Victory data base

[1srelluc]

Sorry, I forgot to post for your database.

Serial: V611556

Has sideways W before the serial.

Backstrap marking: WB-S-PFOR. 022

Backstrap meaning:

(WB)Allied Occupation District of Wurttemberg-Baden.
(S) Stadtpolizei
(PFOR) City of Pforzheim
(022) Inventory number

No top strap marking.

All matching.

 

[chasr]

Gentlemen, here's another for the database. s/n "V378657', topstrap marking - Ordnance stamp/flaming bomb, U.S. property GHD. 4" barrel, ~90% (NRA) all parts matching, including grips, missing lanyard loop.

 

[Absalom]

Gentlemen, here's another for the database. s/n "V378657', topstrap marking - Ordnance stamp/flaming bomb, U.S. property GHD. 4" barrel, ~90% (NRA) all parts matching, including grips, missing lanyard loop.

Sounds like a nice one. A standard military-shipped one likely from summer 1943. I think it would be worthwhile to look for an original lanyard swivel replacement. They can be regularly found on ebay and Gunbroker.

 

[fernnuts520]

My 38 special

I got a victory with sn V477597

 

[Ron M.]

Saw one on consignment today, 4 inch 38 special, had later model 10 magna grips (no big deal, I guess) but someone had plugged up the lanyard ring hole with what looks like solder. S/N V320912, no U.S. property markings or anything exotic on it. Salesman said it had been sitting for some time and the owner was asking $450, which I find rather high considering it is currently in what I would call non-collectible condition. Finish is good, lock up tight and bore is shiny. Opinions on age or value? Thanks.

 

[Absalom]

The gun would be a DSC gun (less likely Maritime Commission) from mid-1943. The magnas aren't necessarily much of a detriment, especially if they are reasonably early post-war diamond magnas. A soldered rather than metal-plugged hole would be more of an issue for me. I'd say that $450 is definitely $100-150 too high; for that you can get an all-original complete one in decent shape with a bit of diligent searching.

 

[usmcchet9296]

can someone help me out on this one
S&W Victory 38sp by John Hermesmeyer, on Flickr

S&W Victory 38sp by John Hermesmeyer, on Flickr

S&W Victory 38sp by John H

S/N V124477

 

[DWalt]

It's a high-condition .38 Special Victory which shipped around November 1942. If the topstrap has no property stamp, it's probably a DSC gun. Its condition would support that. Military Victories are not often found in that high condition. I have a DSC Victory on my list which has a SN less than 30 away from this one which shipped on 11/14/42.

 

[usmcchet9296]

Thanks man
waiting on the invoice information so i can send the seller my FFL info and payment

 

[codenamedave]

WARNING!!

The following may contain images that are NSFP.
(That's Not Safe For Purists.)


Howdy all! Been lurking for a while, feels like being the new guy on the job surrounded by folks who match the old cliché "Already forgotten more than you'll ever know." I figured this is a way to contribute, even if it's just another number to the pile.

What little I know about this Victory I got from this thread, and yes I read all of it. Chambered in .38 Special, the serial number suggests shipping in early 1945, apparently one of the last ones with the old-style hammer block mounted in the sideplate. The serial number on the butt is repeated in the usual places. No martial markings, no P's, no S's, no W's, so most likely destined for the DSC. It's been bubba'd a bit: Blued, chrome hammer & trigger (dig that engine turning, hepcats!), post-war stocks and a modified front sight.

When I got it the hole for the lanyard ring had been filled... with dirt! I cleaned it out and ordered a ring & pin from Numrich, since it just didn't seem right w/o one. I put on the Tyler T-Grip as well. Apologies for the variation in the lighting. Don't know what happened with the light on the cylinder turn ring in the starboard view, it doesn't look like that IRL.

I tried to get some impression of the surface to help determine if it had been refinished, since I had read that some Victorys had been sent out blued with no military markings, but thanks to this thread I now know that those were very early guns, not very late ones. From what I can tell from the pics of other Victorys posted, this is likely the original metal finish and it was just blued over.

The front sight was a bit of a mystery: I knew it wasn't original, nor was it the later serrated style where they cut a ramp into the half-moon, but the sight certainly looked original to the barrel. Then when I got it under some magnified light I saw it had been built up from the half-moon. Has anybody ever seen a mod like this before? It certainly seems fifties-ish.

It was non-op when I got it, but $20 worth of parts (not counting the lanyard ring and T-Grip) and my BFH made it a reliable shooter.

 

[DWalt]

No question about its being refinished. And someone took a file or grinder to the front sight. Also someone jeweled the hammer and trigger. Interesting that it's the highest V-series revolver SN on my list. I show some SVs with lower SNs. It's possible yours may have the highest V-series SN known. Some others may comment about that.

