The Final Story of an old Victory Model

grendelbean · #1 05-20-2020, 12:17 PM

Just as the final story in an old soldier's adventures, this old S&W .38 Special Victory Model ended sadly but honorably.

There is no telling what assignments, challenges, and - indeed - adventures this old war horse has seen. It could have been on guard duty in a shipyard,or tank factory, or under the coat of an OSS operative in Europe. It ended up however, in the company of good men and women with continued adventures.

Brave old V323018 somehow got itself nickel plated and working with a rural police department in North Georgia. As time went on the rural department became a large department in a booming suburb of Atlanta that was the fastest growing county in the country for a period of time. The sturdy old Victory Model soldiered on. Riding on the hip of police officers and facing dangers with them every day. Qualifying regularly on the range in the old Georgia Double Action course. The nickel stayed bright and unchipped. The action stayed smooth and well cared for and it continued doing it's duty along with it's partners, the cops who carried it.

To face increasing fire power the department began to carry the Smith 686, with +P+ ammunition, and the old Victory Model was regulated to back up and occasional temporary duty with a cop with small hands - using .38 Special only of course.

To keep all revolvers up to safe operating standards some of the older Victory Models were selected to become parts for repairing its companions. As armorer I personally took this one apart and put it's parts in slots for replacements as needed. Out of respect and admiration I hung on the the cylinder from V323018 which stayed on my desk for years to serve as a reminder of physical beauty and functional perfection.

The old Victory Model cylinder had ended it's active career but still adorns my desk at home and I thought it might be able to take its place in the Victory Model Database, listing what happened to this one revolver. So please note that Victory Model V323018 was (at least) eventually surplussed, nickel plated, sent to a police department, and was finally stripped for parts for other Victory Models. A long and honorable career of service.

It should be noted that the cylinder of V323018 is also marked with an "S" - meaning it went back to the factory for installation of the new hammer block while in service? This cylinder has a single pin and no ejector star.

Eventually, the department went to 9 mm semi automatic pistols beginning with the S&W 659 (and eventually the Glock 17). The parts of old V323018, as well as all the other revolvers went for trade-in on the new semi automatics.

Scharfschuetzer · #2 05-20-2020, 12:27 PM

Nice write up on the old war horse.

My Dad carried a Victory Model in WWII so I bought him one years ago. He treasured it until his passing. It's now in the hands of my brother who cares for it well.

TTSH · #3 05-20-2020, 12:37 PM

God, what a sad story.

Here I am still looking for my Victory.

Not easy to find a reasonably intact one for sale in moonbat Massachusetts and I don't have my C&R license yet (still waiting for the big move before applying).

Just goes to show you how one person's tale of a noble & honorable end to a long career can be another person's reason to be sad that it had to end that way. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Absalom · #4 05-20-2020, 12:43 PM

That is a very nice write-up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grendelbean

...It should be noted that the cylinder of V323018 is also marked with an "S" - meaning it went back to the factory for installation of the new hammer block while in service?

No, it does not by itself. For the hammer block, an S had to be on the sideplate and on the butt next to the serial’s V. Otherwise, the letter S stamped on parts in other places just indicates a part that went back to the service department for some corrective action before the gun shipped because it hadn’t passed final inspection.

grendelbean · #5 05-20-2020, 02:15 PM

You are so right. I wish I had the whole Victory Model instead of just the cylinder. In fact I wish I had all ten of the original Victory Models we had on hand. They were sold by a dealer in the next county back in the 1980s. I think they went for about $90 apiece. I bought my duty Model 65 and Model 60. (That was about all the money I had. Still have those.

Art Doc · #6 05-20-2020, 02:50 PM

I have never understood scrapping functional guns.

tenntex32 · #7 05-20-2020, 08:13 PM

Sounds like the old gal got parted out so that others may survive, somewhat honorably like an organ donor.

I've never passed up too many functional 4" 38spl Victory models if priced cheaply enough...………..especially U.S. Navy marked models.

I only have one deactivated example, s/n V617176. I gave $15 for it a few years ago at a local gunshow. Supposedly the seller's father purchased it when it was sold/surplused as scrap somewhere up north in the Great Lakes region. It's a sad thing that more of her parts could not have been salvaged.

