Just wondering: value of my Victory Model?

[Beemerguy53]

Some months back, I bought this Victory Model from another Forum member. It is in beautiful, apparently unfired condition, with a five-digit serial number. It has no military markings, however.

I ordered a factory letter from S&W, which arrived the other day. The letter explained that a "small group of the Victory Models was sold to commercial companies and Police Agencies during the war time production. The orders for commercial sales were submitted to the United States Government's Defense Supply Corporation which would then issue sales orders to Smith & Wesson directing them to sell to the various listed companies."

The factory letter goes on to state that my Victory Model was shipped in July 1942, and that, under a United States Defense Supply Corporation contract, it was delivered to the Alabama Para Co. in Birmingham.

Now then...I had looked for some time for a good Victory Model before I found this one. I was very pleased to find it, I paid what I think was a fair price for it, and the fact that it was never a military-issue gun makes it no less desirable to me. But I'm wondering: Is the value of this revolver affected by the fact that it was never a military gun? Do any of you have any idea of what its current value might be?

Thanks!

 

[Beemerguy53]

Some months back, I bought this Victory Model from another Forum member. It is in beautiful, apparently unfired condition, with a five-digit serial number. It has no military markings, however.

I ordered a factory letter from S&W, which arrived the other day. The letter explained that a "small group of the Victory Models was sold to commercial companies and Police Agencies during the war time production. The orders for commercial sales were submitted to the United States Government's Defense Supply Corporation which would then issue sales orders to Smith & Wesson directing them to sell to the various listed companies."

The factory letter goes on to state that my Victory Model was shipped in July 1942, and that, under a United States Defense Supply Corporation contract, it was delivered to the Alabama Para Co. in Birmingham.

Now then...I had looked for some time for a good Victory Model before I found this one. I was very pleased to find it, I paid what I think was a fair price for it, and the fact that it was never a military-issue gun makes it no less desirable to me. But I'm wondering: Is the value of this revolver affected by the fact that it was never a military gun? Do any of you have any idea of what its current value might be?

Thanks!

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

I'm quite certain there will be different opinions in response to your question.

In one respect, the fact that it letters as having been a defense plant gun would be disappointing to one seeking a combat veteran specimen. On the other hand, it is frequently the case with Victory's that you never learn much about their individual history beyond the last paragraph or so from Roy's letters.

It's sort of like having sat out the big war shoveling manure in Kansas while all the other guys were fighting the good fight "over there".

But in fairness, it is still a Victory model and as such, is one of the most important small arms of WWII. The fact that it letters as a DSC gun can never change that.

Value is tricky. Victory's are absolutely all over the place concerning their asking prices. Until recently, the past 5 or 10 years, they were usually inexpensive models to acquire. Today they are achieving remarkable auction prices. I would believe that some military collectors might attach a lower value to a revolver that lettered as a DSC revolver, while others might not care at all. That's where you may receive differing opinions on value. In my opinion it might achieve $300 to $500 depending on the motivation of the buyer. The condition appears excellent in your photo and that for many collectors is far more important than it's pedigree.

Ethically, it would be deceptive to not disclose the letter if you intend to sell it. That being the larger consideration which may detract from the selling price, at least for some collectors. Personally, I think it is a very nice condition specimen and could occupy a place in any collection as a suitable representative of the Victory model revolver. My suggestion is that you keep it and seek to add a "combat veteran" as it's companion. In the end, I would not find the DSC revolver as less meaningful because it did not go to war. It is, and will remain, a Victory model revolver.

 

[votan]

condition and originality are always the most important things. if you have to make excuses or there is some "story" it's red flag time. i wouldn't worry a moment about having a "combat" pistol. defending a plant here in the states was part of the war effort. besides, it's hard to document a combat history for most weapons. you see many times on forums where someone will post a really worn pistol with 10% finish left and wax romantically about the "history" that wear shows. maybe iwo, okinawa or normandy? when in reality it was under the seat of uncle jim's pickup for 40 years. if you think about it, the earliest of these vintage guns were only in service for a few years before the war ended with many of the spending that time in a holster of desk drawer. for decades it wasn't very difficult to find minty examples of most "common" military guns. now that they are collectible that's not the case so much. you have a fine example of a victory model and if you want a navy or u.s. property marked example you can always trade up.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Oldflatfoot and votan, thanks for your responses.

As I noted, I had looked for some time for a good Victory Model. So many of them are in poor shape (which is not surprising given that they were never intended to be collectibles, but low-cost, utilitarian revolvers) and I was, and am, thrilled, to have found this one.

The photo doesn't begin to do it justice. It's the cleanest and best Victory Model I've ever seen, and there is no sign that it has ever been fired. I have no plans to sell it, and the lack of military provenance doesn't bother me in the slightest.

The seller disclosed that there were no military markings on this piece, and his detailed photos showed that as well. I knew that some Victory Models were sold to civilian companies, and I figured all along that this was likely one of them. That's fine with me...but the S&W letter I got does have me wondering whether the fact that this is indeed a non-military Victory Model affects its value.

Any "serious" collectors out there have another opinion on this?

Thanks!

 

[votan]

given equal condition a navy marked VM will be worth more than a non marked VM.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Originally posted by votan:
given equal condition a navy marked VM will be worth more than a non marked VM.

Thanks! All things considered, I would rather have this non-military Victory in this condition than a military-marked Victory in "typical" condition, so I think I made out just fine...