Victory model markings

[deadear dan]

Always wanted a victory model but really know nothing about them. I'm looking at pics of one in nice original shape with S# V141XXX. The barrel, frame and cylinder numbers are said to match. He says it is an Australian lend-lease gun. Markings are:
FTR\MA54
D(up pointing arrow)D
two other up pointing arrows, one with "L" above and "26" below.
United States Property on topstrap.
Lanyard ring with what appears to be correct original grips.
Grey/black finish, 5" barrel.

Does this check out for Australia and does anyone know of history of these shipped out down under? thanks.

 

[JP@AK]

I'm far from being the expert on Victory models, but from what you posted I think we can say with a high degree of certainty that the revolver you described did come out of Australia (FTR mark) and was from the Lend/Lease program (property stamp).

The serial number points to production in 1942, which would also indicate a Lend/Lease gun.

I'm sure others will be along soon to add important details.

 

[opoefc]

Your description would apply to an Australian Victory model. The "FTR" means " Factory Thorough Repair" MA54 means March 1954. These guns were overhauled, and refinished by the Aussies. Pls. post photos of the "D' marks & arrows. Depending on how they were applied, they may indicated the gun was sold as surplus, etc. When Roy Jinks first started the factory historical letter program for Victory models years ago, the template for the letter has a misspelling of "Australia" as "Austria" saying 8,000 guns were shipped to Austria. Those "Nazi" Victory Model became the guns we all looked for then! Oddly enough, after WW2, German Victory Models became quite common, as we armed the German Police with them. Ed.

 

[hsguy]

I believe the "L" you mentioned indicates the overhaul was done in the Lithgow facility.

 

[Absalom]

One minor correction to Ed's explanation:

The MA does not stand for March, but is the code for the Lithgow Small Arms Factory in New South Wales which performed the FTR. It stands either for Munitions Australia or Mach Arms; according to the curator at the Lithgow factory museum, with whom I recently corresponded about these, they aren't sure about this themselves.

The D^D stands most likely for Defence Department and is presumed to have been applied at the same time as the FTR marks. As you can see on the attached photo of mine, it was struck on top of the new re-finish like the other Lithgow marks.

 

[deadear dan]

Yes those are exactly the markings in the same locations. As a history, were these guns provided and possibly used during the second world war by the aussies, then later refurbished? Thanks.

 

[Absalom]

....were these guns provided and possibly used during the second world war by the aussies, then later refurbished? Thanks.

Yes. There is a direct shipment to Australia documented in 1941, but many went first to England and then on into Australian service. My Pre-Victory, shipped May 12, 1941 to the British Purchasing Commission, has British military acceptance stamps from RSAF Enfield, so it entered British service first, and then most likely made it into Australian hands by way of resupply; Australian divisions fought alongside the British first in North Africa and the Mediterranean theater and later the Pacific. Lend-lease guns like yours all shipped to Army ordnance and the Lend-lease authorities, so we have no documentation how they were distributed from there; once Australia was under direct threat after the Japanese push southward began, we may have shipped guns there directly.

After the war, the S&W disappears from all lists of active-duty Australian handguns. But the Lithgow FTR between 1953 and 1955 was an "official" contract. According to the Lithgow curator, they do not at present have the documentation about this FTR contract, but she said a lot of documents remain to be catalogued. What happened to the guns afterwards is also unclear. Most ended up reimported to the US by VEGA of Sacramento CA in the 1980's. Fortunately, by then the concept of chopping and reaming them to .38 Special was out of fashion, so most can be found "Lithgow original", and no serious BSR collection would be complete without one.

 

[DWalt]

The closest SN on my list to V141xxx is V1419xx shipping in 10/1942. I have no knowledge of how these were routed to Australia once they left S&W.