I picked up a Victory revolver that went thru the FTR process marked " MA 54". It is 38 S&W caliber, 5 in. barrel, an almost black phosphate finish, with barely a turn line on the cylinder. I don't think it has been shot or shot much since the FTR. Import mark above trigger guard is Vega Sac Ca. The sn is 814295 P, with the "P" being on the opposite side of the swivel and in the same size font as the sn. What is the significance of the "P", as I have never seen this before, and the year of manufacture or ship date?

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Kevin in Oregon

The P is not part of the serial. It is a standard military proof applied to all pre- and Victorys by ordnance inspectors at the factory.

Your gun was originally a pre-Victory shipped in mid-1941.

The gun was FTR’d in 1954. The MA is the code for the Lithgow Small Arms Factory in New South Wales, Australia. The literature mostly claims it stands for Munitions Australia, but the curator at the Lithgow factory museum told me in an e-mail exchange that they think it more likely to originate in Mach Arms, their telex code.

These guns were not issued after the FTR and imported by Vega Arms in Sacramento after 1986. They are generally unmodified except for the refinish; your pre-Victory would originally still have shipped in commercial blue.

Can we see it?

I have one in exact condition. Serial 356066, acquired at gunshow circa 1994.

That number would have to have a V in front to be viable

If that’s the case, it’s from mid/later 1943, maybe July. After some early direct-shipped guns in 1941, the Australians received guns through the centrally coordinated Lend-Lease pipeline throughout the war.

I did not see a V when I cleaned it last week. I rotated it to my offsite safe but will re-examine it in a few days to verify serial. Old eyes may be turning an 8 to a 3 or something.

still have mine with original ad that I purchased it from + owners manual that came with it back in 1989 -

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I have to learn how to do pictures. Another FTR 55 revolver, sn 947008, has no "V" but on other side of swivel has letters "WB" then an ordnance bomb with a very tiny, hard to see "P". This one I purchased when the original shipment came to Sac., Ca. I bought it at their dealer store. This one also has "United States Property" on top strap, whereas the FTR 54 does not. I've conclude they were not very consistent in marking the revolvers. Thanks all for the replies.

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Kevin in Oregon

It’s just a matter of the time frame, not consistency. By the time this one shipped in spring 1942, the guns got standard ordnance inspection and Lend-Lease markings, shipped to Hartford depot, and were then distributed to the Commonwealth countries. The property stamping started with Lend-Lease revolver shipments in late fall 1941; your earlier revolver was still bought directly and likely shipped through the British Purchasing Commission in New York.

I also have one of the VEGA SAC CA imported, FTR'd Australian issue BSR's. The S/N is in the low V175300 range. I lettered it and it shipped on December 8th, 1942 to the United States Hartford Ordnance Depot, Springfield, Mass, which was the Eastern Regional Lend-Lease Distribution Center.

serial #9932XX no V - butt stamped W.B. , ordnance bomb , + small P on other side of swivel from serial - no evidence of refinish - U.S. property stamp on l/s top strap - no British or commonwealth stamps or proofs at all -

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That serial is not possible.

The serial without a V would be from 1923. So that’s a no given all the other features. Have you checked all serial locations? (Butt, cylinder, underbarrel, etc.)

So if there is indeed no V in any of the usual locations, the only way this gun would make sense would be if the first 4 on the serial is a mis-read or mis-struck 9, and the topstrap has the long UNITED STATES PROPERTY stamp. Then all the butt markings are standard.

I miss typed the number it is 9932XX - none of the early shipments had the V prefix serial number - all numbers match - IIRC the V prefix did not start until 1942 or 1943 - posts 1 ,6 , + 8 also state no V prefix on their Aussie revolvers -

The V-prefix started in May/June 1942, after production reached the million.

The reason I said it had to start with a 9 is that the features of the revolver you showed, US property marking with utility finish and smooth walnut stocks, did not occur together (if original to the gun) until January 1942, by which time production was into the 900-thousands.

British Service models in .38 S&W with swivels, on the other hand began shipping in the high 600-thousands a few years earlier, so Australian-FTR‘d guns without V can start with 6, 7, 8, or 9.

Guns also did double-duty and switched among Allied countries during the war. I have a pre-Victory 767114 which shipped first to Britain through the BPC and entered British service, as shown by Enfield British acceptance marks and broad arrow property mark, but then was FTR‘d in Australia in 1954. So at some unknown point on the battlefield or through resupply it ended up in the hands of an Australian, who turned it in after the war.

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found original receipt from importer - it also has the small U.S. property stamp on top strap - all numbers match with exception of the unmarked grips -

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Interesting how the one of the two British inspection markings is upside down. This shows two different stamps were used.
Regards
AlanD