Help with dating a Victory
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OP
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OP
Is it still a .38 S&W or has it been rechambered to .38 special?
ordnanceguy
Member
With your excellent pics and description it is easy to help you out. Your revolver likely left the factory in the August-September 1944 time frame, based on the Victory Model Database. It was almost certainly a Lend Lease gun.
Post-war it served time in a West German law enforcement agency, perhaps the Bavaria Municipal Police or a similar outfit. That agency's marking on the left frame has now been removed, which is why you see the milled out area there below the cylinder latch.
The stocks are replacements, of course, as the revolver would have originally left the factory with smooth walnut stocks.
I hope that information is helpful to you.
Regards,
Charlie
Post-war it served time in a West German law enforcement agency, perhaps the Bavaria Municipal Police or a similar outfit. That agency's marking on the left frame has now been removed, which is why you see the milled out area there below the cylinder latch.
The stocks are replacements, of course, as the revolver would have originally left the factory with smooth walnut stocks.
I hope that information is helpful to you.
Regards,
Charlie
OP
Still .38 S&W. Been bubba'd but not overly.
OP
Thanks, Charlie! That is great info! The stocks will be remedied. I have an order in with Curt, 44magget on this site, for 2 sets of walnut service stocks, one checkered, one smooth. Think tis one will get the smooths.
OP
It's no jewel. But, if it functions at all, it's a 5 screw, it's a caliber I didn't have, it still looks OK and with the new stocks I'm only into it for $575. Might have bought it a mite too soon, but I think I'll be able to get my money back out of it one day, If I so choose. As long as they keep making ammo for it.
John Wyatt
Member
Too bad the German police markings were removed. I have one close in serial number that is marked Bavaria Rural Police.
OP
Yeah. I would have preferred markings of just about any sort rather than the bare machine marks. Even if it said "Chuck E. Cheese Security Forces.
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
It appears to have depended on which German surplus dealer got the batch.
There are substantial numbers of these in the collector market with Bavaria Municipal and Rural Police markings (engravings, not stampings) intact and original finish, and since the state government disposed of all of these centrally that means it wasn't the Bavarians who cancelled the markings.
Specimen that have been milled out and refinished after being surplused have been found two ways: some were marked by the German company Hege in Schwäbisch-Hall in the milled spaces, others are without any markings, like the OP's gun. It's possible there are other markings in that milled space; if anyone has one, I'd like to know.
There are substantial numbers of these in the collector market with Bavaria Municipal and Rural Police markings (engravings, not stampings) intact and original finish, and since the state government disposed of all of these centrally that means it wasn't the Bavarians who cancelled the markings.
Specimen that have been milled out and refinished after being surplused have been found two ways: some were marked by the German company Hege in Schwäbisch-Hall in the milled spaces, others are without any markings, like the OP's gun. It's possible there are other markings in that milled space; if anyone has one, I'd like to know.
Not really Bubba'd ; the milled out I.D. markings are not a hack job modification. More of an export scar.
Now , if someone had crudely reamed the cylinder to accept .38 special - or worse yet , shortened the barrel and eliminated the ejector rod lug - that would be Bubba'd.
Now , if someone had crudely reamed the cylinder to accept .38 special - or worse yet , shortened the barrel and eliminated the ejector rod lug - that would be Bubba'd.
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