Victory Revolver Collection

[turp_dog]

I have finally acquired the last piece for my victory revolver collection. My goals were to acquire an example of each of the US versions (domestic use and US Navy), and each of the British commonwealth countries that participated in the lend lease program (NZ, Canada, Britain, South Africa, Australia). If an example with the RFI barrel marking (indicating Indian factory repair) comes available I will add that as well. Interestingly, I have ended up with more non-V examples. Partly unintentional, but I do like having the earlier guns which (to my mind) means more of a chance that they were in actual use during WWII. I have resisted the urge to start adding examples with German occupation markings, although there is a nice example on gunbroker with Austrian police markings that is calling my name. And I still regret the one I let get away that had Chinese national army markings on the backstrap... Anyway, on to the pics and details!

1. DSC version used by domestic security guards. SN: 985460. No topstrap or butt marking. Backstrap is stamped "AOP 97", which I am told indicates the Arkansas Ordnance Plant.

2. US Navy version. SN: V237635. US Navy on the topstrap, ordnance bomb on the butt.

3. British version. SN: 887977. United States Property on the topstrap, W.B., ordnance bomp, and P on the butt.

4. Australian version. SN: V546530. US Property GHD on the topstrap, FTR/MA55 D^D on the right side.

 

[turp_dog]

5. South Africa version. SN: V125304. United States Property on the topstrap, W.B., ordnance bomb, P on the butt. Broad Arrow U on the backstrap with 26383 rack number.

6. New Zealand version. SN: 913764. United States Property on the topstrap. W.B., ordnance bomb, P on the butt. NZ ^ on the backstrap with 2383 rack number.

7. Canada version. SN: 941385. No topstrap marking. W.B., ordnance bomb, P on the butt. C^ on the left sideplate.

 

[Green Frog]

Very nice. This strikes me as a true “labor of love”. These revolvers are great examples of their moment in history without being flashy or unusual individually. Just a good solid collection of the type. I’d love to see them personally. If only those old veterans could each tell their story aloud!

Green Frog

 

[robertrwalsh]

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ordnanceguy]

Turp:

That is a very handsome collection of the pre-Victory and Victory guns. I congratulate you.

If you really want to feed that completist gene you will have to also track down an early South African example with the 4 inch barrel; an OSS example; a 2 inch USGI example and a 2 inch DSC example. And since you are halfway down the rabbit hole anyway you might as well look for a double Navy marked/"Red Navy" example. And of course you will also need an SV prefix example with the safety hammer block..........

Keep having fun with this. Thanks for the post.

Regards,
Charlie

 

[outta_ammo]

Nice collection! I have NZ rack 385.

 

[turp_dog]

Very nice. This strikes me as a true “labor of love”. These revolvers are great examples of their moment in history without being flashy or unusual individually. Just a good solid collection of the type. I’d love to see them personally. If only those old veterans could each tell their story aloud!

Green Frog

It certainly was. Nothing flashy about any of them. I like to look at the character present in each one and imagine what each one of them saw during the war.

Turp:

That is a very handsome collection of the pre-Victory and Victory guns. I congratulate you.

If you really want to feed that completist gene you will have to also track down an early South African example with the 4 inch barrel; an OSS example; a 2 inch USGI example and a 2 inch DSC example. And since you are halfway down the rabbit hole anyway you might as well look for a double Navy marked/"Red Navy" example. And of course you will also need an SV prefix example with the safety hammer block..........

Keep having fun with this. Thanks for the post.

Regards,
Charlie

Thank you. I have had to resist going down the completist rabbit hole just due to the wide variety of examples out there. Reading through the victory database thread is eye opening for sure. The South African model was the hardest to find. It was not marked in the auction description, and it was only by looking at the pictures that I noticed the backstrap marks. Of course, so did a couple other collectors with deep pockets, and I had to pay dearly to get it. But it is quite fun, and now that I have the first stage of this collection complete, the next fun part is deciding what the next stage will be.

