V4552 shipped in August of 1942....
Victory data base
- Thread starter zonker5
- Start date
ordnanceguy
Member
GMarshall:
Thanks for the additional data. The ship dates in the 4 digit serial range jump around a bit. They were not shipped in strict consecutive serial number order. From the Victory Database I would estimate that your Victory likely shipped in the Jun-August, 1942 time frame.
I see no reason that would indicate that it was a "special issue" piece. Be aware that there were some military shipped guns in this range that were unmarked, including a few Coast Guard shipped guns. I encourage you to get a SWHF letter. If you do I hope that you will post back here with the results.
I hope that little bit of info is helpful to you.
Regards,
Charlie
Another Victory for the database
I bought my Victory 15 years ago, and never looked into it. I wanted to date it and started rolling through this thread, finding out how much I didn’t know about Victorys. Some Details:
Ser # V282762, all numbers match
4” barrel marked 38 S. & W. SPECIAL CTG
Flaming bomb on butt
Cylinder has been reamed out for .38Spl, unfortunately.
Blued
Plain walnut grips
Any info would be appreciated!
I bought my Victory 15 years ago, and never looked into it. I wanted to date it and started rolling through this thread, finding out how much I didn’t know about Victorys. Some Details:
Ser # V282762, all numbers match
4” barrel marked 38 S. & W. SPECIAL CTG
Flaming bomb on butt
Cylinder has been reamed out for .38Spl, unfortunately.
Blued
Plain walnut grips
Any info would be appreciated!
Attachments
ordnanceguy
Member
OldDog211:
If the cylinder serial number and the barrel serial number match the butt serial then the revolver was originally a .38 Special, as indicated on the barrel. Thus, there would be no reason for it to be reamed out. It has, of course, been refinished to blue from its original Black Magic finish.
From the Victory Model Database I can estimate that your Victory likely shipped in the May-June, 1943 time frame.
Hope that helps you.
Regards,
Charlie
If the cylinder serial number and the barrel serial number match the butt serial then the revolver was originally a .38 Special, as indicated on the barrel. Thus, there would be no reason for it to be reamed out. It has, of course, been refinished to blue from its original Black Magic finish.
From the Victory Model Database I can estimate that your Victory likely shipped in the May-June, 1943 time frame.
Hope that helps you.
Regards,
Charlie
Thanks, Charlie! All the numbers match, and what I said was blue is actually black. Now if I can find an M3 holster for it, I'll be set. I'm trying to collect at least 1 each of the USGI WWII weapons, realizing that the grease gun, Thompson, and BAR will have to wait until I win the lottery.
I really appreciate the expert data!
I really appreciate the expert data!
Targets Guy
US Veteran
I just picked this one up over the weekend. It came with a letter from Roy Jinks so I am pretty sure of the shipping date.
1945 Victory
Serial number: SV779637; numbers match on butt, cylinder and barrel
Caliber: .38 special
military black magic finish, 4" barrel
Shipped to the US Navy in Oakland, CA on Feb 16, 1945
I am pretty sure the stocks are original but won't know until I receive the gun later this week.
May 4, 2023; Picked up the Victory today from the FFL. It is in very good shape IMO.
Edit: the stocks are numbered and they do match the revolver.
1945 Victory
Serial number: SV779637; numbers match on butt, cylinder and barrel
Caliber: .38 special
military black magic finish, 4" barrel
Shipped to the US Navy in Oakland, CA on Feb 16, 1945
I am pretty sure the stocks are original but won't know until I receive the gun later this week.
May 4, 2023; Picked up the Victory today from the FFL. It is in very good shape IMO.
Edit: the stocks are numbered and they do match the revolver.
Last edited:
Curious, war time service?
Just found this four inch M&P covered in post war Birmingham proofs, but free of any US import marks. Chambered in .38 S&W (NOT SPECIAL) and the cylinder has not been reamed like so many were in the Fifties. Not stamped " Not British Made " which I believe they quit doing about 1954.
Serial number is 685087 which I am pretty sure predates Lend-Lease. There are no apparent military acceptance marks, but it has a lanyard ring. Trademark on the right side and the "38 S&W CTG" is flanked by Maltese cross dingbats.
All the numbers match, including the grips
Purchasing Commission gun? Pre-war commercial sale? Post war?
No clue how it came to orphaned on the bottom shelf of an LGS in Kentucky.
Just found this four inch M&P covered in post war Birmingham proofs, but free of any US import marks. Chambered in .38 S&W (NOT SPECIAL) and the cylinder has not been reamed like so many were in the Fifties. Not stamped " Not British Made " which I believe they quit doing about 1954.
Serial number is 685087 which I am pretty sure predates Lend-Lease. There are no apparent military acceptance marks, but it has a lanyard ring. Trademark on the right side and the "38 S&W CTG" is flanked by Maltese cross dingbats.
All the numbers match, including the grips
Purchasing Commission gun? Pre-war commercial sale? Post war?
No clue how it came to orphaned on the bottom shelf of an LGS in Kentucky.
