Hello from Norway.

Just bought my first old s&w. The gun is marked SV 7905XX. .38 special.

I have tried to find some info about the gun, but i can't find it anywhere. If someone could help this noob in the right direction I would be very thankful.

I am very curious about the shippingdate and all history that is possible to get about the gun.

(Sorry for my english)

Welcome to the Forum.

Others with much more knowledge than I will be along soon.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Here is a couple of pictures.

Attached Images

	20170811_154944.jpg (49.9 KB, 78 views)
	20170811_155029.jpg (93.8 KB, 90 views)

Your English is much better than my Norwegian

It is a late WW II era Victory Model, from late 1944 to early 1945; the last military model delivered was in the V 811,000 SN range. The S denotes a new hammer block safety part that was introduced late in the war and is still being used today, so only a small fraction of VMs were so stamped. Other true experts here will be along with more details.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Absent other markings, Alan has told you the basics we know for sure. According to Charles Pate, the SV-prefix gun began shipping in mid-January 1945, around V 769000, so yours likely falls a month or so after that. Does it say US PROPERTY GHD on the topstrap?

It looks like it's seen use, but is all original. A replacement for the missing lanyard swivel can be easily obtained here; since it's not a serialized gun part, you should be able to find and order one from the US if you can't find one in your country.

Thank you all for great help.

(I have the lanyard swives aswell, but it seems like something is missing. It will not stay in place. Some springs or screws are gone i guess)

There should be a pin that goes in the side of the butt, next to the swivel, that will hold it in.

Mike Priwer

SV790233 and SV790900 were both shipped to the U S Navy on May 31, 1945 by Smith & Wesson, so your gun was probably shipped around the same time, perhaps even in the same shipment. A factory historical letter will tell you the exact info. for your gun. The swivel is held in by the small retaining pin. If the pin has been lost for your gun, a replacement can easily be made from a piece of a small nail. Ed.

Does it have "U. S. PROPERTY" stamped on the topstrap? For the SV-series Victories, there is very little relationship between the SN and the shipping date. Without a letter, all that can be said with reasonable certainty is that it shipped sometime in 1945, prior to the war's end. Unless it is a civilian SV, in which case it shipped during the early months of 1946. Those were made up from earlier parts remaining in S&W inventory after the war's end.

It has the "property of .. " stamp on the topstrap. And the lanyard swivel hole is not plugged. Sorry for the missing info.

If the lanyard hole is not plugged remove the grips (stocks) then place the lanyard in its hole. On the side of the grip frame almost right above where lanyard ring stud goes into the bottom of the frame there is a small hole passing through grip frame. With lanyard in place a small pin made from a the smooth portion of a drill bit in the hole and it will not allow the lanyard rig to come back out. Snug fit on the pin is best, but if not real snug the grips will hold it in place.

For reference purposes SV 793339 shipped May 31, 1945. It seems like a large shipment of these guns left the factory that day.

Jerry

Yes. It shipped to the Oakland Navy Yard in California. I suspect that whole shipment went there. By that time, the focus of the war had shifted to the Pacific.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

If the OP's gun does belong in this context, it would be rather interesting, but likely impossible, to find out how it ended up in Norway.

Sv790573 is the complete number for my gun. This is starting to get interesting!

Some more pictures of markings.

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	20170812_193418.jpg (48.5 KB, 24 views)
	20170812_193434.jpg (50.7 KB, 23 views)

This is getting interesting indeed. This gun was apparently re-imported into the US by Century Arms after 1968 (importers didn't have to and generally didn't apply their marks before the Gun Control Act of that year) from some foreign country, and then went back to Norway somehow.

Or does CAI also export military collector arms to other countries from the US? That would be new to me, but conceivable.

I knew it was kind of old, but this is beyond my expectations. I feel the history flowing through the gun.

Markings are all correct for a Navy gun of that vintage. The P on the barrel flat is a proof mark.

The importer marks are interesting, and defined by Absalom.

A very cool gun to own!

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318