Model 10?

[lugerlout]

Just acquired a Smith & Wesson Model 10 I think!

Serial number V 503xxx, with the following markings:

U.S. PROPERTY G.H D.
'Flaming Grenade'
38 S & W SPECIAL CTG

Also has a Boyt holster.

Any info about date, which service it was used by would be gratefully appreciated.

Lugerlout

 

[JP@AK]

It is a Victory Model, made in 1943. It is not a Model 10 - those did not start shipping until 1958, and there were significant engineering changes that were made during the intervening 15 years. You can think of the Victory model as an ancestor of the Model 10, but it is not really the same gun.

The flaming bomb is an ordnance mark. GHD are the initials of the supervising officer at the Springfield District procurement office during the war. His name was Guy H. Drewry. You can search this Forum for more information about him.

As for which service it shipped to, you would have to get a factory authentication letter to know that for sure. But most of these went to the Navy.

 

[DWalt]

I list V5014xx as shipping in 2/44. The U. S. Navy was the major recipient of most of the military Victories in .38 Special. Commonly used as a Naval aviator's sidearm (but of course they were also used by other Naval personnel). Up until about V264000, Navy Victories had the "U. S. NAVY" stamping on the topstrap, and are worth a bit of a value premium with that marking. It's called a Flaming Bomb, not a Flaming Grenade. Virtually all military Victories have that stamping. Your holster might be interesting. Shoulder or belt?

 

[Alk8944]

DWalt,

While the Ordnance symbol is often referred to as a "Flaming Bomb", something that would have been fired from an artillery piece, the collar around the fuze precludes that. What it actually is, is a hand grenade, also know as a "Hand Bomb". Strictly both are correct, so there is no room to be correcting anyone over terminology or nomenclature.

In the Ordnance Corps the symbol is referred to as the "Flaming Piss-pot"! Let's see if we get away with that, no *** yet.

 

[lugerlout]

Pics of my new revolver and holster

 

[OFT II]

It looks like there is a small cylinder/barrel gap problem there. Can we see some pictures of the forcing cone?

 

[lugerlout]

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned that I am in the UK and therefore the pistol has been deactivated, hence the missing forcing cone.

Barrel has also been plugged and firing pin removed.

Lugerlout

 

[Muley Gil]

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned that I am in the UK and therefore the pistol has been deactivated, hence the missing forcing cone.

Barrel has also been plugged and firing pin removed.

Lugerlout

OHMYGOD!!!! What a shame.

 

[lugerlout]

Yes a real shame, but that's the only way we can collect hand guns here in the UK. At least they still can be cocked, dry fired and stripped, and you don't see any external visual impairment, it's only when you've stripped the pistol that you see the measures that are taken to deactivate the pistol.

Up until now, all of my collection has been ww1 and ww2 German military pistols. Lugers, P38, Mauser, Browning, Sauer, Frommer Stop, CZ, Walther, etc. This is the first time I've bought an allied wartime pistol.

 

[Absalom]

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned that I am in the UK and therefore the pistol has been deactivated, hence the missing forcing cone.

Barrel has also been plugged and firing pin removed.

Lugerlout

I'm curious how a gun like that makes it into the UK. All the markings you mentioned are normal for a standard US military shipped Victory. Are there any British proof marks anywhere on the gun that would indicate the gun made it to Britain during the war? Or are importers allowed to bring guns like this into the country specifically intending to de-activate and sell them to collectors like you?

 

[lugerlout]

I don't know the origin of this pistol, but all hand guns in the UK that are deactivated have to go to either the Birmingham or London proof house to be inspected to ensure that they have been deactivated according to current legislation, they are then certified and issued with a deactivation certificate.

It does have British proof marks in several places, probably applied when deactivated, and yes, there are importers who are allowed to bring guns into the UK to deactivate and sell to collectors, mostly from European origin.

Collectors in the UK probably pay more for our deactivated pistols than you guys pay for your 'real' hand guns. My S & W with holster cost me £550.

Lugerlout


Lugerlout

 

[KEN L]

Shame about the demilitarization, but at least it wasn't completely destroyed. I'd sure love to have that holster. I agree, most likely shipped Feb/Mar time frame 1944. Tell us how you came by it.

 

[lugerlout]

I have bought most of collection of hand guns from a company called Arundel militaria, their based in kington in Wales.

They have a good turn over of stock, I guess imported mostly from European countries. They import them, have them deactivated to current UK legislation and then sell them to collectors.

To be honest I'm not really into holsters, this is the only pistol I've bought that came with a holster.

If you would like the holster, that's OK with me but not too sure about shipping to the US. I Guess it would be OK as it's not a restricted firearm.

Lugerlout

 

[glenwolde]

Collectors in the UK probably pay more for our deactivated pistols than you guys pay for your 'real' hand guns. My S & W with holster cost me £550.

Ouch. You might be right. That's $780 American. I'm so sorry you guys can't have the real deal.

 

[photoman]

Excuse me for a minute... I'm feeling nauseous...