Victory data base

[J. R. WEEMS]

VICTORY

Have one coming end of the week Ser# seems to be V316134 any idea?? THANKS

 

[sandspur6]

ALCOA Victory

If I did this right, here are the Photos of my ALCOA DSC Pre-Victory.

 

[tenntex32]

If I did this right, here are the Photos of my ALCOA DSC Victory.

Looks like the backstrap may have had a previous number that was stamped over.

Very nice condition example.

Thanks for getting the pics added.

 

[Absalom]

Have one coming end of the week Ser# seems to be V316134 any idea?? THANKS

Mid-1943 (May/June). Please add the caliber and, once you have the gun, any markings.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

VICTORY

Mid-1943 (May/June). Please add the caliber and, once you have the gun, any markings.

Caliber is .38S&W-- will have to wait on arrival for any markings and a photo. THANKS! About as close as I came come to a birth year gun--- Oct 1944

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

BIRTH YEAR

Thanks Charlie for your prompt reply. This is great news for me as it fits perfect with my search for a birth year Victory. I will pursue the factory letter and forward that information.

There are no markings on left top strap.

Yeah, mine too

 

[tphilly88]

2 more for the database

Recently acquired 2 more, though the 38/200 I know is not an actual "victory". Hopefully y'all can shed some light on that one. Never seen that rollmark on the hammer. Assuming its an after market part?

Have 2 butt swivels on the way and looking to swap the checkered medallion grips for a set of victory grips on the 38/200.

No acceptance stamps or property marks on either one. Perhaps the V model is a DSC gun?

SN's 746990 P and V 508708

Thanks!

 

[DWalt]

Recently acquired 2 more, though the 38/200 I know is not an actual "victory". Hopefully y'all can shed some light on that one. Never seen that rollmark on the hammer. Assuming its an after market part?

Have 2 butt swivels on the way and looking to swap the checkered medallion grips for a set of victory grips on the 38/200.

No acceptance stamps or property marks on either one. Perhaps the V model is a DSC gun?

SN's 746990 P and V 508708

Thanks!

The patent marked hammer was used on pre-war guns, I have no good idea when it was stopped, I think late 1930s. It referred to the finish, not the hammer itself. My guess is that the hammer is a replacement. 746990 would date it as shipping in probably mid-1941, maybe a little earlier. V508708, probably around early 1944. In mid 1941, there would have been no factory-applied property stamp. That came after the Lend-Lease act in late 1941. With no property stamp on V508708, chances are high that it was a DSC gun.

 

[Absalom]

On 756990, the patent on the hammer is original. The stocks are indeed not correct, but neither will be smooth Victory stocks. The gun is from early 1941 when the pre-war small checkered-wood stocks with silver medallions were still used. No property stamps were applied at the time. The P is the standard military proof; this was a British Service model purchased by the British (or allied country). The fact that the hammer and trigger are the same finish as the gun and that finish looks different from the original Carbonia blue indicates a refinish.

The US Victory is from early 1944, looks all original and without property mark would indeed most likely be a DSC contract gun.

 

[tphilly88]

On 756990, the pstent on the hammer is original. The stocks are indeed not correct, but neither will be smooth Victory stocks. The gun is from early 1941 when the pre-war small checkered-wood stocks with silver medallions were still used. No property stamps were applied at the time. The P is the standard military proof; this was a British Service model purchased by the British (or allied country). The fact that the hammer and trigger are the same finish as the gun and that finish looks different from the original Carbonia blue indicates a refinish.

The US Victory is from early 1944, looks all original and without property mark would indeed most likely be a DSC contract gun.

Thank you both. I was aware the British gun was refinished, but at least its a tasteful refinish. Any idea on the "W" on the butt of the victory?

 

[Absalom]

Thank you both. I was aware the British gun was refinished, but at least its a tasteful refinish. Any idea on the "W" on the butt of the victory?

