Recently I started a thread about a Navy Victory w/o any martial markings. Well here is the opposite, 3 lettered DSC Victory's with the flaming bomb stamped on the butt. All 3 also have the service department S stamp, 2 on the rear face of the cylinder and 1 on both sides of the grip frame. My theory is that they "borrowed" from military batches to fill a DSC shipment or revolvers that went to the service department were randomly shipped. Any other ideas?

Attached Images

IMG_1807[1].jpg (94.5 KB, 99 views)

I’m not sure if it has the “S” stamp, but my DSC Victory from 1943 has the flaming bomb on the butt. I thought that was SOP by the ordinance inspector.



I’ll have to check the cylinder and grip frame later today.

__________________
"I also cook."

The ordnance bomb should be on all Victory models, if they went thu the standard production line, as required by the military contracts, as that stamping was the final inspection & acceptance mark for the gun. Not to say a gun could not have been missed when the inspector went to lunch, etc. Usually the final destination of a gun was not known, of course,(civilian or military ) as they were being assembled, however if a separate batch was going to be a DFC shipment, then they might have not received the military inspection. If a gun was made in the Service dep't, then no military proofing, just S&W proofing. Ed

Out of 15 DSC Victory's only these 3 have the stamp and 2 DSC pre-Victory's lack the flaming bomb. On the the military side 9 of 10 have the bomb stamped on the butt. 4 Lend Lease BSR's all have the bomb. Theses are all below s/n V199999.

On military issue guns, isn’t the ordinance bomb usually on the top strap?

__________________
"I also cook."

Yes, after mid-1943.

Early on, the bomb was on the butt, and the US NAVY and UNITED STATES PROPERTY stamping (Lend-Lease) were by themselves on the top strap. Early DSC and Maritime Commission guns had no stampings at all.

Especially during 1942 things were a bit unpredictable, so you do get a fair share of guns that don’t fit the pattern; I would draw no general conclusions from any gun’s stampings or lack thereof.

But at a certain point in time DSC guns started getting the ordnance bomb too, and by the time the bomb on military guns migrated to the top strap in front of the US PROPERTY GHD, all other Victorys got the butt bomb. Same with the military P proof. By the time the triple P proof was phased in in late 1943, all Victorys no matter the destination got those.

I have a DSC Victory, # V521395, which was shipped 03/21/44. Has the flaming bomb on the butt, and the S marked on the rear of the cylinder.

__________________
Mike H

Darn, I've looke forever for a 1944 gun.1942 & 1943 has been the best I could do.