Quote:
Originally Posted by NA225
I have a Victory model, serial # 495388, in .38 spl, that belonged to my grandfather. It is marked Bavaria Municipal Police. He purchased it while stationed in Germany with the USAF from Wiesbaden Rod and Gun Club in 1957 for $19.50. I have the sales receipt and the "Fire Arms Retention Authorization" card authorizing him to bring the revolver back to the United States. I plan to get request a letter on it in the near future but would appreciate any manufacture/ship date info. Thanks in advance.
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Your SN is actually V495388. The closest SN on my list to it is V495759 which shipped on 1/18/44. Noting that S&W was producing around 1000 revolvers per day, it would not be surprising to find that yours had been shipped on the same day or at least within several days of it. I have understood that many of these occupation period German and Austrian civil police Victories were sold off to GIs through military Rod and Gun clubs in Germany when the German police were allowed to purchase other guns in the 1950s. Yours is the first indication I have seen showing the sales price. BTW, there was an article in the December 2014 American Rifleman about the postwar German police Victory revolvers. Just Google "Cold War K-Frames". Definitely you should safeguard that sales paperwork as it adds substantial value to the gun.
It is probably not worthwhile to spend $100 for a letter as it will not tell you much more about it other than providing the exact shipping date.