A Well-Traveled Victory

hsguy · Oct 12, 2012

I finally got around to taking a few photos of an interesting Victory I acquired recently. The gun initially shipped Aug. 12, 1944 to the O.S.S.. From there it made it's way to the German state of Hesse where it probably served with the civilian police force and was stamped on the back strap as pictured. The gun then went to Israel as evidenced by the markings on the right frame. Finally the gun returned home and thankfully did not suffer the ignominy of any import markings. The gun was refinished at some point in it's travels as seen by the Parked hammer etc.. Remarkably, the gun has managed to retain it's original grips serialized to the gun. A very interesting gun I was glad to obtain. I had been looking for an O.S.S. gun, an Israel marked gun and a German police gun and was able to cover all those bases in a single hit. Charlie and Ed you will recognize this gun and I would welcome any further information you might want to add.

Goony · Oct 12, 2012

Almost a home run - now if it just had an electropenciled Civil Defense marking, too....

murphydog · Oct 12, 2012

Kind of a triple play

. Did the factory letter state it was shipped to the OSS, or a more generic destination?

DCWilson · Oct 12, 2012

The more I learn about Victory models the more interested in them I get. This is a fascinating specimen. Congratulations on adding it to your collection.

hsguy · Oct 12, 2012

Goony, sorry I couldn't reply quicker, been in my basement looking for my electropencil.

Murphydog, Roy's letter dated March 27, 1997 states the gun was delivered to " ... Strategic Services, Virginia. This was the intelligent(sic) agency for the United States Government."

bettis1 · Oct 12, 2012

Goony said:
Almost a home run - now if it just had an electropenciled Civil Defense marking, too....

Goony,
You mean like this?

hsguy,
You can use this for a pattern

Bob

hsguy · Oct 12, 2012

bettis1 said:
Goony,
You mean like this?

hsguy,
You can use this for a pattern

Bob

Thanks Bob! I should be able to manage that.

digi-shots · Oct 12, 2012

John, very nice... congrats!

I keep a database on many of the Victory models... I was getting ready to add it to my list and noticed I already had it written down... hmmm...

Again, nice catch!

Texas Star · Oct 12, 2012

When a casehardeed hammer is Parkerized, does it lose the surface hardening?

hsguy · Oct 12, 2012

Texas Star said:
When a casehardeed hammer is Parkerized, does it lose the surface hardening?

I have no idea but the process requires a solution temperature of 195-210F for about 45min. according to what I have read. I am not sure if this sufficiently hot to affect the case hardening.

Tom Doniphon · Oct 12, 2012

Intersting Victory Model with some great history.

I can't recall seeing the W mark on the butt on a Victory with that high of serial number. The W marked guns usually fall into the high 400,000to low 500,000 serial number range.

Thanks for posting the photos.

K.38 · Oct 12, 2012

Congrats on the Victory. My OSS victory is close to yours in serial number and date.

Mine didn't end up in Israel but at the Wiesbaden Rod and Gun Club in Germany after it did duty with the Bavarian Municiple Police. My serial number is V614269 and shipped 22 Aug 44.

bgrafsr · Oct 12, 2012

hsguy said:
I have no idea but the process requires a solution temperature of 195-210F for about 45min. according to what I have read. I am not sure if this sufficiently hot to affect the case hardening.

No where near hot enough to alter the case hardening.

opoefc · Oct 12, 2012

John, Here's the "Rest of the Story" - - The gun was originally in the Doc Omeara Military collection for several years. Doc wrote several gun articles for magazine about S&Ws, etc. and this gun was pictured in them. Doc sold it to me in 1995. The Star of David stamp is the Israeli military ownership stamp and the Hebrew letter stamp is the inspector's stamp. When I got it, I tried to research the back strap stamp of HE-M and sent pictures to the Israeli Embassy in Wash. DC, where the military attaché said they were Israeli Police stamps. Within the last few years, further research gave me doubts about that info. from the Israeli attaché, as that stamping was showing up on other Victory Models, and M-! Carbines, that had obvious connection to the Germans after WW2. Charlie became the new owner this year, of my Victory Model collection, and has now passed this Victory on to you. Congrats! This is a Victory Model that fits the expression " If this gun could only talk !" At least the stampings on it tell us where it had stopped off at times in it's journey after it left S&W! Ed.

hsguy · Oct 12, 2012

Ed, thanks for your comments, I had hoped you might chime in. Charlie was kind enough to offer this gun to me and I snapped it up. I think it is a great gun and having you and Charlie as part of it's provenance makes it so much better, you have both helped me over the years with my meager Victory collection.

A Well-Traveled Victory

hsguy

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Goony

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murphydog

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DCWilson

hsguy

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bettis1

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digi-shots

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Texas Star

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Tom Doniphon

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bgrafsr

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opoefc

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