Hi my friends, I found this .22 Victory online. I just have the 3 photos. Was this revolver ever manufactured in this caliber as a trainer or has this been modified ? Thanks in advance

They were made up in England for commercial sale in the USA during the 1950s-60s. They are not too common. Normally the .38 chambers were sleeved for .22 LR and new barrels and sights were added. The starting point was WWII S&W military revolvers which were selling for scrap iron prices back then. I will post an old advertisement here later.
_______________________

Thanks Dwalt, I might get it as it's at a cheap price, all the best

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

If the price is right I wouldn't hesitate to get an oddity Victory example. It would fit in with the .38 S&W and the .38 spl. Would be fun to shoot.

__________________
Kevin in Oregon

The price is definitely right $395 ozzy or $270 US
All the best
Cheers

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

For that price, even I would buy it and I am not a fan of 22 rimfire handguns.

I do not see any proof marks on it. My bet is someone wanted a 22 Target revolver and either built or had built that one from a victory frame. It could be as simple as swapping in a new cylinder, barrel and sights. Or, the cylinder could be sleeved and the barrel bored out and lined.

Either way, an interesting revolver.

Kevin

__________________
Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Thank you Kevin for your thoughts, yes I thought it looked interesting too, the price was a bonus, cheers

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

Does this mean you bought it?

Kevin

__________________
Unshared knowledge is wasted.

There was one on Gunbroker last week. Might still be there.

I am a 22 Fan Boy and I would love to have one!
Especially at that price!

__________________
NRA LIFE MEMBER

I've shown this before, but fototime went down the tubes, so here it is again.

Attached Images

p-h s&w 1961a.jpg (77.2 KB, 84 views)

and the options

Attached Images

p-h s&w 1961b.jpg (89.4 KB, 51 views)

Getting the deal done today, will need to be shipped but should have it next week, cheers

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

Thanks for that Mk VII, cheers

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

Wonderful! Looking forward to hearing all about it.

Kevin

__________________
Unshared knowledge is wasted.

A long time curiosity of mine is how the hammer nose was altered to work with the rimfire cartridges. I've never seen one of those conversions in the flesh, and never a photo showing the hammer nose.

Mark

__________________
S&W Forum Member #721

That's not one of the after WW2 English conversions to .22RF. done by the British gun dealers. It got it's conversion some where else down the line, perhaps Australia, if that's where you bought,( The recent Melbourne auction ? ) but definitely worth the money. Ed

This one came from a collector in rural NSW, he had a lot of nice more modern Smith and wesson's but most seem to be sold now, when it turns up I will post some detailed pictures, cheers

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

I've not seen one of these conversions anywhere in my travels, but I am curious as to how the "converter" handles the
conversion from centerfire to rimfire with firing pin, bushing and even headspacing.

All my S&W rimfire 22's have recessed charge holes in the cylinders. I have 1915 22/32 HFT, 1947 and 1948 K22 Masterpiece, 1931 Outdoorsman, Model 34-1, Model 17-3 and again all recessed.

Do they change out the hammer for a custom made? Seems to me that without recessing there would be a heavy amount of side blast potential when firing.

Again I've just not seen one, but if I do and the price were right I'd probably add one to the "accumulation" just because of its' oddity.

__________________
Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Seriously?

__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Thanks, Jack for catching me on this mistake. Indeed the 1915 22-32 Heavy Frame Target, does NOT have recessed charge holes.

Sorry for the misinformation.

Attached Images

	S&W 22-32 N.jpg (46.2 KB, 20 views)
	S&W 22-32 Q.jpg (48.2 KB, 16 views)
	22-32 cyl 1.jpg (78.3 KB, 18 views)
	22-32 cyl 2.jpg (50.7 KB, 16 views)
	22-32 cyl 3.jpg (50.4 KB, 13 views)

__________________
Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Yes, about 20 years too early. Interestingly, the K-22 Outdoorsman's was released at the beginning of the decade, but they didn't add the counterbore on the .22/32 until about 5 years later.

__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I think I see British proof marks above the ejector rod. Some of the P-H conversions had recessed case heads, some did not.

Recessed chambers on the .22/32 HFT began around serial number 525600 in 12/1931.

Regarding the converted .22 Victory, what would one look for to establish it was not one of the 1950s British conversions, but was done someplace else? If it does in fact have British proof marks, I would consider that as an indication that the conversion had been done in England. Lacking British proof marks, I might agree that the conversion could have been done elsewhere. I remember seeing such a conversion once, but long ago.

Somewhere on this forum I remember seeing an old discussion thread of how the hammer was modified for .22 RF, maybe even with pictures. But I would not know how to begin searching for it.

Interesting. The Standard Catalog uses that serial number, but puts it in 1935. It would be good to get this difference clarified. Can you show us (or point us to) some documentation for the earlier date?

The SCSW 4th goes on to say, "However, collectors report recessed chambers as low as 384570."

Thanks for any help you can provide.

__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

On my list is a .22/32 with SN 525668 which shipped on 6/15/31.
It is seemingly impossible that SN 384570 would have FACTORY ORIGINAL recessed chambers, as that SN would put the revolver's shipping date at around 1924. Because the sole purpose of chamber recessing was to provide extra support at the rim for using "High Velocity" .22 cartridges, there would have been no reason for a rim recess that early. HV .22s did not appear on the market until 1931. Western sold them first, with Remington on its heels. Someone could have had the rim recesses added to an older gun cylinder later in order to use HV cartridges in it. Or maybe some past owner replaced the original cylinder with a newer factory recessed one (and I believe that would be the most likely answer). I am very close to 100% certain that 1931 must be the correct year, not 1935, which would have been four years after the introduction of HV .22s. S&W would not have waited that long to make the change.

Depending on the information source, Colt modified the Colt Woodsman pistol to use HV .22 ammunition in 1932 or 1933.

Thank you DWalt. Much appreciated. What you write makes sense. I rather suspected the counterbored cylinders were related to the advent of HV ammo, but I did not know when that came about other than that it was sometime in the 1930s.

I'll make sure Jim S. knows about your comments.

__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

So my Victory finally turned up, I watched it tracking across the state then when it was in a town just an hour away it stopped there for four days before turning up today. Not in the best condition but for the price I think it is OK, I was surprised to find every cylinder has a British proof mark.
All the best

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

Interesting engineering on the cylinder and hammer nose! I'd love to own one of these as well. Another thing to hunt for...

__________________
Psalm 27:2

A few more of higher quality

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

chrome tank,

Is it the way I am interpreting the image or do the chambers really sit a little proud of the cylinder? It looks like they were sleeved, chambered with a recessed rim and trimmed to provide the correct headspace.

Cheers.

Kevin

__________________
Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Yes they protrude a bit, I should have taken a photograph of the front of the cylinder, it shows the sleeves nicely, perhaps the sleeve has a lip on the end ? I will get better photographs tomorrow, cheers

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

The revolver arrived in this box, the original label is gone. Is this a late 70s early 80s box ? Cheers

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

The rear sight, appears to be a highly modified Colt Accro. Big Larry

The more I see of this revolver, the more interesting it becomes! I'd say it was a real masterwork of the British gun maker's art. One hears of "making a silk purse of a sow's ear" and this was done here while imparting a good measure of style as well. The icing on the cake will be when you find out it shoots well too! Congratulations!

Froggie

I was going to say, the rear sight does not look typical of the P-H conversions and may be a later upgrade.