Tracing a Victory's History

[HRRutz]

Hi, guys.
I picked up a 38 S&W Victory revolver recently, and I've been having some trouble deciphering the minimal markings on it to determine where it was sent to.

38SW Victory - Google Photos

On the top of the barrel, there appears to be an ^*W☆
Just in front of the hammer on the left side is a P
There is also a P following the serial number under the barrel.
There is another ^ with a couple strange triangular shapes by the serial number next to the lanyard ring.

It has a pre-95 CAI import mark, and I've contacted them to ask if they could share any record of at least where it entered the country from, but I don't know how fruitful that endeavor will be.

I understand the grips to be post-42, and the high serial number of V 699563 SEEMS to indicate a timeframe around October of 1944, going by what I've been reading on others' posts. But I've also seen several factory papers for guns with serial numbers within 10,000 either direction that say those guns were shipped in 1941 or 1942, so it's hard to say I guess. Maybe those ones were pre-V.

If anyone has some insight on the Asterisk, W, P or the Pyramids, I'd appreciate any information you can provide.

Also, I just picked this up in its current condition. I don't know who did all that scrubbing. I suspect they were looking for markings and ended up ruining them. The S&W crest is almost completely gone.

Thanks!

[Igiveup]

Looks like a candidate for Cerakote, or a parkerizing job. These revolvers are fun to research and are usually good shooters. Just fun.

[Absalom]

The P proof is a standard factory applied military proof found on almost all Victorys.

The other markings, especially the crude star/asterisk, indicate the gun was worked on at an arsenal in either India or Pakistan after WW II. Quite a few of these revolvers were left behind when the British left in 1948.

I believe the “scrubbing” was to remove the black stove paint, a more primitive version of the British Suncorite, with which the gun was coated during that arsenal service; traces are still visible.

[Wiregrassguy]

Thought I'd bring the pictures into the thread.