V Model S&W Information

[PastorMorris]

I have a S&W 2" chrome revolver. The serial number is V766xxx. I think it is a victory model but cannot find any other victory revolver like it. It has a stamped "p" on the left side. It has "V", "P" and the serial number on the face of the cylinder. Can anyone help me identify and date this pistol? In addition it has a crown etched on the outside of each cylinder. See attached picture.

 

[zonker5]

It appears to be a Victory model that was shortened and refinished after the war. It may have had the cylinder bored so that .38 specials could be used.

 

[opoefc]

It's one of the many Victory models sold as surplus by the Brits to British gun dealers after WW2 and then was converted to it's present configuration. Most had the cylinders bored out to accept .38 Special rounds and the "crown" stamps you see are the British proof makes indicating the gun had been proofed for sale to the public in England. many of these conversion revolvers were imported to the US and sold commercially here. The "p' stamp is the proof stamp applied by the inspectors at S&W when the gun was originally made in WW2. Your gun dates to mid 1945. Ed

 

[Pisgah]

zonker5 is on the right track. I have seen many of these. They were orginally chambered for .38 S&W, not .38 S&W Special, had 5" barrels, and were sent to England during WW2. The crown markings are British proofmarks. Later, they were surplused, cut back to 2", bored out to accept .38 Special ammo, refinished, and re-imported to the US.

There are a couple of problems with these conversions. First, shortening the barrel removed the barrel lug in to which the ejector rod used to lock. This marginally weakens the lockup of the cylinder -- whether or not this is really significant is a matter of debate. Second, as the original .38 S&W is slightly larger in diameter than the .38 Special, the chambers and bore are slightly oversized for .38 Special, leading to bulged and sometimes split cases upon firing and mediocre accuracy when firing .38 Specials. Certainly,all collector value is eliminated, and even shooter value is reduced.

If you shoot .38 Special in this gun,stick to standard-power loads, for sure, no +P, and light target loads might be better. If accuracy is lousy, it might do better with .38 S&W ammo, which can be a bit hard to find and is usually pretty expensive these days.

 

[Texas Star]

It's what Oswald used to shoot Officer J.D. Tippitt in Dallas after the JFK assassination. (sp?)

 

[Waidmann]

Check out Training4LifeLLC, specifically Bad Guns: Chopped K-200.

Opinions vary a bit on these guns, usually not as to bad but how bad. I suggest you research the subject before you decide whether or not to put it into service.

 

[DWalt]

As stated, it has no collectable value, but would be perfectly fine for use as a house or car gun. Using .38 S&W ammunition would be preferred to using .38 Special, and that ammunition can be found without too much trouble, albeit a bit expensive. But I'd assume that you probably wouldn't intend to shoot it that much anyway, as it's somewhat heavy and bulky for concealed carry and certainly not accurate enough for any target work.

 

[PastorMorris]

Thanks everyone for the information. Actually, I've only shot it once at a firing range using 38 Special ammo. It worked fine but it's accuracy is not what you want in a fire fight or the target range. But all you have helped me identify what I consider a "special" treasure. It looks great and has an interesting history. Its true value is what someone would pay for it. But its not for sale. My kids can deal with that when "I've gone to Glory".

 

[Mod 39]

Ran into one at a local shop Monday and posted about that here. When you read about these guns it is quite interesting knowing that they have been halfway around the world and back.