I have read where S&W supposedly made a deal with the U.S. Government that the (functional) Victory revolvers were not to be surplused back onto the U.S. commercial market as part of the contract for them. This was due to the glut of surplus M1917 revolvers causing such a disruption in their commercial sales, and S&W not wanting a similar situation with regards to the Victory. I guess a few Victory models did get destroyed instead of being sold intact, and I can't help but wonder if this is the reason we see them deactivated in this manner by the military.

Maybe someone with more knowledge of the actual contract verbage and military protocol will expound further?

Dale

JohnRippert · #8 05-20-2020, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenntex32

Sounds like the old gal got parted out so that others may survive, somewhat honorably like an organ donor.

I've never passed up too many functional 4" 38spl Victory models if priced cheaply enough...………..especially U.S. Navy marked models.

I only have one deactivated example, s/n V617176. I gave $15 for it a few years ago at a local gunshow. Supposedly the seller's father purchased it when it was sold/surplused as scrap somewhere up north in the Great Lakes region. It's a sad thing that more of her parts could not have been salvaged.

I have read where S&W supposedly made a deal with the U.S. Government that the (functional) Victory revolvers were not to be surplused back onto the U.S. commercial market as part of the contract for them. This was due to the glut of surplus M1917 revolvers causing such a disruption in their commercial sales, and S&W not wanting a similar situation with regards to the Victory. I guess a few Victory models did get destroyed instead of being sold intact, and I can't help but wonder if this is the reason we see them deactivated in this manner by the military.

Maybe someone with more knowledge of the actual contract verbage and military protocol will expound further?

Dale

That is almost physically painful to look at.

Absalom · #9 05-20-2020, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenntex32

.....
I have read where S&W supposedly made a deal with the U.S. Government that the (functional) Victory revolvers were not to be surplused back onto the U.S. commercial market as part of the contract for them. This was due to the glut of surplus M1917 revolvers causing such a disruption in their commercial sales, and S&W not wanting a similar situation with regards to the Victory. I guess a few Victory models did get destroyed instead of being sold intact, and I can't help but wonder if this is the reason we see them deactivated in this manner by the military.

That looks just sad

But considering how common the US PROPERTY stamped Victorys are and how easily they can be found in pretty much any condition desired, it would appear that, if any such deal was real, it didn’t catch too many of them

tenntex32 · #10 05-20-2020, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Absalom

That looks just sad

But considering how common the US PROPERTY stamped Victorys are and how easily they can be found in pretty much any condition desired, it would appear that, if any such deal was real, it didn’t catch too many of them

I know...….right? That's why I am interested in the actual U.S. Government Victory contract verbiage and if it was truly a stipulation of it.

I am also very interested in anyone's firsthand knowledge of any departments/arsenals actually deactivating any Victory examples to comply if it was a stipulation of the contract.

Surely someone can help confirm either way!

Dale

Lady Smith · #11 05-21-2020, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenntex32

Sounds like the old gal got parted out so that others may survive, somewhat honorably like an organ donor.

I've never passed up too many functional 4" 38spl Victory models if priced cheaply enough...………..especially U.S. Navy marked models.

I only have one deactivated example, s/n V617176. I gave $15 for it a few years ago at a local gunshow. Supposedly the seller's father purchased it when it was sold/surplused as scrap somewhere up north in the Great Lakes region. It's a sad thing that more of her parts could not have been salvaged.

I have read where S&W supposedly made a deal with the U.S. Government that the (functional) Victory revolvers were not to be surplused back onto the U.S. commercial market as part of the contract for them. This was due to the glut of surplus M1917 revolvers causing such a disruption in their commercial sales, and S&W not wanting a similar situation with regards to the Victory. I guess a few Victory models did get destroyed instead of being sold intact, and I can't help but wonder if this is the reason we see them deactivated in this manner by the military.

Maybe someone with more knowledge of the actual contract verbage and military protocol will expound further?

Dale

Such a shame !

The cylinder seems to be flat, looks like they used a hydraulic press or something like that to destroy her.

Anyway, for sure you saved her in some ways.