Victory data base

[R61414]

S&W Victory Model

Absalom & Ordnance Guy,

Thank you for your prompt responses and insight. I think Absalom is probably correct about the gun being refinished sometime after FTR. Both of you really know your S&W's and have a keen eye for details the many of us would miss. I greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge and perspective.

While my gun is not a U.S. Military Victory Model, which I knew when I bought it, and has probably been refinished twice since WWII, I am still proud to own it. I am happy to add it to my collection of WWII firearms Remington manufactured 1903 Springfield, Springfield manufactured M1 Garand, Inland manufactured M1 Carbine, Union Switch & Signal manufactured 1911 A1 and Ithaca manufactured 1911 A1 that I pick up at my LGS this evening.

 

[triaxle]

I was not really thinking on changing it out, I have found a few through . That's how the gun was when I got it just like the photo Wire Grass was nice enough to post .

 

[KEN L]

Thank you both. I was aware the British gun was refinished, but at least its a tasteful refinish. Any idea on the "W" on the butt of the victory?

You may want to have this gun lettered. I had a Victory model once with that same sideways W and was told it could possibly be an O.S.S. gun. I had it lettered and it was an O.S.S. gun. Shipped to United States Strategic Service (O.S.S.) in Aug of 1944.

 

[sfrye5853]

New User, New Revolver

Just picked up .38 S&W Victory Model. Serial number is V 386263. Would love to know the year of this if you don't mind.

 

[Absalom]

Just picked up .38 S&W Victory Model. Serial number is V 386263. Would love to know the year of this if you don't mind.

It shipped most likely around September 1943.

 

[tphilly88]

You may want to have this gun lettered. I had a Victory model once with that same sideways W and was told it could possibly be an O.S.S. gun. I had it lettered and it was an O.S.S. gun. Shipped to United States Strategic Service (O.S.S.) in Aug of 1944.

Nice! Just might do that and see what turns up.

 

[angelmonk]

Victory land lease but runs .38 Special

Came across this one with Serial number: V144369. Has the G.H.D. and P marking. There are some marking on the barrel that look to be British Crown.
Question:
1.Year of this revolver?
2.If most if not all the British land lease ones are .38-200, has this one been refinished to .38 Special?
3. Following on the logic above, does this look like it has been reblued or modified in other ways?
Thank you for your time and counsel.
Link to Pictures
Box

 

[Absalom]

I took your quote apart; answers below each question.

Came across this one with Serial number: V144369.

1.Year of this revolver?

Produced in late fall 1942. The post war Birmingham proofs on the barrel mean it was surplused in Britain before 1955.

2.If most if not all the British land lease ones are .38-200, has this one been refinished to .38 Special?

You‘ll have to check the chamber by inserting a live .38 Special round. They didn‘t usually mark them after converting as that happened after service. The .38 S&W CTG is the .38/200, in case you‘re unclear on that; S&W did not mark these .38/200.

3. Following on the logic above, does this look like it has been reblued or modified in other ways?

Yes. The 5“ barrel has been cut, the front sight reattached, and the gun reblued. In the V-prefix series, there were no 4“ barreled guns made in .38 S&W. And the finish is much too polished and not the sandblast Victory finish.

 

[angelmonk]

Thank you Absalom!

I got to check the chamber, a .38 special round fits. This actually was part of the reason that prompted me to seek opinion on how heavily modified this one has been. Because I thought all British one would be .38-200. And a .38 special fitting it was odd.

On the rebluing, is there a chance that earlier models were blued instead of the more common sandblast finish? Or is it true that any production from Fall of 1942 would have been sandblast finish?

At the same time, since it was cut to 4" from 5", maybe that's why they reblued it after the cutting? For education, how do you decern the front sight is reattached? I would have never caught that one. Aside from thinking the 4" barrel on a Brisith model was a little odd.

 

[Absalom]

On the rebluing, is there a chance that earlier models were blued instead of the more common sandblast finish?

None whatsoever. The rough sandblast surface finish was adopted in spring 1942, before the actual Victory V-series actually started, and remained the only finish used until the end.

For education, how do you decern the front sight is reattached? I would have never caught that one.....[/QUOTE]

I actually didn‘t catch that by itself, it was the inevitable deduction from the shortened barrel, which is clear not just from knowing that no 4“ barrels were used at that time in .38 S&W, but also that the position of the caliber stamping on the barrel corresponds to a 5“ barrel; it‘s further back on an original 4“ barrel.

 

[angelmonk]

On the rebluing, is there a chance that earlier models were blued instead of the more common sandblast finish?

None whatsoever. The rough sandblast surface finish was adopted in spring 1942, before the actual Victory V-series actually started, and remained the only finish used until the end.

