Retrofitted Improved Hammer Block Safety Victory

[mdmorrissey]

I just came across this and believe it to be an earlier (1943) Victory that went through the improved hammer block safety retrofit, likely in early 1945? Not an expert on these, but from my limited knowledge base it sounds like most of the SV Victories were made that way (i.e., with the improvement) vs. being earlier made guns that were retrofitted? Assuming that I am correct, how scarce are these earlier retrofitted guns? Condition is used (I wouldn't expect a gun that was made in 1943 to be minty, unless it sat in a desk drawer during the war) but appears to be all matching, including grips.

 

[mdmorrissey]

Here are some more pix

 

[DCWilson]

Deleted. I hadn't looked closely enough at your photos.

 

[Absalom]

…
… Not an expert on these, but from my limited knowledge base it sounds like most of the SV Victories were made that way (i.e., with the improvement) vs. being earlier made guns that were retrofitted? Assuming that I am correct, how scarce are these earlier retrofitted guns? …

The Navy refurbishment contract from May 1945 was for 40,000 guns. I am not aware that there were additional individual retrofits.

The “official“ starting serial for SV guns in Jan. 1945 was V 769,000. The SV-prefix guns went into the V810/812-range somewhere (Jack knows the exact highest military SV number, I think).

So original SV’s should be just about in the same plus/minus 40,000 ballpark number as refitted ones.

Anything wrong with my math?

 

[mdmorrissey]

So roughly 40,000 retrofits plus another 40,000 original SV guns?