S&W .38 Special Engraved revolver

[2ndAmend]

My Father-in-law has a heavily engraved revolver with perl stock grips. Engraving exists on barrel, cylynder. It is a 38 CTG (note a 38 special as noted in this thead's title.)
The serial number on the barrel is V 673362 P
Another set of numbers are located on the inside of the crane.
4
318 68

Any help on the year that this gun was manufactured or any other info about htis gun would be appreciated.

See photos posted later in this thread.

 

[Art Doc]

The V serial prefix makes it a military contract gun made 1943-45. If it's stamped 38 S&W Special on the barrel it should have a 4" barrel. The engraving is obviously not factory original nor are the pearl stocks. Value would be whatever somebody was willing to pay for it but it won't be a fortune. No photos but usually the quality of engraving on guns like this isn't top flight. They are fun, though, and I'd take for about $400 or so but most owners/sellers think they are worth far more.

 

[glowe]

Maybe there were some presentation Victorys out there?? That would be a rare bird indeed!

 

[2ndAmend]

Thanks for the quick reply. My father-in-law will apprechiate the information. He does not believe that the pearl stocks were origional.

Thanks again.

 

[handejector]

Pics would help a lot.
After the war, Germany was in ruin and people did what they could to make a buck.
Quite a few Vics were engraved by German craftsmen in a really fine style. They are nice guns, but can be hard to move for what they are really worth considering the engraving.
This may or may not be what you have.

 

[2ndAmend]

The barrel is a 5" AND marked/stamped with 38 S&W CTG. I will have to post photos for better clarity. That may not happen until I see him.

 

[2ndAmend]

Updated photos of the revolver

Here are photos of the revolver. Maybe this will provide additional information for a more definitive response.

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[2ndAmend]

Updated photos have been posted

 

[s&wchad]

The engraving was nicely executed. They also added a custom rib/front sight to the barrel and jeweled (engine turned) the trigger and hammer. Is the serial number stamped on the butt of the gun and on the back of the cylinder?

 

[snubbyfan]

Now that's a beautiful gun.

 

[GyMac]

Very handsome! Thanks for posting.

 

[SDH]

That engraving style is very Germanic, sometimes called "black leaf scroll", a stylized acanthus leaf

 

[2152hq]

It looks like some that were engraved Post War in the shop of Kurt Jaeger in Mainz, Germany.
Done for GI's of the Occupation Forces as the German population wasn't allowed to possess firearms till later.
Kurt Jaeger was himself an engraver, but had a number of others working for him in that shop that could have done the work as well.
The shop did stock work and all phases of gunsmithing as well.
The Jaeger shop name usually went on their work instead of individual craftsman. Typical of European trades.

Take a look for the name carefully. Most I've seen are on the top strap or outside one the of the borders on the sides of the frame.

Jeager had a shop right in the Wiesbaden (sp?) R&G Club on the AF Base there in the 50's I believe. They did a good business with the American soldiers.

It could have been done freelanse as well as after the War, such craftsmen in Germany were wanting for work and the only source of customers were the GI's.
Job's such as this were priced at about $15 to $20 complete. Many had ivory grips and silver inlays as well.
Sometimes work was traded for food or even cigarettes. It was not an easy time for the population.

Paul Jeager the gunsmith that set up the gunsmithing firm in Jenkentown, PA was either a cousin or brother to Kurt.
Paul and many others sent work to Kurt's shop in Germany for years. Kurt could never be convinced to move his shop to the USA.
Dietrich Apel of New England Custom Gun Service & the German Gun Collectors Assn. is the nephew of these two. Long line of gunsmith/gunmakers in the family.

A very nice looking engraved S&W revolver.

 

[Iggy]

That's a durn nice looking gun. Worthy of good care and passing on down the line.

 

[sigp220.45]

Wow, that is nice! I was expecting to see a monstrosity, but that gun looks first rate and most of us would be proud to own it. Congratulations.

 

[hsguy]

It looks like some that were engraved Post War in the shop of Kurt Jaeger in Mainz, Germany.
Done for GI's of the Occupation Forces as the German population wasn't allowed to possess firearms till later.
Kurt Jaeger was himself an engraver, but had a number of others working for him in that shop that could have done the work as well.
The shop did stock work and all phases of gunsmithing as well.
The Jaeger shop name usually went on their work instead of individual craftsman. Typical of European trades.

Take a look for the name carefully. Most I've seen are on the top strap or outside one the of the borders on the sides of the frame.

Jeager had a shop right in the Wiesbaden (sp?) R&G Club on the AF Base there in the 50's I believe. They did a good business with the American soldiers.

It could have been done freelanse as well as after the War, such craftsmen in Germany were wanting for work and the only source of customers were the GI's.
Job's such as this were priced at about $15 to $20 complete. Many had ivory grips and silver inlays as well.
Sometimes work was traded for food or even cigarettes. It was not an easy time for the population.

Paul Jeager the gunsmith that set up the gunsmithing firm in Jenkentown, PA was either a cousin or brother to Kurt.
Paul and many others sent work to Kurt's shop in Germany for years. Kurt could never be convinced to move his shop to the USA.
Dietrich Apel of New England Custom Gun Service & the German Gun Collectors Assn. is the nephew of these two. Long line of gunsmith/gunmakers in the family.

A very nice looking engraved S&W revolver.

I think you have hit the nail on the head. Here is another similar looking gun. Help! identify engraver - Engraving Forum.com - The Internet's Largest and Fastest Growing Engraving Community

 

[Tom K]

Wow, that is nice! I was expecting to see a monstrosity, but that gun looks first rate and most of us would be proud to own it. Congratulations.

That is by far the nicest Victory model I've ever seen. Most of them that have been modified are indeed "monstrosities", usually chopped, reamed, and nickeled to bejeezus. Considering the quality of the metal work I'm surprised at the apparent poor fitting of the grips, but maybe they were added on at a later date.

Altogether an impressive piece of work.

 

[merl67]

That has got to be the best looking victory out there not what I was expecting.

 

[handejector]

That does look like Jaeger's work, but I do believe most of his work had the shop name on it. Maybe not.
It is very nicely done. I was hoping that was what you had.

Paul Jeager the gunsmith that set up the gunsmithing firm in Jenkentown, PA was either a cousin or brother to Kurt.

They were brothers.

 

[A10]

The engraving is very nice, and the rib and sight are a nice addition. The blueing was very well done as well. Congratulations on a very pretty Victory model! It would be great if you could document history of the gun, including how it came in to the family, who had it in Europe, how it came home, etc. In any case it is a great example of postwar craftsmanship!