I think?I purchased the revolver monday and had it shipped up from Florida. The dealer on the Phone in FL read me the serial number. 770689. All this time I was thinking it was a late pre war m&p with pre war magna grips.When I got the gun in hand today I noticed the sv prefix on the other side of the butt.Being it is a near new gun with just a touch of wear on the muzzle, a very fine turn line and no mark on the recoil shield. I walked out the door with it.There is a small s on the sideplate under the grip.Factory plugged lanyard hole(barely visible).Can anyone out there give me a ship date?And does it have any collectors value? David Wilson you were correct on the dull finish.IMG_0903.JPG

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More pictures for the forum folks.IMG_0913.JPG

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Very nice, a scarce M & P variant. Perhaps the Victory Model database folks will know when it shipped, but likely just after the war to early 1946.

In this condition I'd say it's definitely collectible . Enjoy!

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

That's a good one. With what looks like a 5" barrel, high condition, commercial finish, and the lovely pre-war magnas - I'd say you should be a pretty happy man right now. Congrats,

Jerry

beautiful early post war "victory". I've got it's cousin, SV769844, also a 5" and it too looks unfired since it left the factory. I haven't lettered it so I don't know the ship date. lee

Nice one.

I have SV 770732 with a 5" barrel.

Shipped on March 28,1946

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U.S. Army Viet Nam Vet '68-69'

Hi
i have SV 810187 it shipped in July of 1946 it came in a two piece maroon box
numbered to the gun 5 inch barrel Magna,s.
Nice gun there we not to many made with the SV serial number.
S & W used up the prewar victory frames by putting the hammer block in them.
Jim Fisher

I know of one in the SV 775000 range that lettered as shipping in Feb 1945. Yours may actually predate that a little or be much later. But the only sure way of dating is a factory letter. Shipment dates may well have been erratic in the closing months of the war, with shipments completely out of sync with SNs. Yours, being marked with an SV prefix, would have been one of those originally manufactured without the new hammer block safety, which was added at the factory later, prior to shipment, along with adding an S to the SN, and also the small S on the sideplate.

Are the grip panels numbered to the gun? I cannot make it out from the picture. It is possible they may not be original. If they are numbered correctly, it would indicate likely shipment into commercial channels after the war's end, what with their being Magna style and also considering the plugged lanyard loop swivel hole. In any event there is absolutely no doubt that the frame MANUFACTURE date would have been before the war's end, likely late 1944 to early 1945, as the VS (or SV) series ended at about VS 811000 in late August 1945.

Blowing up your pictures, it looks to me like the number matches. If you would confirm this, I would appreciate it. I'll add it to my data base on early postwar guns shipping with that style stocks. The medallion inserts are of the first postwar style (machined, but blued) but the checkering pattern is of the prewar style. I've seen this combination before, but usually on S prefix guns (later than yours).
Very nice find!
Jack

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Yes the grip serial numbers match.All numbers match on the revolver.I think the revolver is worthy of a factory letter.One more question.Did all these early postwar or should I say wartime sv guns ship with the pre war style magnas?Mike

Jack in post #10 probably knows this answer. Of the SV prefix guns I've seen (in photos only) they have all had the prewar style Magnas; the factory probably had no ability to produce new commercial checkered stocks at that time.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Beautiful gun, fantastic condition, and those lovely stocks. I'm envious!

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Peter
S&WCA #2620

Nice find, lowhog.

I have a 4" M&P with the same style of medallion inserts with s/n SV771010 which lettered as being shipped 3/19/1946.

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Lorin

Congratulations on a beautiful find! Bases on submissions to the database maintained by my friend and collaborator, Charlie (ordnanceguy), and me, the vast majority of the commercial Victory Models seem to have left the factory in March of 1946. Production appears to have been split between four- and five-inch barrels; we've yet to see a postwar "SV"-prefixed six-incher or snubby.

By the way, after collecting thousands of Victory Model serial numbers, it is my opinion that the only standard letter prefixes are the plain "V" and the later "SV." The two-letter prefixes appear with either both letters being applied simultaneously (when the gun was originally manufactured with the improved safety design) or with the "V" applied at the time of original manufacture and the "S" added at a later date (when the safety upgrade was performed after original manufacture). I do not believe the "VS" prefix was ever adopted as a standard marking; when it does (RARELY) appear, it is an aberration.

