I'm posting this separately rather than in the Victory database to maybe get a little more exposure.

"Lou. Div. of Police" was the Louisville (Kentucky) Division of Police; since 2003, it is the Louisville Metro PD.

I just acquired the Victory pictured below, V 626880. It has an unmarked topstrap and has the dept. marking on the backstrap. It is all-matching except for the stocks. The reason for this is obvious; the discoloration of the finish on both sideplates (see last picture) clearly indicates that at some point the originals were replaced with post-war magnas, which likely stayed on for the remainder of the gun's active duty life. When the guns were surplussed out, whoever bought the department's Victorys was smart enough to realize that both a Victory with original-style grips and the magnas separately would be more profitable.

In searching this and other gun forums, I have identified seven different guns with the Louisville stamping. The lowest serial is V 612582, the highest V 630980. They are close enough together that I'm sure this was one batch, shipped to Louisville under the Defense Supply Corporation contract in June/July 1944. The fact that all of them are without the topstrap US PROPERTY stamping confirms that (except one has a fake US NAVY stamp which was unmasked here in the forum).

I couldn't find any reference to someone lettering one of these. Since I'm reasonably certain that this was one batch, one letter telling us when exactly they shipped would take care of all of them. I'd also be curious if Roy's records show how many were shipped.

If someone out there lettered one or knows more, please speak up. Thanks.

PS: If anyone is good at puzzling out numbers, I'm trying to figure out the serial on the grip panel. I could swear the first digit looks like a 9, but that's not feasible, I think.

Attached Images

	IMG_1828.jpg (162.2 KB, 281 views)
	IMG_1830.jpg (89.7 KB, 278 views)
	IMG_1833.jpg (98.0 KB, 240 views)
	IMG_1835.jpg (77.1 KB, 210 views)

PDs and some essential industry security guards were allowed to purchase VMs during the war. Seems pretty obvious this is such a gun. They were delivered, as far as I know, in exactly the same configuration as the military contract revolvers.

__________________
No life story has happy end.

Just acquired a Victory with the Lou. Div of Police on the backstrap. Serial # is V624138, apparently the same block as mentioned in the first post.

Thanks for digging this up! I’d completely forgotten that I posted this back when I originally got the gun and before I lettered it and got the additional information I mentioned in the other thread.

What is the other thread?

__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Having lived most of my life in Louisville, I would love to own one of the LDP revolvers, for a house gun. Unfortunately a limited income pretty much precludes buying guns these days.

__________________
Oh well, what the hell.

Starting with post #4.

Victory model database

Hello everyone, I just joined the forum to contribute to this thread specifically.

Just bought this Victory Model and was browsing the net for more info. My SN is later than the bank of SN's posted above (634834). Just posting for the sake of documentation.

Attached Images

	IMG_2181.jpg (56.8 KB, 71 views)
	IMG_2182.jpg (39.5 KB, 71 views)
	IMG_2183.jpg (94.0 KB, 89 views)

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for joining and adding this one! I’m sure it came from the same June 6, 1945 shipment as the others we discussed. If you haven’t, make sure you read the thread I linked in post #7 with the updated info.

That gun is in beautiful condition! Where did you find it??

Thank you! Got it at local shop here in Houston. Its gorgeous and the bore is in outstanding condition.

Looks like a 9 to me also.

I think you’re right. The only digit I’m still not sure about is the second-to-last. So 9784?7.

At the time of that initial post, I was just diving into Victorys and my expertise was a bit, well, let’s say shallow

I knew there could not be a V 9xxxxx , but did not know yet that the pre-Victory M&Ps in the 900-thousands had the smooth walnut stocks already.

I started with the Hattiesburg Mississippi Police Department July 1. 1969. When I started I had nothing. No money, no gun, etc. The chief took me to a storage room where I picked out used uniforms, leather, etc. I told him it would be a while before I could buy a gun. I had just gotten out of the Navy and was broke. He pulled out a box that had at least 20 Victory revolvers. He said I could use one of them until I could buy my own. We had to furnish our own back then. I sorted through the box and found a nice one that was Navy marked. I carried it for a few months and turned it back in when I bought a model 10. I asked him where the Victory revovlvers had come from and he said "military surplus". I still don't know where he got them but I do know they were no longer around after he retired a couple of years later. They had no markings other than what came from the factory.

During WWII my Mother and I visited different ports to see my Dad. I always had an interest in firearms. The military guards wore M1911s in flap holsters. The civilian guards wore revolvers in black flap holsters. All that was visible was the bottom of the grips, so the revolvers could have been blued civilian models or victory models

That’s actually all you’d need to see to know, at least with a very high probability

Do you remember a lanyard swivel? With few exceptions like the 3000 USNCPC M&Ps from 1941, which had a standard pre-war blue finish and checked stocks with a swivel, you can assume a swivel to indicate a Pre-Victory/Victory in utility configuration.

I don't recall lanyard swivels

Stocks are most likely from a pre- V prefix gun. There were some U.S. Property guns in the 900,000 range. They probably came off a May/June 1942 gun. I wouldn't worry about it. They look nice on the gun. You'll never find the originals anyway.

There's a post above that suggests the DSC civilian guns are the same configuration as the military Victory Models. Not so. DSC guns should not have military inspector's stampings unless a part has been replaced after market that came from surplus military parts. Ed.

It depends which markings you are referring to. DSC guns, for example the Louisville police guns in this thread, did get the ordnance flaming bomb on the butt (not on the topstrap like military-shipped guns) and the triple P proof after 1943. Only the property stamp was not present.

Attached Images

	A87988F6-2F70-4CD8-AF99-FB587D7327FD.jpg (75.4 KB, 18 views)
	5A167779-9922-4BEB-A715-5696B598AA91.jpg (54.7 KB, 18 views)
	B8CE5A2E-89D4-40D8-8C41-96F2CC11E581.jpg (26.9 KB, 18 views)