Victory Model?

coneten · #1 04-10-2008, 12:52 PM

I just snagged a Victory Model. It is SN# V 723888..found on grip frame,under barrel, on cylinder and ejector. Top of frame is stamped with flaming bomb US PROPERTY GHD. The barrel is .38 S&S Special CTG. The P is present on upper left frame and under barrel, S V P on cylinder face. Assembly # 80525 on crane and frame. Strong case colors on hammer and trigger. The question is about finish..this pistol has a blued finish,not the matt finish. There is some thinning on front and rear grip strap. Lanyard ring is present. I checked the stocks and they do not match but are the correct plain wanut stocks.Any feedback is welcome and thanks ahead of time.

coneten · #2 04-10-2008, 12:52 PM

I just snagged a Victory Model. It is SN# V 723888..found on grip frame,under barrel, on cylinder and ejector. Top of frame is stamped with flaming bomb US PROPERTY GHD. The barrel is .38 S&S Special CTG. The P is present on upper left frame and under barrel, S V P on cylinder face. Assembly # 80525 on crane and frame. Strong case colors on hammer and trigger. The question is about finish..this pistol has a blued finish,not the matt finish. There is some thinning on front and rear grip strap. Lanyard ring is present. I checked the stocks and they do not match but are the correct plain wanut stocks.Any feedback is welcome and thanks ahead of time.

coneten · #3 04-10-2008, 05:00 PM

The finish is like this S&W.http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/for...902#1851024902

mikepriwer · #4 04-10-2008, 05:37 PM

This gun should be a WW2 gun, and I would expect that it would have the sand-blast
blue finish. You would need to request a letter, and that would tell you how the gun
was shipped. That serial number is close to the end of the way, but from the markings,
I would think that the high-polish blue finish it now has, means that the gun was
refinished. Again, a letter will confirm how it was shipped. Be sure to request
information about the original finish, and how it is finished now.

Later, Mike Priwer

ordnanceguy · #5 04-11-2008, 12:52 PM

Coneten:

Your Victory was likely shipped in the December, 1944 time frame.

I strongly suspect that your Victory was refinished at some point in the past. It almost certainly was shipped with the phosphate finish generically called parkerizing (lower case p). The other gun you referenced in the link was an SV prefix civilian gun that did not ship until March, 1946, when guns coming out of the factory had the brushed blue finish. While certainly not dispositive, non-matching stocks is also suggestive of a refinish.

HTH.

Regards,
Charlie Flick

coneten · #6 04-11-2008, 02:17 PM

I appreciate the information. I have several Victory Model S&W revolvers and was a bit suspicious of the finish on this one although the S&W logo, stampings and rollmark seem crisp..I did notice a slight halo on the edges of MADE IN USA that lead me to believe that it was refinished as well. I got it at a good price and it will be a decent shooter..nice tight lockup.