S&W Victory model serial number lookup

[desertplinker]

DSC gun?

I also lucked into a Victory model. My father in law was an employee of Chevron up until 2000. By his recollection he purchased this revolver from an old inventory held by their security division. The inventory was carried from the days of Standard oil. The gun is in unfired condition. it has some minor finish damage due to the nails coming loose in the box and floating around in the box. It's serial is V620342. The numbers match on the bottom of the barrel, back of cylinder and butt of gun. Just guessing by responses in the thread this would mean April-May 1944.

It came in the plywood box shown as well as a complement of cartridges and oil. I'd guess from reading the thread that it is a DSC gun as there are no US property markings or armorers marks indicating it was inventoried. I wonder about the box as it was noted elsewhere on the thread that the guns shipped in cardboard boxes? I'm curious as to value as well. My father in law thinks he paid in the neighborhood of $30 in the 1980s. Should I spend the money to get the authenticity letter?

Imgur Page here

 

[DWalt]

Yours is probably more like June-July 1944.

I think I'd definitely get a letter. I didn't know any DSC guns were shipped in plywood boxes, and I suspect the box origin is elsewhere. But it's a great revolver.

 

[AndrewS.]

Probable shipment during late October, 1943.

Thank you very much! I send you this pic, Can you help? Regards, Andrew.

 

[DWalt]

All sorts of things got stamped on Victories, so it could be anything. Probably someone's initials, crudely applied. Maybe someone else can recognize it.

 

[M18386pounder]

I hope i didn't make a mistake

Good Morning,
I just purchased this gun from a local individual. The only thing I knew was that it was a S&W and had been refinished. I then went home and did a bit of online research and that led me here. So, I joined the forum and am now asking the questions I should have asked before I bought the gun. I know maybe someday I will learn. From what I can determine it is a .38 s&w k frame victory model. I have no idea of the age. It seems that it came "Parkerized" and this one has been blued at some point. the hammer and trigger have been jeweled and a nice rib has been added to the barrel. It has a five inch barrel and all of the serial numbers match. The grips look like they are not the original ones although they are s&w. It has no ordinance or US Property marks that I can detect. It does have the three P proof marks. ONe under the barrel, one on the end of the cyinder and one on the left side plate near the top. It is serial number V 654025. My question is how bad does the alterations hurt the value? Is ther a way to determine wher the alterations were done? I will try to post some pictures. Thank you for your patience and interest.
Regards,
Tim

 

[M18386pounder]

Additional photos

Here are the additional four photos that goes with my original post.

 

[DWalt]

It's from mid-1944. Is the barrel marked .38 S&W or .38 S&W Special? Obviously, it's a highly modified Victory, and if originally in .38 S&W, its chambers may have been bored to accept .38 Special. In any event, it has no collector value, only as a shooter, which might be $200-$300. That's an unusually high front sight. If you aim for some bad guy's chest, you'll probably hit him in the foot.

The grips are of the type used by S&W in the 1930s.

 

[M18386pounder]

It's from mid-1944. Is the barrel marked .38 S&W or .38 S&W Special? Obviously, it's a highly modified Victory, and if originally in .38 S&W, its chambers may have been bored to accept .38 Special. In any event, it has no collector value, only as a shooter, which might be $200-$300. That's an unusually high front sight. If you aim for some bad guy's chest, you'll probably hit him in the foot.

The grips are of the type used by S&W in the 1930s.

The Barrel is marked 38 S&W. Thank you for your response.

 

[FireEye]

Any info on Model 10?

In going through some of my father's stuff I found a Model 10 Victory .38 in very nice condition. Can anyone give me any information about it? The serial number on the bottom of the handle is V 416418. There is also a "55" impressed into the wood on the bottom of the handle.

 

[FireEye]

Thanks for the reply. It is a .38. It is at my parents house so I don't have immediate access to it to answer too many detailed questions. I took some pictures of it and I will try to post them here. Anything else you can tell me about it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DWalt]

It appears to have a 5" barrel, and is therefore very likely to be a .38/200, made for the British Commonwealth during WWII. The caliber ".38 S&W" should be stamped on the barrel. This is NOT the same cartridge as the .38 S&W Special. However, many of these had the chambers bored to accept .38 S&W Special cartridges. I doubt if yours is. .38 S&W ammunition is not easy to find, and expensive, but it is still available.

