My inheritance - Lend-Lease .38-200 S&W Victory

[trikster]

Inherited this from my grandmother when she passed on. No-one else in the family has any interest in guns and since I was the only one in the family that remembered that she had it, I got it.

Serial - V573116
Stamped Austrian Police (in German)
Numbers match all around, all original condition (has not been re-chambered)

**Updated attachments to show pics**

Last pic shows the only rust on the gun. I will be cleaning that shortly. Just need to get some 0000 steel wool to polish it off.

 

[mikepriwer]

The pictures are not set up right.

Mike Priwer

 

[trikster]

Really? I see them just fine on my screen... Hmm...

 

[BIG DAZ UK]

I can't see them either.

 

[trikster]

OK, I just posted the pics as attachments in the first post. Here are a few others...

Last picture shows the rounds that fit (left) and a standard .38 Special (right)

 

[rgearhead]

wow' very clean original looking 38 , greate score for sure

 

[trikster]

Any idea of a value? Although it has sentimental value, the collector value of the gun makes me not really want to shoot it. I was initially told this was a .357, so I assume that there is a .357 still in their old house. Just need to find it.

 

[DCWilson]

That revolver is in excellent shape. Hard to believe that a war-issue service revolver could look that good. Maybe my understanding is false that the Austrian Victories were re-issued guns. Could they have been re-parked before entering their post-war use as service weapons for the Austrian police? (Just thinking out loud here.)

I believe that serial number would have been used in the course of 1944 production.

 

[trikster]

I have heard '43 and '44 production, seems it depends on where you look. I have been thinking of doing the letter from S&W, but haven't decided...low of funds.

 

[DCWilson]

I would never try to talk someone out of lettering a gun, but I would point out that a letter on a military contract revolver won't hold a lot of surprises. The designated receivers for contract guns were few, and the dates usually don't vary much from what you would expect from the production sequence. (That isn't always true of commercial production.)

I mentioned 1944 because I don't know any Victory Models with serial numbers over V500000 that date from before that year. There is an outside possibility that V571xxx may have languished in inventory for several months, in which case it might not have shipped until 1945. But 1943 seems to be excluded.

 

[Texas Star]

The British may have never issued that revolver until they gave it to the Austrians. German and probably, Austrian police tend to take care of their weapons, and some may have never left inventory before being sold.

I'd sure get some Break-Free CLP on that firing pin bushing as well as steel wooling it.

This Victory seems a little better finished than some. Sideplate fit varies, and this isn't the best. I think some were disassembled by armorers who may not have gotten the right sideplates back on the right guns. I bet that some never knew how important that is.

 

[trikster]

Any thoughts on value?

 

[DCWilson]

Any thoughts on value?

Not that I know what I'm talking about, but $400-450? There are hundreds of thousands of victory models, so there is no scarcity premium; an average Victory in shootable but not special condition is probably a $250 gun. But few Victory models look this good, and few of them are marked for postwar police use. A collector might even think this worth a little more than I suggested. If so, you should see other value suggestions here.

 

[kikokat]

Congrats, that's a nice looking Victory, and a great family "heirloom".

 

[digi-shots]

Congratulations on your new Victory! It's a very nice looking one!

Beware, they are addicting!

By the way, is the top strap of the frame stamped "U.S. PROPERTY" ?

 

[trikster]

By the way, is the top strap of the frame stamped "U.S. PROPERTY" ?

Yes, it says U.S. PROPERTY G.H.D... Not sure what that exactly means.

If I were to try and sell, where would be a good place? I am not really a collector, mainly was going to use it for home defense. My main issue with it is the cost of the rounds. $35 (on average) for a box of 50 isn't cheap. .357 and .38 special are a lot cheaper (considering I got 200 rounds of .38 special when I picked up the Victory) and a lot more plentiful.

All the other relatives said that she had a .357, no one knew about this one. I was hoping for the .357 as it would make a far more effective HD/SD gun and I wouldn't feel guilty firing it.

 

[DCWilson]

G.H.D - Col. Guy H. Drury, the Army's man in charge of weapons inspection and acceptance.

You could list it here in the classified section; The members of this forum are your likeliest target audience anyway.

CORRECTION: He spelled his name Drewry. I should look that up every time I write it, because it seems to me I almoste always pick the wrong spelling.

 

[fat tom]

The members of this forum are your likeliest target audience anyway.

And THAT'S the truth!
f.t.

 

[plainshunter]

Great looking revolver. I've been jonesing for one of these for awhile. Some day...

 

[blockislander]

Nice Victory

Nice gun! I have a few and have paid from $250-$450 for a really nice one.