 

[luvsmiths]

It certainly was. Nothing flashy about any of them. I like to look at the character present in each one and imagine what each one of them saw during the war.



Thank you. I have had to resist going down the completist rabbit hole just due to the wide variety of examples out there. Reading through the victory database thread is eye opening for sure. The South African model was the hardest to find. It was not marked in the auction description, and it was only by looking at the pictures that I noticed the backstrap marks. Of course, so did a couple other collectors with deep pockets, and I had to pay dearly to get it. But it is quite fun, and now that I have the first stage of this collection complete, the next fun part is deciding what the next stage will be.

There's always a next stage, isn't there!?

Beautiful collection. How long did it take you?

 

[turp_dog]

There's always a next stage, isn't there!?

Beautiful collection. How long did it take you?

About a year. The first was the Aussie, followed by Britain, then NZ. Then I grabbed the DSC here on the forum, followed by the US Navy revolver at a great price on GB. Canada took a bit, but I found that on proxibid back in October (right after I bid and won in my treestand, I shot a deer. It was a great day!). The last was South Africa, and that took a couple months of scouring the internet before finding it on GB. It was also the most expensive at a little over 1k (got into a bidding war with a couple other collectors that also recognized what it was).

 

[Club Gun Fan]

I'd like to see someone collect a DSC Victory that shipped to all 48 states.

 

[turp_dog]

I'd like to see someone collect a DSC Victory that shipped to all 48 states.

That would be quite the collection. Especially interesting if you could find ones that had agency or facility markings on them. Absent that I suppose you would have to spend a fortune lettering each one.

 

[Model19man]

Nice collection. Those are in most ways far superior to the typical 38 Enfield or 38 Webley revolvers that our allies would have used otherwise.

 

[PeteC]

Some stamped US property were shipped directly to local police departments in Germany and Austria, during 1945~1949. They are stamped US Property, and with initials of the name of the Police Force that received them. Some German cities and states paid for them later, some returned the guns to the US.

Bavaria
Berlin
Bremen Enclave
Hessen
Wurttemberg-Baden
Austria

Fun fact: In the beginning, the Berlin Police were only issued one round per weapon.

By 1949 the Berlin police had been rearmed with pistols (initially issued with only one round). In the French sector with semi-automatic pistols manufactured by FN in Belgium (Browning Model 1922) or Manhurin in France. In the British sector, Webley revolvers. In the American sector with the Smith & Wesson Victory revolver or the 1911A1 semi-automatic pistol. In the Russian sector, with Russian semi-automatic pistols.

(from U.S. Carbines in Germany and Austria)

 

[Valmet]

Very nice group OP- I’d love to snag a US Navy marked Victory myself sometime.

 

[Targets Guy]

Great collection. Nice job. Bravo Zulu.

 

[turp_dog]

Very nice group OP- I’d love to snag a US Navy marked Victory myself sometime.

I got lucky with the Navy revolver. The GB listing had just been put up. The title stated that the revolver was navy marked, but the pics, for whatever reason, did not include one of the topstrap. But the BIN price was 499, so I took a chance and whipped out the credit card. After buying I exchanged a couple emails with the seller to confirm that it was stamped as described. They normally go for a bit more, so I considered myself fortunate to have stumbled onto that deal.

 

[jayn.32]

I have a 4" vic i have been trying to I.D. for years. It has Chinese charactors and the no. 740 on backstrap. Although it has been thoroughly abused and fitted with a cylinder from , I believe , a Spanish copy, Ibought it for the markings. Any ideas?

 

[turp_dog]

I have a 4" vic i have been trying to I.D. for years. It has Chinese charactors and the no. 740 on backstrap. Although it has been thoroughly abused and fitted with a cylinder from , I believe , a Spanish copy, Ibought it for the markings. Any ideas?

Do you have a picture of the markings?