My December copy of the American Rifleman just arrived in today's mail and there is an interesting article worth reading authored by Bruce Canfield. Titled "V" Is For Victory: The Smith & Wesson Victory Model Revolver ... lots of interesting information.

Yes, I have read it and hold its author, Bruce Canfield, in high regard as a source for excellent, informed writings on a wide variety of USGI small arms.

However, even the best of us can make a mistake. At the end of the article the discussion on the 2 inch barreled Victory Model revolvers states "The only martial marking typically applied was a small "flaming bomb" insignia on the top of the frame." That point is illustrated with an adjacent photo with the caption "The U.S. military "flaming bomb" insignia was applied to this S&W Victory Model with 2" barrel." However, the photo depicts not a Victory but rather a Colt Commando revolver with the flaming bomb marking at the upper left frame just forward of the hammer. Rock Island Auction is credited with the 2 photos, but the photos used to illustrate this point are just flat wrong. Beyond that, and more importantly, no Victory Model revolvers, 2 inch or otherwise, had flaming bomb marks placed at the upper left frame.

I am a little surprised that these errors slipped past the AR editorial staff.

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Charlie Flick
SWCA 729 HF 215

I have not got mine yet.

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No baby we aint

I read the article and now I want one. Dad was a Naval Aviator in the Pacific during WWII. First as a tail gunner then an enlisted pilot. The picture below is dad and very similar to the one in the article.Wish he was still around to ask him about these Victory models. As a new member here on the forum I have a lot of questions about these. Should I ask them here or start a new thread? Thanks in advance.
Tom

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First, check out the other thread about this topic; this one was abandoned

.38 Victory Article in Dec 2020 American Rifleman

If you have specific questions, best to start your own thread in this sub-forum. That will get you maximum attention from the right people.