S&W 44-38 victory need info please!!

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a/c man

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Hi im scott new on here!! i got a S&W 44-38 victory last nite from a guy in the paper! it has us property stamped on top and looks all original with smooth grips lanyard and leather holster! any idea how old or the value of this cool old gun? thanks scott
 
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a/c man said:
Hi im scott new on here!! i got a S&W 44-38 victory last nite from a guy in the paper! it has us property stamped on top and looks all original with smooth grips lanyard and leather holster! mod # is v419819 any idea how old or the value of this cool old gun? thanks scott
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The seller probably called it a "44-38 Victory" because he thought it was manufactured in 1944. The V-series serial numbers ran from 1942 to the end of the war, except that an "S" was added for the last several months of production. A gun numbered between V400000 and V500000 would have been shipped in late 1943 or early 1944; I'm guessing 1943 for your gun because it is in the low quarter of the range I mentioned. (Not that a serial number can give a precise date without recourse to factory records; S&W did not ship in S/N order, so year dates like the one I just gave you are always approximations.)

The smooth grips and lanyard loop are standard for the model, so it's a plus that they haven't disappeared. The vintage holster is a nice addition, too. Is the gun chambered for .38 Special or .38 S&W? There's a difference, and Victories were made in both calibers. The .38 S&W chamberings went to Commonwealth countries; the .38 Specials were for American consumption. After the war, some lend-lease guns were converted to take the .38 special cartridge by having their chambers reamed for the longer rounds. A Commonwealth gun would almost always have foreign proof markings on it, and it sounds like yours is marked for US use. I'm betting it's stamped as a .38 Special on the barrel.

Pictures would help! And welcome to the forum.
 
thanks dave

it has 38 spl on the barrel and i dont see any other foreign markings. did i do ok? the seller said his grandfather came home from the war with it!
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The gun looks to be in good shape, with only a little holster wear on the high points. That gun with the holster for $350? Score!

Be sure to write down the seller's name, and the name of his grandfather if you can get that from him. I realize you are not necessarily buying this as a collector's item, but when it comes time to sell it a collector may be more interested if there is an ownership chain going back to its shipment date.

I think some of the Victory collectors around here may be a little envious about that one.
 
Depends on condition. Remember that hundreds of thousands of M&Ps were made, so they are not at all uncommon. I'd say you should find a shootable but kind of beat-up looking Victory for $175-200; a parts gun would be less. An unfired (or barely fired) Victory with good external appearance would bring three times as much -- maybe $600-700? In between condition would bring in-between prices, but the distribution is not regular. An average Victory -- used but not abused -- is probably a $300 gun.

Military holsters are collectible in themselves. I don't know much about them, but a vintage Rock Island military holster could go for $100 or more, depending on the model for which it was designed.
 
great info thanks david :) I really like the gun feels better than my newer ones! i think im going to keep it! should i shoot it or not?
 
a/c man said:
great info thanks david :) I really like the gun feels better than my newer ones! i think im going to keep it! should i shoot it or not?
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Shoot it! I have a four inch M&P from 1904 that gets no rest from me because of its age! A gun wants to be shot! Just check it out first to make sure it is mechanically sound and the timing is correct.
 
Mine is in the 2793xx range S&W letter has it shipped 05/43 parkrized finish 38 spl, shipped to USN Norfolk VA
 
For $350 you did great. The holster is after market and not military or original to the gun. Your lucky to have what appears to be original grips on the gun, many got changed over the years. Next time you take them off, see if there is a serial number stamped on the inside of the grip. It should match your guns serial number. Nice catch, in my neck of the woods those go for about $100 more.
 
That is a great looking Victory model. One of the members here is going to want to add that one's info to their database. I'd love to inherit a victory in that kind of shape and with that kind of history. You'll have to let us know more about it's past if you find anything else out.
 
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