got this gun as a gift from my girlfriend the s/n is v123197. it has the checkered grip with a s&w medallion on it also has bnp stamped all over it. it does not have a lanyard nor does it have a hole or markings where one wouldve been in the past. ive had two people tell me its not worth anything but others have said it could be worth a nice little bit. i will post pictures as soon as i can. if you have info that could help me, please share..thank you

If the serial number you posted came from the butt, and is V 123197, it is most likely a Victory model that shipped to the British for their troops, or for the Commonwealth troops (based on the BNP markings). Does it have a 5" barrel (measured from the front of the cylinder forward)? Is the barrel marked ".38 S&W" (which is not .38 special)? A lot of these were later rechambered to also fire the .38 special cartridge.

To the best of my knowledge, all of these were originally equipped with lanyard loops. Many were removed and had the hole filled, once they passed into civilian hands.

It was probably shipped in 1942.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I'll let some of the Victory model experts tell you about your gun. I'll just say welcome to the forum and I wish I had a gun giving girlfriend.
My wife might not like it much.

thank you bamabiker. @ muley gil its says 38 on the barrel and i know it hasnt been turned into a 38 spl because i got some 38 spl bullets and they wouldnt fit but 38 s&w bullets did not too sure about barrel length though

Here are some pictures [ATTACH]IMAG0441.jpg[/ATTACH]

Attached Images

IMAG0447.jpg (67.1 KB, 34 views)

The grips are post WW II.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

The stocks are from the late 1950 or 1960s, but the gun is indeed a wartime Victory model. It's a little unusual to see a four-inch barrel on a British Service Revolver as most of them were five inch guns. The American Victory Revolvers in .38 Special were the ones mostly found with four-inch barrels.

It's incorrect to say the gun is not worth anything. The fact that it has been converted to take .38 Special means that its collector value has been hurt, but it is still an acceptable shooter in 38 S&W. The barrel was not cut to two inches, as so many were for resale in the American market. I'd probably value it in the $175-225 range. If unmodified it might be a $300-350 gun. Hundreds of thousands of these were manufactured, so they are not rare.

If you do shoot .38 Special in it, look out for the possibility of swollen or even split cases. The .38 Special case has a slightly smaller diameter than the .38 S&W (a few thousandths of an inch), so it will be loose in the charge hole along part of its length.

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David Wilson

@dcwilson thanks for the info. im pretty sure it has not been converted to 38 spl because they will not fit in chamber the only fit is the 38 s&w bullets the 38 special ones are to big

Here is a thread that shows the proper grips:

Can anyone help with this?

South Africa received some 4" revolvers. Not sure if those were the in the "V" series or before the Victories began.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

The S&W Catalogue by Supica & Nahas has general in formation on serial numver ranges. If you are a member of SWCA you can request a shipping date from Mr. jink the S&Wistorian. You can also get a "factory letter" for $50 if so desired.