Im trying for a date of manufacture for a S&W Victory moodel with 4" barrel ,arled U.S. NAVY on left side of top strap, s/n V227322, black parkerized finish, plain walnut grip panels, marked SMITH & WESSON on left side of barrel.


The barrel marking info is a correction (mea culpa).

That should put the gun in early 1943, around February.

Welcome to the Form. There are no records of manufacuring dates on Victory Models, only shipping dates as to when a gun left the factory, however production was running about 5,000 guns per week at the time you gun was made and they were shipped quickly after final inspection. There are members here on the Forum with accurate records ship dates for gun with serial numbers close to yours you will be posting that info shortly. Ed.

Welcome to the forum. Nice revolver sounds like.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Welcome to the Forum from Virginia! If you get the opportunity please post some pictures (cell phones are fine) as we love pics of treasures like yours.

Regarding your US Navy, it should look and be marked the same as mine pictured below. Mine shipped from the factory on December 17, 1942 and is serial number V 192216. Your serial number is some 35,106 numbers higher than mine which at the estimated rate of 5000 per week, would put yours shipping just like previously posted, somewhere around early Feb 1943.

You can obtain a Letter from the Factory that will tell you for sure, the exact date. Please see copy of original invoice pictured below for mine, which was in a 1000 gun shipment direct to US Navy, Oakland, California. My Letter from the SWHF states that my gun with serial number V 192216 was in the shipment covered with the shown invoice.

These are great guns, and are getting quite collectible. Do you have any backstory (how you came by it, who owned it, where it's been, etc.) with yours?

Again....welcome and stick around...you'll learn more than you ever thought possible about Smith & Wesson.

Attached Images

	Victory 1.jpg (46.5 KB, 22 views)
	Victory 7.jpg (32.5 KB, 18 views)
	Victory 8.jpg (28.5 KB, 20 views)

Attached Files

Victory invoice.pdf (232.3 KB, 13 views)

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

V227401 was a Navy, shipped in 1/43. Would really like to see a picture of the U. S. NAVY stamping you said was on the barrel (...marked U.S. NAVY on left side of barrel). A historical letter ($100) will not provide information beyond to what Navy depot it was first shipped and the shipping date. And no war duty history at all.