I'm looking at a S&W Victory Serial # V32xx, and I have a few questions about it.

It say's S&W Special CTG on the barrel but on the Cylinder there is a stamping that say's England. Were guns sent to England that were not .38 S&W (.38-200) ?

Also I do not see any inspection marks , "G.H.D" or "W.B" and there is no S&W Logo between the trigger and the hammer on the right side.

Just what do I have here, just a very early model or something elas?

I foregot to put in my other post that the gun also has on the back strap below the hammer, T K and a pear shaped mark and below that 10. 4 s.

Please start with rechecking the serial number on the butt of the revolver. I suspect what you gave is the assembly number on the frame under the crane. Include any letters on the butt as well.

And welcome to the forum.

You probably have one of those .38S&W guns unfortunately converted to .38 Special. A photo of the barrel marking would tell.

Some .38 Specials were sold there, of course, and some Americans sent guns just after Dunkirk. It could be one of those valid .38 Specials.

If you can't post sharp closeup photos, tell more about the markings. Do you see what looks like a stylized arrowhead, the Broad Arrow denoting Crown property?

Is/was there a lanyard ring? Barrel length?

No Lanyard ring it looks to be pluged. 4"barrel and that is the right serial number off the butt and is V32xx

I have lots of photos but do not know how to post them

Jim

Click on Post Reply under the last message in the thread, then Manage Attachments. A smaller window will open with an empty text box. Click on Browse to search your hard drive for the location of the photos, then Upload. They should appear in the text when you post the message. Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Is the barrel marked 38 Special on the left side or the right side?

It is marked 38 S7W Special CTG on the right side

Finish posting the other markings.

There is one other marking that looks like DMP with what maybe a flower above it, maybe a crown, It is not very clear and this is on the cylinder

Well, preliminarily, based on the serial number it most likely shipped around May of 1942.

The lack of the S&W logo suggests that the sideplate has been replaced. The absence of U.S. property or inspection marks could indicate that it went to "civilian" needs, such as a war materials contractor or the merchant marine. The butt swivel hole being plugged is a another bad sign that tends to indicate it has been modified to some degree.

You say nothing about the finish or stocks. I agree with the above posts that without some photos, it's almost impossible for anyone here to definitively assess this gun.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

A crowned BNP is Birmingham Nitro Proof 1955 or later. "England", a country of origin stamp. If these marks are faint a heavy buffing and refinish may have occurred. If no similar proofs are evident on the barrel its a red flag for a parts gun. Your instincts are correct with respect to the Brits and .38 Specials. Some were supplied to them in the pre-Victory era.

Some photos would go a long way.

I will have the gun here in a week and then I will post pictures. The photos I have now will not post


Jim R

I finally received the Victory and here are the pictures. This gun is blued. I took it over to a local gunsmith and he said that there is nothing that would indicate that it did not come from the factory blued and with all lettering and edges being crisp and clean it would not have been stripped and blued.

I’m just curious, were there any that left the factory this way?
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More Photos MVC-007F.JPG

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A V series gun would have originally had a finish similar to Parkerizing, so it most likely was reblued. The stocks are from a 1920s gun. The British proof marks may indicate it was sent there during the emergency days of early WW II, even though it is a .38 Special and not .38/200.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The frame is obviously an early shipped ( May-June 1942) Victory model, Is the same serial number stamped in the cylinder cylinder extractor, or barrel? If not then those parts may be replacements, as the gun has been reworked and refinished. If the side plate is original, then the work/assembly number ( not the serial number ) will be stamped on the back of the side plate and will match the work/assembly number on the frame& yoke. The stamps on the back of the frame are in the style unit markings and the date of acceptance by the British military, however that style was seldom used in WW2 and I believe those marks may be spurious, as the date stamp ( 10.40 for Oct 1940 ) is 2 yrs before the gun was made. Ed.

The 1920's era stocks, plugged butt swivel hole, sideplate sans logo, and atypical blued finish (regardless of how well done) all point with a very high degree of certainty to the gun having been substantially reworked since leaving the factory.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

In post #14 of this thread you posted a pic of the above. It's the 3rd pic in that series of pictures. Could you post another close-up picture of those markings on the gun please?

Here is the photo you wanted to see. This one is a bit clearer


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Same marks taken with different camera

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Jim, You need to find a new gunsmith! Your gun is so reblued it just jumps out at you!

This reminds me of Russian markings.

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

Do the butt, cylinder and barrel serial numbers match? I bet the cylinder doesn't. I'll further bet it is a .38S&W bored out to accept Specials.

This is a "Frankengun".

The serial numbers on the butt and cylinder match (there is no V on the cylinder) . I can find no numbers on the barrel, where would or should they be located?

When I took it to the gunsmith he checked it and the cylinder is 38 Special in not the 38/200 S&W. The Barrel is marked 38 S&W Special

When you swing out the cylinder, the number on the barrel should be stamped on the small flat area that is otherwise covered by the ejector rod. If the barrel is unnumbered, it is almost certainly a replacement.

What is important here is not just that a .38 Special will chamber, but that a .38 S&W round won't. If either will fit, the revolver was originally in .38/200 caliber and the cylinder has been reamed to accept .38 Special. Shooting .38 Special in such a gun may result in bulged or even ruptured cases.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

The 38/200 will not chamber.

Well, then, either the gun was originally a .38 Special, or a conversion was done by sleeving the cylinder. Regardless, the gun should be safe to shoot with standard pressure loads.

Have you rechecked the barrel for those numbers that should be there?

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Could some one give me any info on a .38 spl with s/n V10587? Thanks

If there are in fact only those five digits after the "V" it'd be an early one, most likely shipped in May 1942. How about posting a photo (or several)?

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

New to the forum but been enjoying reading for a while and expanding my knowledge from the S&W community. OK, just obtained a very similarly marked Victory as Jim R's sans the 10 40 marks and this one came with replacement S&W logo grips.

The serial no is V 315xxx, like Jim's: 1) The lanyard hole is filled; 2) Has (very faint) BNP marks on the cylinder; 3) Is marked ENGLAND; 4) Has S&W Special CTG on right bbl; and 5) Has matching V -butt, cylinder and extractor nos. but bbl is not marked.

Like the revolver Jim described, it DOES NOT HAVE: Inspection marks "G.H.D" or "W.B" nor does it have the S&W Logo on the right side.

I would guess the bbl may have been replaced and probably was re-blued post war (Lanyard hole is blued over)? The revolver does show uniform wear all over.

My Victory S&W 38 CTG was my Uncles who served in the US Merchant Marine his entire adult life. The wood grip, cylinder and frame all have the save serial number and the two manufacturing numbers in the crane area also match.

Being new, I guess I cannot upload pictures. The serial number is V71363. I am willing to send the pictures via regular email to anyone interested.

Thanks y'all