Enjoy your new revolver; I wish I could find such a pleasant surprise!

Steve

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CHL/NRA Instructor/RSO/Referee

It should be noted that bmg60's example is the exception for having shipped as late as July. As stated in the preceding post, almost all of these went out the door in March of 1946.

I've attached a photo of another five incher serial numbered just a few hundred earlier than lowhog's that has been documented as having been sent out in March as is typical.

It may be useful to peruse the following thread on this topic:

The Postwar Commercial Victory Model

Attached Images

SV 770XXX.jpg (92.6 KB, 41 views)

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Yes. And what is more fascinating is that both SV and S numbered guns were shipping in March, 1946.
Jack

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

It seems that if they shipped after the war, most of them did, perhaps all. I have not yet found one that did not.
However, the sliding hammer block design was introduced in September, 1944. So, of course, lots of SV guns shipped during the war and those would have had the plain service stocks on them.
Jack

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

SV809976, a 4" does not have the pre war magnas. it has the typical post war routed edge magnas. lee

As it has been established that VS prefixes do exist, but are likely rare as compared to SV prefixes, does anyone know what examples are in the Victory data base?

And, Lee, I assume you are also saying they number to the gun? I'll get that entered. Thanks.
Jack

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Members thanks for all the info and kind comments on the revolver.Goony great thread, thanks for the link.I'm sending a Request form out tommorow.I will post the shipping info on this thread when I receive it.Regards Mike

Hi Lee:

The Victory Model Database reveals all (or some)! ;<)

Your SV769844 shows up in the Database as having shipped March 22, 1946 to Dunham Carrigan Hayden & Co., of San Francisco, CA.

You have always been a strong supporter of the Victory Model Database with generous infusions of data. My pal and collaborator on the Database, LWCmdr45, and I are happy to provide these nuggets for you in return.

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Charlie Flick
SWCA 729 HF 215

Charlie, thanks for that info. always good to know stuff like that. I love trivia. it actually occupies most of my brain cells.lee

I think I added this one to the database earlier but this is the letter and ship date.

Attached Images

M&P .38 1946_letter.jpg (88.4 KB, 49 views)

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Pay attention...it pays to win

arkievol, I wonder if it's close cousin, SV809976 went there too. we still need to get these two together for a photo shoot. lee

(quote)arkievol, I wonder if it's close cousin, SV809976 went there too. we still need to get these two together for a photo shoot. lee(/quote)

Lee,

Good possibility!

Here are a couple of more shots. The NYPD stamped a number on the back strap and assigned it to the officer to whom it was issued but the officer paid for the gun out of his pocket. Same with my department but no number was stamped on the gun...my gun was $48 and handcuffs were $12 (a weeks pay in 1965).

I got this gun from a dealer in Yonkers, NY (via Gunbroker) who said it was a trade-in by the security department or a guard at the Yonkers Raceway horse track.

Photo shoot may be a possibility. I may be coming through your neighborhood up Hwy 51 this summer to visit some kin in KY.

Later, Jack

Attached Images

	.38 M&P 1946_03.jpg (76.0 KB, 41 views)
	s-w backstrap.JPG (214.1 KB, 41 views)
	victory mod M&P 1945_01.jpg (62.2 KB, 40 views)

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Pay attention...it pays to win

jack, mine doesn't have any markings other than factory so it probably didn't go to the NYPD. i'll PM you my numbers so you can call or PM me when you head this way. lee

While we have over one hundred VMs with the "SV" prefix (about ninety of 1945-46 production/shipment and another couple dozen or so that are earlier numbers that were returned for the safety upgrade), we have a grand total of only one (1) submission to the database with the disputed "VS" prefix: VS813414 with a 5" barrel, commercial blue finish, postwar checkered Magna stocks, a plugged lanyard hole and the small "s" above the rear side plate screw. (Sorry, no shipping information was provided.) The "VS" lettering is unusual in that the two letters are of distinctly different fonts, with the "V" having atypical serifs, but the "S" without. Another example of "***?!" when it comes to figuring out Smith & Wesson markings!

Steve

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CHL/NRA Instructor/RSO/Referee

Seems like the majority of the older smiths I purchase shipped to New York City.IMG_1155.JPG

It's odd that factory letter would indicate that the new short action (high speed hammer) started with the C-series. I think we all know it really started very late in the S-series. A minor point, but nonetheless incorrect information as presented.