing to perform its mission in a particular area. Patrol aircraft included the famous PBY Catalina and, later, the PBM Mariner flying boat and land-based PB4Y aircraft, the latter being a navalized version of the more familiar B-24 Liberator bomber. Patrol aircraft had the mission of long range overwater patrol, convoy duty and certain special missions.

FAW-14 trained units attached to its command, maintained training and instruction for pilots and crews, and equipped new squadrons. It also served as the San Diego control station for flights to Hawaii, of which there were many during the war. FAW-14 at that time was essentially an operational training command.

I am also going to guess that your grandfather was assigned to FAW-14 for his training before going overseas. He most likely was issued the Victory Model revolver in question in preparation for overseas movement, as was customary for Naval aviators undergoing operational training. The reference to “BOQ F-25 San Diego NAS” has to do with where he was billeted during his assignment there. It translates to Bachelor Officers’ Quarters building F-25 at the Naval Air Station at San Diego.

The reference to COMAIRSOPAC refers to Commander, Aircraft, South Pacific which was headquartered at Pearl Harbor. Its function was control of the 1st and 2nd Marine Air Wings, 13th Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force land based units, among others. COMAIRSOPAC retained direct control of Navy and USAAF aircraft employed for long range sea search. If your grandfather was a Patrol plane aviator that may explain his connection to COMAIRSOPAC. However, the reference to "Staff" suggests to me that perhaps he was assigned to the Staff of COMAIRSOPAC rather than to an operational squadron.

The suggestion above to get the equivalent of his DD-214 is useful as it will likely provide you with the specific units he was assigned to during this time.

As to serial V395924 I regret to say that upon checking the Victory Model Database, which my pal LWCmdr45 and I maintain, it does not show up as a revolver that we have encountered in the 15 or so years that we have recorded serial numbers on observed Victory Models. We do have several guns in the specific V395000 range but not your exact number. From the Database I can tell you that this revolver likely shipped from the S&W Factory in the September, 1943 time frame.

I wish I could be more helpful. Best of luck to you on chasing down this Victory with the family connection.

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Charlie Flick
SWCA 729 HF 215

I would also waste two minutes of my time pulling an unconscious driver from a burning car wreck. That's the kind of guy I am...always trying to be helpful.

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No life story has happy end.

Thank you for your insight and knowledge. He was a Naval Aviator. My mother has requested a copy of his DD 214, but hasn't received anything yet. There may be a copy in everything I have of his, but I haven't come across it. I knew going in to this that it would be a long shot (understatement), but it won't stop me from continuing my search. You've been very helpful and provided me with info that I would have been seeking regarding his service. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to respond.

Hmmm, thats a good comparison

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Take my advice Im not using it

As I haven't seen anything to the contrary, I'll assume you don't know for sure if he had the revolver in his possession when he left the service or not, but only a notation of its SN. Therefore, it could well have remained in military service for a long time afterward. Victory revolvers were still in military use during the Vietnam era, and possibly somewhat later. And apparently some of them were released as surplus and provided to various law enforcement agencies, etc. So there are literally thousands of places where it may have ended up, both inside and outside the US. It may be at the bottom of the ocean, buried in a Vietnam jungle, or in someone's nightstand drawer. Finding out more will be a daunting task, and you will need an extra dose of luck. I suspect you will end up finding out a lot more about your grandfather than anything else.

I will tell you a coincidence story, but it doesn't involve a gun. At an estate sale quite a few years ago, I bought (for a small price) a box containing a large number of letters that a soldier wrote home from France during WWI. In addition, the soldier had hand-written a very lengthy journal of all of his experiences from the time he entered the Army until he mustered out, and it ran about 75 pages, and was very detailed, as were the letters. Most of them were three and four pages, both sides. Many of them described his combat experiences, and he was in the thick of it. He also pulled, briefly, occupation duty after the Armistice, and wasn't returned to the USA until about mid-1919. The box sat on my shelf, largely unexamined, until about a year ago. Actually, I forgot I had it, and discovered it while looking for something else. Anyway, I decided to see if I could find any living relatives who might be interested in it. It actually turned out to be very simple to do. In his journals and letters, it was apparent he had gone to Texas A&M University, and he had a fairly distinctive name. I contacted the A&M alumni office, and they provided considerable information about him, where he came from, etc. I did some internet searches, and found someone local with exactly the same name. He turned out to be the soldier's only grandson. I called him, and he had no idea that any of that stuff existed. He came to my house immediately to pick it up. He was very happy. We spoke for about two hours, and I found out much more about his life after WWI. It was a very interesting day.

