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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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  #1  
Old 11-11-2008, 05:58 AM
Tilton Hilton Tilton Hilton is offline
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Hi,
Local shop has a 5" Victory(Lend-lease),serial # V 458608. Has the sandblast finish and all #'s match. chambered in 38 S&W. Locks up tight, with good bore and chambers. I would say it has a strong 70%+ original finish. Lanyard is broken off and has non original grips. Topstrap is stamped U.S.Proprrty GHD. Has the proof P stamped on left side of frame and following the SN on the barrel. No other proofs or import stamp. Shop has it stickered at $275.00.

Would anyone care to guess the timeframe it was produced and what may have been its destination when placed in service. I researched past Victory/Lend Lease posts but couldn't find any addressing this serial number range. I realize a Jinks Letter is the only way to know for certain.

I wasn't shopping for a Victory, but now for the price I am consisdering it, so I thought a little more information may sway me one way or the other.

Thanks for your time, Jim
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  #2  
Old 11-11-2008, 05:58 AM
Tilton Hilton Tilton Hilton is offline
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Hi,
Local shop has a 5" Victory(Lend-lease),serial # V 458608. Has the sandblast finish and all #'s match. chambered in 38 S&W. Locks up tight, with good bore and chambers. I would say it has a strong 70%+ original finish. Lanyard is broken off and has non original grips. Topstrap is stamped U.S.Proprrty GHD. Has the proof P stamped on left side of frame and following the SN on the barrel. No other proofs or import stamp. Shop has it stickered at $275.00.

Would anyone care to guess the timeframe it was produced and what may have been its destination when placed in service. I researched past Victory/Lend Lease posts but couldn't find any addressing this serial number range. I realize a Jinks Letter is the only way to know for certain.

I wasn't shopping for a Victory, but now for the price I am consisdering it, so I thought a little more information may sway me one way or the other.

Thanks for your time, Jim
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  #3  
Old 11-11-2008, 09:43 AM
ordnanceguy ordnanceguy is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tilton Hilton:
Would anyone care to guess the timeframe it was produced and what may have been its destination when placed in service.
Hello Jim:

From the Victory Model Database, which my pal LWCmdr45 and I maintain, I can estimate for you that this Victory was likely shipped in the November, 1943 time frame. Its probable destination was the Hartford Ordnance Depot.

Now that you know this background you need to go buy that gun!

Regards,
Charlie Flick
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  #4  
Old 11-11-2008, 12:43 PM
opoefc opoefc is offline
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As usual, Charlie's info is right on target. I have 3 very close serial numbers in my data base, or collection, and all were shipped in Nov. 1943 to the Hartford Ordnance Depot.
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Old 11-12-2008, 10:35 AM
Tilton Hilton Tilton Hilton is offline
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Thanks for the Information.

So, to show how little I know, once revolvers were shipped to Hartfort Ordnance Depot, were they redistributed, who may have carried them?

Jim
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Old 11-12-2008, 10:47 AM
opoefc opoefc is offline
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Hartford Ordnance Depot was the unit that handled the Lend Lease guns , marked US Property. What Allied destination these guns wound up in is generally unknown, except for marks that may have been applied by those end users, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. HOD paperwork may be in the National Archives somewhere and future researchers may someday publish those records, but not so far.
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  #7  
Old 11-13-2008, 09:25 AM
Tilton Hilton Tilton Hilton is offline
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Opeofc,
Thanks again, Jim
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  #8  
Old 11-14-2008, 07:16 AM
prefer_wheelguns prefer_wheelguns is offline
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I've got a lend-lease K frame with "V" serial number in .38 S&W (and love it!) but it, unlike yours T.H., is covered with British markings. There's a BNP proof mark on every charge hole and on the barrel, and "3 1/2 tons" stamped on the barrel breech.

I don't know what markings the commonwealth countries may have used, if any, and would be interested to know if your revolver ever left these shores and if so, to where? Not England, obviously.
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  #9  
Old 11-14-2008, 11:07 AM
LWCmdr45 LWCmdr45 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by prefer_wheelguns:
I've got a lend-lease K frame with "V" serial number in .38 S&W (and love it!) but it, unlike yours T.H., is covered with British markings. There's a BNP proof mark on every charge hole and on the barrel, and "3 1/2 tons" stamped on the barrel breech.

I don't know what markings the commonwealth countries may have used, if any, and would be interested to know if your revolver ever left these shores and if so, to where? Not England, obviously.
The plethora of markings you've described are those *civilian* proofs that were applied after the guns were mustered out of service to be sold as surplus. The many revolvers that were brought back to these shores by returning servicemen, often called "barracks bag" guns, would have been spared these markings.

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  #10  
Old 11-14-2008, 03:55 PM
Tilton Hilton Tilton Hilton is offline
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HI prefer_wheelguns,
I can't vouch for the whereabouts of the revolver. I think LWCmdr45 pretty much sums it up in his post. Thanks Steve.

Jim
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  #11  
Old 11-14-2008, 08:42 PM
prefer_wheelguns prefer_wheelguns is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by LWCmdr45:
The plethora of markings you've described are those *civilian* proofs
Interesting! Can you provide a source for that info?

Thanks!

UPDATE: According to this European proof marks source, the marks on my gun: crown over "BNP," indicate a post-1954 Birmingham proof. So it looks like LWCmder45 is right. Interesting that a close look with a magnifying glass doesn't show bright marks on the sides of the stamping, which may indicate a refinish after the proof marks were stamped in.
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  #12  
Old 11-16-2008, 01:09 PM
LWCmdr45 LWCmdr45 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by prefer_wheelguns:
Quote:
Originally posted by LWCmdr45:
The plethora of markings you've described are those *civilian* proofs
Interesting! Can you provide a source for that info?

Thanks!

UPDATE: According to this European proof marks source, the marks on my gun: crown over "BNP," indicate a post-1954 Birmingham proof. So it looks like LWCmder45 is right. Interesting that a close look with a magnifying glass doesn't show bright marks on the sides of the stamping, which may indicate a refinish after the proof marks were stamped in.
Charlie Pate's "U.S. Handguns of World War II" has several pages on these markings.

Steve
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