Group, Here's some more info. from Hellstrom's notebook: "THIRD HAMMER BLOCK" Installed in all .38 Specials after Jan. 1, 1945. Not used on .38/200 British Service revolvers. Ser#s at time of change about V650,000. However, due to large numbers of guns in production, both 2nd and 3rd type hammer blocks may appear in guns between V650,000 and V700,000. Letter "S" stamped in front of "V" in serial number on butt to identify from guns with 2nd type hammer block. "S" not stamped before other serial numbers, but put on inside of sideplate above bottom screw hole. Changed parts & part numbers are: Hammer block 2518, sideplate 1-2111, hand assembly A1-2711, hand 1-2711, Rebound slide 1-3711, Rebound slide pin 3715, rebound slide assembly A1-3711, hammer 1-2511, and hammer assembly A1-2511.

Here's another interesting entry: SPECIAL GUNS MADE DURING THE WAR. The following .38 cal. specials with 4 in.barrels were put through when the V serias of numbers were started about May/June 1942. All were bright polished and finished with Carbonia blue. ser#s: 1,000,000
V1 - sent to Lt. Gen. W.S.Knudsen 12/12/42
V2
V3
V4
V5 - sent to Maj. Wm Weingar, Springfield Ordnance District, 5/16/42, and returned 8/43. " End of entry.

( Note: Not explained in Hellstrom's notes but info discovered in my later research: These six early guns were intended for VIPs as presentations, etc. and were built by the Service Dep't., and not by the Victory model production line, therefore the production line fitters and assemblers stamps do not appear on the parts of the above six guns, as I had first ssumed would be the case.. Number V1 was returned to Hellstrom , in my opinion, after the war by his friend Lt. Gen. William Knudsen, who had been appointed a Czar of all wartime production by Pres. Roosevelt. This gun was rebuilt by S&W, fancy cased and presented to Pres. Harry Truman by Hellstrom in July 1947 as a memento of the "2,000,000 Victory Models" supplied to ours and the Allied armed forces in WW2. It is now in the Truman Library in Independence, Mo. and was the subject of an article I wrote for the S&WCA Journal, Winter 1999. Number 1,000,000 and V5 are in the CVHM collection. I have an article in preparation on V5 which will appear in a future issue. The whereabouts of V2, V3 & V4 are unknown at this time. They are high polished bright blue guns with fancy grained smooth walnut stocks, so they do not look like the usual Victory Model, and may be just around the corner in that garage sale you didn't check out this morning! Good Luck, Ed #15