Old War Horse
- Thread starter TNshawn
- Start date
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Cool old shooter grade BSR. Good on ya!
What's the serial number on this old girl?
What's the serial number on this old girl?
Great! Relatively early, before the Victory series started. This was to be expected, given the stocks.
DWalt or one of our other Victory experts will probably be along soon to give you a more firm estimate of the shipping date.
DWalt or one of our other Victory experts will probably be along soon to give you a more firm estimate of the shipping date.
I think it is a bullet barrel. I doubt the stiff-collar Brits were into shooting pencils at the Germans and Italians in those days . . .
She (if you attach gender) with all there markings tells much more than most of that vintage.
DWalt,
Thank you for the detailed info. I currently have a US Victory pistol in .38S&W that I current hand load for so no problem with the ammo. I use it in our Military group shoot that my GC has each month. At 25 yds I can score 8-10 rings all day. Great shooting gun once you have the right load narrowed down.
Thank you for the detailed info. I currently have a US Victory pistol in .38S&W that I current hand load for so no problem with the ammo. I use it in our Military group shoot that my GC has each month. At 25 yds I can score 8-10 rings all day. Great shooting gun once you have the right load narrowed down.
I just acquired 711381 that was shipped on January 1, 1941. The gun is ANIB except there is no box. The only marking is a "P" on the butt to the right of the lanyard ring. The only other thing that I see is a 0 on the barrel flat well to the left of the serial number there. Normally where one sees a B indicating the gun has a blue finish.
I found her in a not so local gun shop but unfortunately she was wearing a SOLD tag. Since it was the nicest gun in the case and the tag price IMHO was reasonable for the age and condition, I asked if it was definitely sold. The shop owner asked me to check with the individual that was standing across the room as he was the proposed buyer. He, hearing the conversation, stepped forward and stated that the main reason for his interest was the "P" stamped on the butt as he felt that it indicated military use. He then went on to say that if I were THAT interested in it, he would pass. Maybe it helps wearing my S&W hat.
After putting out the fire on the back of my jeans created by the friction of my removing my wallet from my pocket, the rest as they say is history.
I found her in a not so local gun shop but unfortunately she was wearing a SOLD tag. Since it was the nicest gun in the case and the tag price IMHO was reasonable for the age and condition, I asked if it was definitely sold. The shop owner asked me to check with the individual that was standing across the room as he was the proposed buyer. He, hearing the conversation, stepped forward and stated that the main reason for his interest was the "P" stamped on the butt as he felt that it indicated military use. He then went on to say that if I were THAT interested in it, he would pass. Maybe it helps wearing my S&W hat.
After putting out the fire on the back of my jeans created by the friction of my removing my wallet from my pocket, the rest as they say is history.
rsl
Member
Pre vic
I think the BNP is for Birmingham Nitro Proof.. the C and broadarrow is Canadian... Have fun with Her...
I think the BNP is for Birmingham Nitro Proof.. the C and broadarrow is Canadian... Have fun with Her...
vonn
US Veteran
Don't you wish some of the old guns could talk and tell us what they have seen? I'll bet it would be better than cable TV.
Texas Star
US Veteran
There IS a problem with the ammo. The US Victory Model is in 38 Special, as one would expect. The other takes a shorter, slightly wider .38 S&W regular round. Unless the chambers have been bored out to take the longer .38 Spcl., you shouldn't be able to load them in the Canadian gun. If it has been converted to .38 Special, the cases may bulge or crack in the wider chambers. It's not a wise conversion, although some surplus dealers made it, thinking that the guns would sell better as .38 Specials.
A brother once owned one of these, in NRA Very Good to Excellent condition. It was a nice gun, but chambered for a rather weak cartridge.
The one seen here has been ridden hard and put away wet. Pity. But it's probably seen some history in the making.
That gun could easily have been in Normandy in the summer of 1944. Or at Dieppe a couple of years earlier, or in the cockpit of a RCAF Spitfire kn the skes over Dover in the Battle of Britain. I have seen those six-inch guns in the holsters of RAF pilots. You could tell what they were, because the butts stuck 'WAY out of the canvas Pattern 1937 holsters, made for five-inch barrels. I don't think they made separate holsters for the ones with four and six-inch barrels.
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. My Victory pictured below is a 38 S&W. This is the one I referred to when I mentioned "hand loads".
rsl
Member
TNshawn
German proofs on your Victory.. I think they used that proof starting in 1952.. Interesting...
German proofs on your Victory.. I think they used that proof starting in 1952.. Interesting...
Green Frog
Member
Wasn't there a batch of S&W Victories and M&Ps that showed up in the surplus trade after having been used by various civilian police departments in Germany?
Froggie
Froggie
From page 150 of Charlie Pates great book, U.S. Handguns of World War II, "The eagle over N was the standard proof for all guns.
The statement refers to post 1968 West German proof marks. There is a photo in the upper left hand corner depicting said symbol.
The gun in the photo is S&W .38 Special Victory Model serial number V498607.
The statement refers to post 1968 West German proof marks. There is a photo in the upper left hand corner depicting said symbol.
The gun in the photo is S&W .38 Special Victory Model serial number V498607.