That has been subject to discussion and investigation for some time. At one time Westinghouse was a suspect, but I think that has been discarded. I’m not aware that a definite answer has been found.

 

[walkcubs]

New Victory Aquisition

Just picked up this British Service Revolver. Beautiful condition, great action. Check the pics. There is a second Smith & Wesson stamp on the barrel, albeit upside down??? The barrel shows the correct serial number. Also would like to know the manufacture/shipping date for SN V7435XX.

 

[DWalt]

SN V7435xx would be late in the war. V7454xx shipped in 1/45.

Upside-down stamp must be a manufacturing error that got by the inspector. I've seen nothing like it before.

 

[Absalom]

...There is a second Smith & Wesson stamp on the barrel, albeit upside down??? The barrel shows the correct serial number. .....

That is trippy.

Upon close inspection, the Smith & Wesson stamp is super-imposed over the regular caliber stamp in that location.

An interesting goof. By that late in the war, inspectors may not have cared about cosmetics.

Another side note: Unlike the majority of these, your gun was commercially proofed post-war at the London, not Birmingham proofhouse.

 

[tenntex32]

Wow just when you think you've seen most everything Victory related here comes a "SMITH&WESSON" doublestamp, upside down and on the wrong side of the barrel as well!

I bet not very many of them ever left the factory like that.

Thanks for sharing pics of it.

Dale

 

[walkcubs]

New Aquisition

I would like to thank you for your feedback.

 

[grendelbean]

U.S. Navy 200929 Victory Model Letter

Grendelbean:

I would reiterate my previous suggestion. Let’s stop the guessing game. Since you are a SWCA member, post that photo of the 1161 in the “ask Roy” sub-forum and see whether he thinks this is a rework date.

Received the letter on 200929 from Roy yesterday. Images of the letter, the shipping document, and the packing list/document are shown.

It was most interesting to see the factory repair order and the copy of the original invoice.

The revolver was originally shipped on December 20, 1942 to the U.S. Navy at Oakland, California and was privately returned to the factory in November 1961 from the City of Moses Lake (Washington) Police Department.

The factory apparently repaired/replaced the cylinder stop, installed magna stocks and applied a sandblast bluing all for $12.03.

The shipping invoice noted the revolver was packed in one of the 30 cases of fifty guns each sent to the Officer in Charge Naval Supply Depot Oakland, California on January 30, 1943.

So - as recognized by many from the frame stampings the gun had been reworked in November 1961.

Thanks again for all the prior information. All is confirmed by the Letter of Authentication.

 

[tenntex32]

The revolver was originally shipped on December 20, 1942 to the U.S. Navy at Oakland, California and was privately returned to the factory in November 1961 from the City of Moses Lake (Washington) Police Department.

One of the aviation companies I used to contract for would do a lot of remote Boeing related work here in Texas. When they would talk about going up to the Boeing facility in Washington State they would refer to it as Moses Lake.

 

[Absalom]

One of the aviation companies I used to contract for would do a lot of remote Boeing related work here in Texas. When they would talk about going up to the Boeing facility in Washington State they would refer to it as Moses Lake.

Boeing isn’t manufacturing at Moses Lake. But the airport the company is using as a testing facility there was a US air base until the 1960s, so the Moses Lake police may well have gotten the Victory via Air Force surplus. The AF got a lot of Victorys from the Navy after WW II, which were used before the Model 15.

PS: On a side note, Boeing’s Moses Lake facility has gained some fame in the PNW lately as the “mini-graveyard” where they have mothballed hundreds of 737MAX’s waiting for some solution to that mess.

 

[tenntex32]

We were fabricating items for a vip 787 BBJ Dreamliner. Nothing but the best of everything with regards to design, materials, and electronics. It was crazy how much money the end customer was spending.

At that time the aircraft was being housed at a facility at Moses Lake that the company I worked for had. Our company, Boeing, and the end customer were all 3 working at Moses Lake with regards to design, engineering, and installation. We were simply shipping the items we manufactured here in Texas to Moses Lake.