 

[codenamedave]

Thanks for the expert input, I feel like I'm helping!

If you look close at the starboard side pic of the front sight, you can see the outline of the half moon and where it was built up. There are a few light serrations on the base where they were continued from the blade. If this was, as suspected, an older mod, I'd guess it was brazed up as opposed to ye olde JB Weld. Don't feel like filing on it to find out.

One of these days I'm going to letter it. I imagine that unless it can be proven to be Harry Truman's personal sidearm or some such, it will never have any collector value, it's just for my own curiosity.

In case anybody's wondering, I got it in trade for some ammo that was worth about $170.

 

[DWalt]

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't pay $75 to get a letter. But if you don't mind the cost, it might be interesting to see what the letter says, as I show SNs either side of yours which are prefixed SV, not V. Are you certain yours does not have the 1945 improved drop safety? Looking at the sight again, an original blade could not be modified to that shape. Someone has made a different front sight. What exactly is the barrel length - looks like it might be a little shorter than the 4" it should be.

Harry Truman's personal sidearm was a M1917, in the Truman museum. I don't remember if it was a Colt or a S&W.
----------------------
It is stated to be a Colt.

 

[Absalom]

.....Looking at the sight again, an original blade could not be modified to that shape. Someone has made a different front sight. What exactly is the barrel length - looks like it might be a little shorter than the 4" it should be.
.....

The wide sight base seems original and integral to the barrel. It appears to me as if someone might have ground the top partially off and then soldered a differently shaped piece back on.

 

[DWalt]

The wide sight base seems original and integral to the barrel. It appears to me as if someone might have ground the top partially off and then soldered a differently shaped piece back on.

For sure, it's not original.

 

[codenamedave]

Back with more pictures.

I spoze it's possible that someone retro-fit an earlier style sideplate & block for some reason. Here I tried to show the sideplate fit.

Does the assembly number(?) on the sideplate provide any clues?

Here da innards, could not get a clear focused image to save my neck.

More on the front site:

Height from bottom of barrel to apogee of halfmoon/point of tangent, best I could judge: 0.862
Width of front sight blade at front: 0.063
Width of front sight blade at rear: 0.096
Widths measured just above the radius from the base.

Upon further review, I don't believe there's brazing involved, since the color of the metal exposed on top of the blade doesn't change. Solder? Whatever it is, even under my C.S.I. style magnifier/lamp I couldn't see any seam nor color transition.

ETA: Barrel length is 3.92 per ancient vernier calipers & similarly ancient eyes.

 

[DWalt]

It does not have the improved hammer drop safety feature. The 21655 stamping on the inner surface of the sideplate is an assembly matching number, not a SN. Does it match the assembly numbers inside the yoke area? It looks as though the rear grooved area of the front sight has somehow been attached to the original sight blade, maybe by silver soldering. 3.92" is close enough to 4".

 

[Club Gun Fan]

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't pay $75 to get a letter. But if you don't mind the cost, it might be interesting to see what the letter says, as I show SNs either side of yours which are prefixed SV, not V. Are you certain yours does not have the 1945 improved drop safety? Looking at the sight again, an original blade could not be modified to that shape. Someone has made a different front sight. What exactly is the barrel length - looks like it might be a little shorter than the 4" it should be.

Harry Truman's personal sidearm was a M1917, in the Truman museum. I don't remember if it was a Colt or a S&W.
----------------------
It is stated to be a Colt.

We don't need history letters when we have our resident "EXPERT" DWALT, whose wrong more often then not.
Don Mundell
Assistant Historian
Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation

 

[codenamedave]

It does not have the improved hammer drop safety feature. The 21655 stamping on the inner surface of the sideplate is an assembly matching number, not a SN. Does it match the assembly numbers inside the yoke area? It looks as though the rear grooved area of the front sight has somehow been attached to the original sight blade, maybe by silver soldering. 3.92" is close enough to 4".

- Well nobody said it was a serial number, and yup the number on the frame under the yoke matches.

- I guess it's not coming through in the pics, but under glass you can clearly see the full profile of the halfmoon shape in the front sight. It's been added to, not subtracted from, unless you count the two or three serrations on the base continued from the addition. The taper in width from front to back is another matter, I don't know if that's original or if the gunsmith who did the mods was showing off.

- There I was going to give you credit for spotting the barrel was 0.008" short!

ETA: And sorry, the barrel measurement was 3.992".

 

[Klocke62]

Victory datsbase

Hello, I am new to the forum. Is the victory database still going? I have six I would like to add and get any info possible....