Found a Victory but....

[Baltimoreed11754]

At the Raleigh Military Show I found a Victory. But... it's got a few issues... a faux 2 inch bbl for one. Now, I'm a sucker for a two inch bbl revolver and have a few pre model 10s, Official Police's and Detective Specials so when I saw this one I was interested. I should have known better but it has a square butt and a lanyard loop! and all the crazy little things that the Brits like to stamp all over their firearms. Some pitting and a poor finish too but the .38-200 cylinder # matches the frame sn. I would be curious when it was made, the sn is V 283103. There is a small HD next to the V on the butt, BNP under crowns on the frame and cylinder and a faint crossed thingy stamp behind the trigger guard. Not a collectible or even particularly interesting but if I can find a 2 in pre model 10 bbl and get it running smooth I might get it refinished. Also has a set of smooth grips.

 

[Absalom]

Wow, looks like you almost got an "Oswald Special"

That serial should put it around May 1943 (plus/minus).

Ex-British Service models that have been shortened but NOT refinished, like the one Lee Harvey Oswald got from Seaport, are actually quite rare. I wouldn't refinish it. Most that were re-imported were reamed to .38 Special, shortened, nickeled, and got franzite-type plastic stocks.

Do the stocks match the serial, and is the cylinder converted?

The HD likely is missing the G in front, an ordnance stamping. BNP means it was commercially proofed at Birmingham after being surplused.

 

[Muley Gil]

Has the cylinder been rechambered to .38 special? Most of these cut-down BSRs (British Service Revolvers) that came back to the US have been.

To install a proper 2" barrel, first you need the barrel, then both pieces of the ejector rod, then find a gunsmith that has the proper tool-i.e. a frame wrench. It is likely you will have more tied up in this extra work than you paid for the revolver in the first place. And to really make it right, you would need to find a .38 special cylinder. Converted cylinders tend to do cause the .38 special brass to either swell or split. Neither of which is good if you reload.

 

[Old_Cop]

Love it for what it is, don't change a thing, shoot .38-200s (.38S&W).

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

Initially I thought that it was 38-200 as my handloads wouldn't chamber but I tried a 38 spcl factory load and it chambered. Looking in the cylinder i can see two seperate rings in the chambers, one for the original 38 s&w and another for the spcl.

 

[Absalom]

Looking in the cylinder i can see two seperate rings in the chambers, one for the original 38 s&w and another for the spcl.

If it were still original, it would be very distinct even without the cartridge test. There would be a notable shoulder where you now see just a "ghost ring".