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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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Old 10-12-2017, 09:05 PM
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Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin  
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Default Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin

This may only be of interest to a limited number of more specialized Victory fans, but by posting it here I hope all who can use it will see it.

While researching another type of gun in the historical collection of the Berlin police, I came across this comprehensive list of stampings put on all Victorys issued in the American sector of Berlin. The Victory is listed as on active duty from 1946 to 1964. In 1963, West Berlin police began standardizing on the Manurhin-Walther P1; the special four-power status prohibited German-made guns.

Markings are on the backstrap. I remember encountering at least a few here over the years. They consist of a star and the letters:

BAK = Sector Kreuzberg
BAN = Sector Neukölln
BAS = Sector Steglitz
BASC = Sector Schöneberg
BAT = Sector Tempelhof
BAZ = Sector Zehlendorf
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Old 10-12-2017, 11:11 PM
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Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin  
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Good stuff, A. That is a useful listing.

Here is an example of one of the markings on a Berlin Victory.

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Old 10-13-2017, 11:30 AM
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Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin Victory Model: Post-War Occupation Markings, West Berlin  
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Thanks for the picture, Charlie!

I think I’ve also seen a BAN. I’d be curious whether all of these are represented in the Victory database, or which ones, if not. They don’t seem to show up very often. Obviously, the Berlin police wasn’t shy about disposing of their surplus handguns commercially, since at any given time at least half a dozen Manurhin P1s with the Berlin star are for sale just on GB, with different importer marks.

So the Victory should have gone that way too. Of course the numbers were lower than the P1 since these marked Victorys were limited to the American sector, while the P1 later was issued West-Berlin-wide. I believe the British issued some BSRs in their sector also, but don’t know about markings.
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