Cut Victory Value

[Ben_hutcherson]

I'm a bit ignorant on Victories, and have tried to read some old threads here to get myself up to speed but feel like my knowledge is a bit lacking.

In any case, a local shop has a 2" one bored out to 38 special. I understand that, at one time, this was a common conversion from the mail order dealers in the 50s and 60s.

The finish on this one looks quite good, and it has diamond magna stocks on it. The asking price was $250.

Does this sound like a decent price assuming the gun is as I've described it?

In addition, can the bored out ones still shoot 38 S&W? The one I looked at had a very obvious "step" about halfway back into the chambers that made me think that it would likely still chamber a 38 S&W correctly.

 

[DWalt]

Unless you have an unquenchable urge for butchered specimens, these are best avoided. $250 could be better spent on something else.

 

[Muley Gil]

"The asking price was $250.

Does this sound like a decent price assuming the gun is as I've described it?"

Uh, no. Overpriced by $100-$150, IMHO.

 

[merl67]

Ben
I would have to agree with what has already been said. I made a mistake early in my collecting days of buying a 38 S & W Victory that had been bored out to shoot 38 spl never satisfied with it and sold it. The only one I was ever tempted to buy again was one nicely converted to 22lr but since I already have a K22 no need for it.

 

[rburg]

Hi, Ben. There is the potential for some problems. The first one that comes to mind is the 38 S&W is a .360 bored gun, while the .38 is usually a .358 bored gun. When you fire a nice 38 special case in the Victory guns you usually end up with kind of a fat case. They will require resizing, and some will split very early in a cases life. Most of us shooting target level loads can expect almost unlimited life from our cases. You will find that those fired in the Victory will split after as few as 2 or 3 firings.

If you don't resize, the cases will only fit that one gun, maybe.

I've spent the last couple of decades tromping around rural KY looking for bargains. I've never seen a Victory I considered to be a bargain. The normal sequence was for someone to purchase a gun from Kleins for a dirt cheap price. Then realize that 38 S&W ammo costs more than 357 magnums because no one stocks it, or if they do you will still pay full retail.

At the "Court Days" sales in the counties east of you we used to see them all the time for $150 altered to the configuration you're looking at. I would guess inflation could easily have moved that up to $250. But I'm guessing a man of your style and taste would be better off buying ammo than a gun like that. Soon you will have an image to uphold. You won't be able to do that with butchered specimens.

 

[DWalt]

Gun show asking prices at present for the chopped Victories tend to be in the $200-$300 range. I suspect that the sellers are hoping that potential buyers don't know what they are. I always like to play games with such buyers to hear what stories they spin about them. Sometimes they are honest in telling you what it is, but mostly not. The most frequent story is "I just traded for it, and I don't know anything about it." Caveat Emptor.

 

[Art Doc]

I wouldn't accept is as a gift. To me such a gun is worthless.