For education, how do you decern the front sight is reattached? I would have never caught that one.....

I actually didn‘t catch that by itself, it was the inevitable deduction from the shortened barrel, which is clear not just from knowing that no 4“ barrels were used at that time in .38 S&W, but also that the position of the caliber stamping on the barrel corresponds to a 5“ barrel; it‘s further back on an original 4“ barrel.[/QUOTE]

Thank you again, this is invaluable info. And appreciate you sharing the knowledge and time. Will keep looking for a different (less modified) revolver.

 

[joz]

Neat post on the milsurps forum about a squadron Victory serial number log. Maybe one of our members has one from the log. I have linked the post here and attached the two photos of the log.

Gun Log Naval Squadron Navy Victory .38

 

[samoyed]

Wow. If only we could find gun logs for all the USN squadrons

 

[Artyldr01]

I just acquired (well, still on layaway) this beautiful Lend-Lease Australian Victory model.

SN: V196042 (cylinder matches)
Assembly number: 19433 (also matching arm/frame)
G.H.D. on butt.
D/|\D FTR MA/53
Vega import.
38S&W caliber

I believe it is early 1942 but any better dating and potential unit affiliation, if possible, is appreciated.

I posted more photos on the Ejector model main page titled "Australian Victory Model pawn shop find"

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Alan00711]

Hi I just picked one up it’s serial number 863,281 with checkered grips with a silver medallion it has a 5 inch barrel and is in 38 special it has no us or any other country markings on it

 

[dsparker10000]

I have two M&Ps from this period.


1) V96974, 4" barrel, 38 S&W Spl, Parkerized, "U.S.Navy" on top strap. My dad picked this up in 1967 but I don't have any other information.


2) 973313, 4" barrel, 38 S&W Spl, Parkerized. Seems to have been produced just prior to the victory series so not sure it belongs here. Given to my dad from his father in 1957. My grandfather was a sheriff around for some time before that, so maybe he used it as a service revolver? My dad's inventory lists this gun as "Civilian Victory Model".


David

 

[Absalom]

.....
1) V96974, 4" barrel, 38 S&W Spl, Parkerized, "U.S.Navy" on top strap. My dad picked this up in 1967 but I don't have any other information.


2) 973313, 4" barrel, 38 S&W Spl, Parkerized. Seems to have been produced just prior to the victory series so not sure it belongs here. Given to my dad from his father in 1957. My grandfather was a sheriff around for some time before that, so maybe he used it as a service revolver? My dad's inventory lists this gun as "Civilian Victory Model".

Nice ones. The Victory finish isn't "parkerized", although it looks similar unless you spend a lot of time with utility finishes. The term is Sandblast Black Magic.

There is a remote possibility that the pre-Victory 973313 was actually parkerized, one of the 2187 guns so finished as a trial "around serial 980,000". But there is no way to really tell.

That gun could well have been a service gun. These were supplied to police agencies during the war as well as afterwards as surplus, and also bought surplus by frugal officers required to provide their own sidearms.

 

[KY1911]

What do I have here?

Just picked this up and I'm hoping someone could share a bit of info and history. Six inch barrel in 38S&W; bluing appears to be original. Not sure if grips are original, but they are fit to the frame perfectly. S/N 740765 - matching on frame, cylinder and barrel. "P" on the butt with serial #. Variety of British proofs (BV, BP, NP) as well as "Not English Made" stamped twice - once on barrel and once on frame. C with an up arrow proof on the frame. Crossed swords with an "E", "B" and "1" on the frame. Any thoughts? Thanks much.

 

[Absalom]

....
Six inch barrel in 38S&W; bluing appears to be original. Not sure if grips are original, but they are fit to the frame perfectly. S/N 740765 - matching on frame, cylinder and barrel. "P" on the butt with serial #. Variety of British proofs (BV, BP, NP) as well as "Not English Made" stamped twice - once on barrel and once on frame. C with an up arrow proof on the frame. Crossed swords with an "E", "B" and "1" on the frame. Any thoughts? Thanks much.

Interesting gun.

It’s originally from spring 1941, likely March/April, and was deliverd to Canada likely on a direct-purchase contract, but possibly through the British Purchasing Commission. That’s where it got the Canadian military property stamp arrow/C. But it ended its career in Britain or at least in the hands of a British surplus dealer who had it commercially proofed at Birmingham for sale in 1954; those are the proofs on the barrel and frame, including the crossed-sceptres viewmark (E=1954).

The stocks are earlier, 1920s non-medallion M&P stocks.

 

[KY1911]

Thanks very much for the quick reply and info. Fascinating.