I'd like some help to ID a Smith & Wesson revolver. Mainly curious about age/date of manufacture.

Model Number - 98094 with a "P" just above it (behind the yoke)
Serial Number - V 636262 (butt of the grip)
Finish - Nickel
Caliber - .38
Barrel - 3 Inches
Sights - fixed
Five Screws
Cylinder also has a "P" "V" and serial number printed on the side where rounds are loaded.
Thanks for any help.

Welcome to the forum. What you have is a Military and Police made for WW2, either one made for the USA or Great Britain. The barrel is measured from the end of the cylinder to the muzzle end if the barrel is indeed 3 inches it has be cut. Please post pictures.

That isn't a model number, it is a parts tracking number used during the assembly process. The P is a proof mark.
Model numbers didn't show up until 1958, long after this gun was produced.

It is a Victory Model from WWII. V636262 would be from 1944. Someone who tracks these might be along to narrow down the likely month for you.

It has been refinished.

If that is a true measurement, it was cut down after its military service. If it was chambered for the .38 S&W Special cartridge, it was cut down from 4". If chambered for the .38 S&W cartridge, it was cut from 5". Look on the side of the barrel for the designation.

Does it say U.S. Property on the top? This late, it should unless it went to the DSC. Of course it could have been polished out when it was refinished.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Hopefully this link will work with the pictures. Thanks for the information!

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Hopefully this link will work for pictures. Thanks!

Nothing to be seen on the barrel - except on the bottom which is stamped:
V 636262 P

Welcome to the forum.

That is in fact a Victory model and it does appear to have been cut down and stripped of its original finish, had the lanyard removed and the hole plugged and the stocks replaced with more modern versions. Collector value is nil and it is therefore relegated to the shooter category. As such it is probably only worth a couple of hundred.

Thousands of these guns were produced to celebrate VICTORY after WWII and they are not to be confused with S&W's current offering with the same name. After the war, many were converted into various configurations and sold to the public.

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James Redfield
LM #497

As I suspected the barrel has been cut, but at least they didn't cut it past the front locking lug. This puts it in the shooter class as collector value is gone. I can't tell if it was originaly in 38 S&W or 38 special. I can't tell from the photos if the cylinder has been reamed.

Very helpful - many thanks! The history of this gun and it's popularity over the years is fascinating. Again, thanks to all for your expertise!

The serial is likely from June/July 1944.

From the looks of the cylinder photo, the chambers show a ring or shoulders where a .38 S&W would have them, so it definitely would be a former British Service Model. I can’t tell whether it’s been reamed or not. The heavy polishing prior to the nickeling appears to have removed all the markings. Usually, barrel shortenings in front of the lug and this type of new triangular front sight means a conversion done in Britain, but in this case the missing commercial proofs, which would have been applied after the conversion, might indicate otherwise.

Yours could have looked like this one coming out of the factory.



This one is s/n V650xxx and shipped in 8/44.

This one was blue coming out of the factory in 1941.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Very cool! I wish mine was still in original condition, but it's very interesting to see what it looked like originally.