 

[FireEye]

That fits because among the ammo he had I found 2 boxes of .38 S&W (not Special), one Remington and one Winchester.
It seems to be in very nice condition with only a few minor wear marks where you would expect them to be, no rust, and in good working order (although if it ever did come to me I would never take it to the range until it was checked by a competent gunsmith).
Do you have any idea of what the value ranges on this would be?
I know the "55" impressed onto the bottom of the wood handle is probably a local mark of some kind, but I was hoping some reader on the forum might recognize its meaning.
Do you think it would be worthwhile contacting S&W directly to see if they can tell me any more details about it?

 

[DWalt]

An S&W factory letter will provide very little information beyond that already given above, mainly just a more precise shipping date. A good value estimate for a private sale would be around $400, assuming the chambers have not been bored for .38 Special. I have no idea what the "55" is - could be anything.

Most of those who enjoy shooting old revolvers chambered in .38 S&W load their own ammunition because of the availability and cost difficulties associated with factory ammunition.

 

[Nicksterdemus]

Here are the additional four photos that goes with my original post.

Very similar to my ribbed Victory in the same SN area, V670313 w/jeweled trigger & hammer. Your rib has basically the same diamond pattern. Your rib is a mite taller and the front sight has a flying bridge of sorts.
Is that sight a notched original blade?

It appears this cross-member lines up w/slot in the blade to help secure the front end of the rib. I'd like to see close-up pics from the front, sides & top of the front sight/rib combo. From the pics it seems as if the right side of the cross-member could be pushed through perhaps allowing the rib to separate from the barrel. If that's the case you might have to pull/slide the rib forward to release a catch in the rear. [ETA: if indeed the front sight is the original still affixed to the barrel albeit customized to present shape.]

Are the .38 S&W chambers still unaltered?

 

[Dave Baird]

Hi DWalt. I just purchased a Victory and have no info other besides it is all matched. I once had a pristine Navy model but sold it because I was afraid to shoot it. This one I like because it is a shooter and I just could not resist the grips. Appears to be non-military issue with a serial of V399886? Any approximate date on her?

.38spl.
4" barrel
No military marks
Parked
S stamped on cylinder

Thank you, Dave

 

[blucoondawg]

I have a victory model in 38 S&W CTG it is original by the look of it it has not been reblued and it has not been bored out for 38 special. Serial number is v 404xxx it has the smooth wood grips and is marked US PROPERTY GHD on the top left strap. The bore is very nice, shines like a mirror when I put a light to it. The bluing or whatever finish it was is quite worn very evenly throughout as I would consider normal for a gun of this age and the wood grips are dented up from use.

This is part of my deceased father in law's collection which I have been tasked with selling off for my mother in law, I would like to know any history on this gun as well as an approximate value.

 

[Medic3804]

Could someone help with info on a Victory, Navy marked with SN V1902XX
Thanks,

 

[brigham33]

Hello Medic, welcome to the S&W forum. I have two victories that bracket yours. V184422 on 17 Dec 1942 & V191467 was shipped on 28 December 1942 both to the Oakland Navy Yard. That puts yours around 26 December 1942 or so. That's about as close as you will get without a Factory letter.

 

[Tkay62]

New to site - seeking ANY info on victory model

First - what a great resource here! I have a s&w .38 victory, chambered to .38 special I am seeking some info on. It was inherited and the info will be pretty damn cool to know. Hopefully this will be enough for somebody

38 s&w ctg (shoots special)
"United States property"
5" barrel
Smooth walnut grips, not parkerized, looks blued
v138xxx
Butt has s/n, W.B, bomb mark and a "P", and 5L

I can try todo some pics but not sure how - typical newbie lol
Thanks - I'm a tad bit curious

 

[DWalt]

First - what a great resource here! I have a s&w .38 victory, chambered to .38 special I am seeking some info on. It was inherited and the info will be pretty damn cool to know. Hopefully this will be enough for somebody

38 s&w ctg (shoots special)
"United States property"
5" barrel
Smooth walnut grips, not parkerized, looks blued
v138xxx
Butt has s/n, W.B, bomb mark and a "P", and 5L

I can try todo some pics but not sure how - typical newbie lol
Thanks - I'm a tad bit curious

Yours likely shipped in October 1942. It is a British .38/200 service revolver. They were originally chambered in .38 S&W (British name: .380 Revolver Mk2), and a 5" barrel length was standard. These were supplied to the British Commonwealth under the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 throughout WWII. That's the meaning of the "United Stated Property" stamping. They were legally US property, on loan to the British. W.B. are the initials of Waldemar Bromberg, a U. S. Army Ordnance officer who accepted these revolvers. Yours has had its chambers rebored to .38 Special, and therefore has lost any collectible value. OK as a shooter, however. Many .38/200s imported into the USA after the war met the same fate.