DWalt,

I'm glad you were able to reconnect those memories with that family. Since my grandfather's death, my mother (the oldest of nine children) and I have become very involved in family history. We've primarily spent our time researching both of my grandfathers, but when her mother started dialysis last year, we knew she had a limited amount of time left so we learned as much about her family from her as we could. As it turns out, my grandmother had a cousin that was KIA in WWII and buried in France. I'm currently stationed in Belgium, so I packed up my son and headed on a road trip to visit his grave (and a few other historical sites along the way). I sent some photos to my mother and grandmother of the trip, and my grandmother remembered that she'd kept all of the letters that she and her cousin had written to each other before he was killed. It was amazing to listen to her tell stories that none of us had ever heard, and helped my mother and I learn so much more than we'd expected. Since then, we've connected to family that we'd never spoken to or knew anything about, and given us a few more pieces to our family puzzle. And this search for this pistol is just another step in finding another piece of the puzzle. Maybe I'll never find it, and that's ok, but I'm sure to learn a lot more on the journey.

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regardless of success,the journey is the reward.

"And this search for this pistol is just another step in finding another piece of the puzzle. Maybe I'll never find it, and that's ok, but I'm sure to learn a lot more on the journey."

I got a good feeling about this Johnny. Dont give up, your finding a lot of cool stuff about your family and a revolver may just be the icing on the cake so to speak. Theo

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Take my advice Im not using it

While I have nothing to add about your Grandfather or his revolver, I want to wish you good luck in finding the information you seek. As the son of a WWll and Korean War vet I can understand your drive to find the info.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

Thank you. I thought so. B)

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No life story has happy end.

Here's my useful tip:

If your Mom hear's back that "his records were lost in the fire," don't give up. There was a big fire that destroyed many WWII vet records, but many have been reconstructed since then.

A friend of mine is a professional historian and has done numerous requests for records. He says, "Never accept 'no records found/destroyed in a fire' until you have requested them at least three times."

Basically, according to him, a lot depends on what clerk gets the request and how diligent they are in trying to track down reconstructed records. It's easy to return a request as "destroyed in the fire" when their first computer search indicates that record block was recorded as being destroyed in the fire. Bamn, that's one more request finished and on to the next thing.

But, if the clerk is more diligent and takes the time to check for reconstructed records they can often be found. It's just more work.

So, when your Mom gets her answer, if it's "no records found/destroyed in the fire," you put in the request as well, and if you get the same answer, do it again. Just don't tell them this is the 2nd, or 3rd time you're making a request. Your essentially just trying to cycle through 'till you hit a clerk willing to do the extra work.

Trebor4000 is giving good advice.

When my Dad went to North Africa the ship carrying is records was sunk.

They made up temporary replacement records, but these were not official. When they brought back POWs to the US he was not recognized as a US Army guy. They told him he could have gone home because the Army did not know he existed.

When he was separated he had to wait until they made official records, he said this was 6 or 8 months. They refused to give him his SGT rank on the final discharge, he was livid.

In 1960 he applied to buy a 200 acre farm and found out the military records, A-M, were lost in a fire in 1959 at the records center in St. Louis. They again had to cobble up records from his DD214 that he had kept.

Oddly enough the records office was close to my office for the last 10 years I worked in STL. My neighbor was a retired Army guy and was a supervisor in the center. All I will say is he found a way to transfer to the closest large Army base, sold his house and left. He said you couldn't get most folks to work and to his perception the patients were running the nut house.

I did try to get Dad's records and it was done, not quickly but done. Pretty bare, soldier boy PFC. 42 to 45. No mention of North Africa.

Keep pecking away.