Attachments
ordnanceguy
Member
Nice gun. It has the post-war British commercial proof marks.
If lettered you will learn that it was likely a part of a shipment intended for the Union of South Africa. The absence of the customary South African property marks suggests to me that it was one of those that, by agreement with South Africa, were diverted to the UK. Great Britain was in dire need of small arms as the B.E.F. was being pushed out of France. It likely shipped from the factory in the May, 1940 time frame, a perilous moment in British history.
Hope that helps you. I would encourage you to get a S&WHF letter and to post back here with the contents.
Regards,
Charlie
If lettered you will learn that it was likely a part of a shipment intended for the Union of South Africa. The absence of the customary South African property marks suggests to me that it was one of those that, by agreement with South Africa, were diverted to the UK. Great Britain was in dire need of small arms as the B.E.F. was being pushed out of France. It likely shipped from the factory in the May, 1940 time frame, a perilous moment in British history.
Hope that helps you. I would encourage you to get a S&WHF letter and to post back here with the contents.
Regards,
Charlie
Good idea! It has no military acceptance marks I can see, which I presumed was evidence it was not purchased by the BCP at the beginning of the war. Had it entered commercial channels before the war or was sold through The Army & Navy Co-operative Society should it not bear pre-war British proofs? As you say, the Birmingham proofs look to be post 1954 and the lack of US import marks suggest its arrival in the US pre-1968.
The South African angle is intriguing. It does not look like it spent the last eighty years in a sock drawer. A letter might be enlightening.
Targets Guy
US Veteran
Pulled this off of a DWalt post back in 2019.
1943: Victory s/n's: V21xxx - V49xxxx
John Fugate
Member
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Anyone know how many factory nickel plated victories were produced ?
That will letter?
None that I know of. There could be a presentation one that I'm not aware of.
ordnanceguy
Member
John:
I am aware of 4 Victory Model revolvers with SV prefixes that were factory nickeled. There undoubtedly were others but the precise number has never been established. I have a note in my Victory research materials indicating that 196 were made in nickel, but I have never tried to confirm that figure.
These guns were all shipped post-war with most or perhaps all going out the door in 1946. They are found in the SV8118XX to SV8119XX range.
A word on nomenclature here. We collectors generally consider any M+P revolver with a V in the serial prefix as a "Victory", but S&W dropped that name at War's end. For immediate post-war sales of SV prefix guns the factory reverted back to the Military & Police handle as it's model descriptor. So while I know what you meant with your question the terminology can be a little tricky at the point in the Victory history.
Do you still have the nickel Victory that you found some years back? As I recall it had the numbered maroon box as well. It was a neat gun.
I hope that information is helpful to you.
Regards,
Charlie Flick
kwill1911
Member
Pate reports 145 nickel plated M&P revolvers, with 6-inch barrels, in .38 Special (!) that were purchased by the BPC 12/6/1940. They went to South Africa.
Hello there! Another new guy checking in, with another Victory. This thread has by far, the most info I've found.
I have a 4" 38 S&W Special, V168354, frame, cylinder, and barrel all match. I did some digging when I bought it last year, and I thought I found it was in a serial# range that was sent to the Dept. of the Navy. It doesn't have any gov or mil markings, though. Both left & right top straps have grind marks, but maybe that's normal?
I know the correct answer is to get a letter, but any info anyone can share would be appreciated!
Oh, it came with fake ivory grips, I bought the wood grips on ebay.
I have a 4" 38 S&W Special, V168354, frame, cylinder, and barrel all match. I did some digging when I bought it last year, and I thought I found it was in a serial# range that was sent to the Dept. of the Navy. It doesn't have any gov or mil markings, though. Both left & right top straps have grind marks, but maybe that's normal?
I know the correct answer is to get a letter, but any info anyone can share would be appreciated!
Oh, it came with fake ivory grips, I bought the wood grips on ebay.
ordnanceguy
Member
Hello Old Tanker:
Thanks for posting your SWHF letter.
I just noticed that your earlier posts referenced serial 685087, but the SWHF letter refers to your revolver as 685057. Since there were 1200 units in the shipment it is probable that the ship date info is still correct. Nonetheless, you want your letter to match your revolver so you might want to look into getting that corrected.
Regards,
Charlie
ordnanceguy
Member
Hello mi650:
The serial number dates bounce around quite a bit in this range. Most were shipped in the November-December 1942 time frame.
With the Ordnance Bomb mark on the butt chances are pretty good that your revolver would letter as either a DSC or U.S. Maritime Commission shipped gun. There are examples of both in close proximity to your serial.
I hope that info is helpful to you.
Regards,
Charlie
The serial number dates bounce around quite a bit in this range. Most were shipped in the November-December 1942 time frame.
With the Ordnance Bomb mark on the butt chances are pretty good that your revolver would letter as either a DSC or U.S. Maritime Commission shipped gun. There are examples of both in close proximity to your serial.
I hope that info is helpful to you.
Regards,
Charlie
