My father came across an old Victory he had stored in the back of his safe. Serial # is V-249478. I now have this gun and am going to need some help from those experts on this site. The gun has had the barrel replaced with a 6" 38 Special Smith & Wesson barrel long ago. Someone shot a hot load in it or got thrown from one of the pack string horses and bent the frame right where the barrel attaches. Can this be fixed? If so, by whom?
The Cylinder bolt and the screw in the trigger is missing. The spring and pin are still in the hole.
The hand is missing.
The complete cylinder release mechanism is missing. Slide bar, spring, pin, and thumb latch.
I would like to find the missing parts if the frame can be straightened. My dad hasn't shot a hand gun in 20 + years until we got him to go to the range with us this past spring. Now he is having a blast. He is 80 years young and can still outshoot us 4 boys.
I need to upload some pics tonight, then will edit and attach to this post.
Thanks to anyone who can offer assistance.
Steve

I don't want to rain on your parade, but replacing the gun would be much easier and probably cheaper. All the parts can be found on Numrich's website - gunpartscorp.com or ebay.
Without pics it is impossible to guess if the frame can be straightened. I would call some local gun stores and see who they recommend for local gunsmiths. Shipping the gun back and forth will not be cheap and the gun is probably worth around $100 in the current condition.
It's possible the frame was bent when the last barrel swap was preformed.

I would say the Frame was more than likely bent when the barrel was replaced - not uncommon and that's why one should always use a GS that does them all the time and has the proper tools and knows all the proper procedures. At this point, the only guys that come to mind are the ones that do restorations, such as Doug Turnbull, Mid West Gunworks, Andy Horvath, etc. Without knowing exactly how bad the frame is I can only suggest you call a few of them. I can tell you one thing, it won't be cheap!

If they give you a ridiculous number or tell you it can't practically be done then I'd make it a wall hanger or conversation piece. Unless you can take real good photos they are most likely ask you to send them the gun for evaluation and an estimate if they think it's even a candidate to be restored. Let us know how you make out. Can you post some pic's??

Chances are that the proper frame wrench or barrel wrench were not used. Maybe just stuck a hammer handle through the frame window to turn or unscrew the barrel that might have been jammed in a vise. Bubba strikes again. Once the frame is bent or tourqed out of alignment there is little you can do to restore it. Frank

Of course that frame can be corrected. Most of the old-timey smiths were taught how to re-align a bent frame using a lead Babbitt bar, some gauges and the old Mk I eyeball. That doesn't look very bad to me. Call around to the Pistol Smiths in your area and see if someone has the training, skills, and equipment to re-align your frame. I think I could do it in under an hour and I'm old and slow. The handgun looks worth spending a little to get it back into specifications. BTW, watching a good Pistol Smith do that sort of job on your handgun is not for the faint of heart. Best to just leave it and then go back and pick it up when the job is completed. :-)

I agree that the problem was most likely caused when someone installed the new barrel without having the correct frame wrench. That early model S&W was made of fairly elastic steel and it doesn't take much to tweak it.

Agreed, tweaking the bent frame back into position isn't a big deal. That sort of 'adjustment' is done all the time in gun fitting,but it isn't a hap-hazard bashing of metal. It does take skill. A skill that seems to be mostly gone now.

As pointed out, getting the rest of the missing parts together will probably cost as much as a decent pre-model 10. Sometimes you can find a stripped pre-10 (minus frame) for a decent price and luck out pretty well. It just takes a lot of looking.

The new 6" bbl already on it may not give you a good cyl gap. Then it'll need to come off again and be refitted once again to your new cyl for gap and the forcing cone recut.
All more work and cost.

It all can be done,,it's just wether you want to pay for it or not.
In the end it won't be a true Victory Model anymore either.
If you do the work yourself and have some or all of the misc parts already it's a good project for the DIYr.
Just some thoughts.

Can it be done, yes, but the cost to have it done will be more than buying a new shooter grade Victory model. "If" you can find a gunsmith capable of doing it. Most of them are parts swappers now.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244