Hi S&W experts,
I'm helping a friend research her fathers handguns. One of them is a nice looking S&W 4 screw. It was in what looks like and original holster of some type...is it Navy/Military?? Any info, details or history will be greatly appreciated. She is retired Air Force and I think it's great she has these heirlooms from her dad (there's a couple of Sauer and Sohns model 1913s too....

The details are:

S/N 7112XX 6 digits, no letters, marked on Cyl, bbl, under bbl, and grip bottom

4 Screw frame

No info under yoke

Lanyard loop on bottom of grip

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Five screw, the cylinder stop screw in front of the trigger guard counts, too. When numbers hit 999999 they started over with the V for Victory prefix, so yours is early wartime. Lots of service revolver folks here for details, be ready to look for inspector's stamp and US Property mark.

Gun looks great.
The holster MIGHT be a GI M3 shoulder holster with cartridge loops sewn on for the revolver.

I would guess you overlooked the V prefix in front of the serial number. Otherwise, the gun would have to be refinished, as #7112xx is way too early (late 1940/early 1941) for those stocks and the utility finish. If there is indeed a V, you would have an almost pristine late-1944 Victory.

PS: I notice your original post specifically states "no letters" with the serial, but after enlarging your photos, that would make no sense. I would bet that finish is an original Victory phosphate finish, yet with that serial 7112xx without the V, it cannot be.

Welcome to the forum! Great gun and even better holster. Are there any markings on the top strap?

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Welcome! The holster pictured is a standard shoulder style used during WW II, and the cartridge loops on the strap was a typical field/onboard addition.

There is an easy way to tell the vintage of the revolver based on the SN orientation. If you read it butt up and barrel left, it is a later WW II Victory Model (and look for the V stamped to the left of the butt swivel). If it reads with the muzzle left it may have been refinished. Agree it appears to be an original, unaltered revolver.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Welcome to the Forum.

Many of these Victory revolvers were issued to Navy/Marine aviation units.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Indeed the S/N is read butt up and barrel left. I asked for another pic of the butt. The V could be hidden by the lanyard in the one she sent me. I believe her father was a flyer in the Navy in WWII. I asked for some other pics too. Thanks everyone...she is very excited to have her father's pistol.

Additional photos. There is a V on the Barrel and the Cyl next to the S/Ns in those locations. It is a very pristine looking pistol. The holster has his named embossed on the back in gold letters.
He flew corsairs off the Enterprise, Wasp...and maybe others.

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Thanks DWalt... I have her checking for the top strap marking. Unfortunately I'm not colocated so can't put my hands on it. I had just found that site while searching and was looking at the P proof marks in some of the photos. I believe it is in fact the handgun her dad carried while flying corsairs, including the monogrammed holster. And it is pretty much perfect as far as I can tell. A great heirloom from the greatest generation.

Bingo. I'm usually reluctant to express too much certainty regarding Victory finishes based on artificially lit photos, but that finish just looked too good and real to be re-done.

The gun looks pretty much unissued. He may have acquired it after the war as a memento to go with his holster, rather than this being his issue handgun. There actually seems to be evidence that during WW II on Navy ships there were no personal sidearms as such; aviators were issued one before a mission and turned it back in afterwards. It was different with Marine aviators who flew a lot off island dirt strips right behind the frontline.

I have also heard from various people with Navy experience that carrier flight crews were issued sidearms before a sortie, and turned in after return. Flight crews did not have them when not flying, at least aboard ship. Might have been different for land-based aircraft (such as USMC aircraft) in combat zones. One important use of these revolvers by aviation crews was as emergency signaling devices using tracer ammunition.

Navy firearms policy is still as above, more or less. There's no such thing as a 'personal firearm'; for a Sailor, a firearm is more or less a library book. You check it out of the armory (or from the AOs) for a specific reason, and turn it back in when you're done.

The holster is a military issue US M-3 for the 4" M&P or Colt OP that was also issued. A cartridge loop slide was a common accessory but was only for 6 or 12 cartridges. What this has is probably a "Field Modification".

The front of the holster should have a large oval "cartouche" marked either US or USN if it was Naval issue. On the back of the holster, approximately behind the guns hammer, this will be marked as to manufacturer and year of manufacture.

Pacific Canvas & Leather makes excellent reproductions of these holsters. Here is a link to what yours probably looked like when new: pacificcanvasandleather.com

If no one pointed it out before the gun is a 5 screw, not a 4 screw.

Be very , very nice to your lady friend. She has nice things.