What is the probability this is a "legit" Victory snub?

[bwade]

Saw this with a Buy Now for $399 on Gunbroker. It had 12 views before it sold and I looked at it early and passed. I see an obvious refinish and over buffed. The gap at the yoke to the bottom part of the frame looks like it may be from another gun too. If this was a legit snub, it was a very good deal!

What do you all think?

There are a couple more pictures on Gunbroker with this link:

Just a moment...

 

[cgt4570]

The knurling on the ejector rod tip doesn't look right to me. That makes me think it's a later
Plus, even if legit, with that over-buffing and plating, it would still just be a shooter.
Since they don't show a pic of the barrel SN, or mention it, I suspect it's a later barrel swap, and a shortened ejector rod.

I have another custom project in the works using an early post-war snub barrel on a pre-war target frame (came to me with cut barrel). Just because they didn't make one doesn't mean I can't.

 

[robertrwalsh]

I wonder why someone would bother to fill in the lanyard hole on a revolver that was supposed to have one? I agree with 4570 above.

 

[2152hq]

This pic appears to me to show a few of things.
..An out of round bbl muzzle
.. A poor muzzle crown
..A 'flat' on the top where I suspect the front site was refitted onto
..The bbl lock underneath appears to show either weld or likely Hard Solder (silver solder to us oldsters) as a re- attachment method. Then excess filed and not quite polished completely to contour.

Nickel Plate will take and cover any Hard Solder activity done on conversions and repairs. It was a common way to hide the seam.

It just looks like a cut down bbl with lug and ft sight moved back.
The front sight blade looks a bit low to me as well, but I may be wrong there.

The eject rod knurling was pointed out as possibly not orig,,looks coarse. Signs of a cut back if it is.

All this would save the orig bbl # if it was in fact used.

Just what I see in the pics.

 

[kwill1911]

Given the extreme buffing and refinish it is hard to tell much from the features. However, the legit 2-inch Victory Model revolvers fall into two discreet serial number ranges and this one does not fit into either range.

 

[DWalt]

Almost certainly it is a poorly done later modification of a standard Victory model. But it really makes no difference what it is, as its low condition eliminates any collector interest. I believe that most, if not all, of the legitimate snubby Victories had much lower SNs.

 

[Borderboss]

The thing that jumped out at me initially was that the ejector rod doesn't line up with the lock under the barrel. In the first photo the OP posted you can see the weld/solder stuff. The out-of-round bore in the barrel really does jump out as well. I too figured the barrel was a replacement without any mention of the serial number.

Also, the 6th photo in the auction is of the barrel throat. Is it me, or does it look like there's no forcing cone? It looks like the rifling starts right at the start of the barrel.

I'm not sure it's worth the 399 as a shooter. I would be afraid of the chamber/bore alignment.

 

[Mbrgr1]

The gun?

Not a buy for me, but I'm diggin those funky grips!

 

[Borderboss]

Not a buy for me, but I'm diggin those funky grips!

Legit ivory because of the shrinkage and discoloration, or just poorly fit like the rest of the gun?

 

[kwill1911]

Not ivory. Those are an early form of thermoplastic called Catalin.

 

[handejector]

..The bbl lock underneath appears to show either weld or likely Hard Solder (silver solder to us oldsters) as a re- attachment method. Then excess filed and not quite polished completely to contour.

Jim,
You nailed it.
Also, no barrel markings.
AND, part of the cut for the original barrel knob is still visible---

 

[bwade]

Very good information from everyone that have pointed out the differences between factory and Bubba. I have learned a lot from everyone's comments and hopefully others will if they pay attention to this thread and other threads that point out these details. Its hard to get this level of information without expensive experience or this forum!

 

[Model19man]

I would guess 0.000000% probability.

 

[Brooks]

I think that's the revolver Al Pacino used to waste those two in the Italian restaurant in THE GODFATHER. Total throw-away gun.

 

[AC Man]

I have two requirements, condition, condition, condition, and pass on anything that has been messed with. Uh, well maybe that is 4 things.

 

[Inusuit]

Those grips remind me of John Wayne's Colt in True Grit.

 

[DWalt]

I think that's the revolver Al Pacino used to waste those two in the Italian restaurant in THE GODFATHER. Total throw-away gun.

That Godfather gun for sure was an M&P snubby, but it was far too young to fit into the timeframe of that scene (1946). It was no older than the early 1950s.

 

[mikepriwer]

There is at least two legit snubby (2") Victory targets that I am aware of. One, that I own, is a zero gun that was made up and shipped to Ed McGivern, that also had a 4" barrel. The other is one that Kevin Williams recently wrote a story about in the Journal.

Mike Priwer

 

[Club Gun Fan]

Here are pictures of the Club Gun formally in Kevin's collection.