Victory Models---Help Me Decide

[Meece 1]

I have 2 Victories in .38s&w, aod 2 Victories in .38spl. Unfortunately, finances have dictated that I sell 1 of each to a fellow collector, and keep 1 of each in the near future .

For now, I need your help in deciding which of these 2 .38s&w's to sell and which to keep. Here is the info on both:

Australian Victory (only 8000 made?),serial 952xxx, top strap = "UNITED STATES PROPERTY", butt marked "WB" with flaming bomb, Lithgow marked FTR's 1954, 98% park, all matching except grip, import-marked on left.

U.S. Victory, serial V548xxx, top strap = "US PROPERTY GHD", left marked "Osterreich Polizei", 95%, all matching including grip, no import mark.


What would be the value of each now?

What would be the value of each in the future?

 

[Meece 1]

I have 2 Victories in .38s&w, and 2 Victories in .38spl. Unfortunately, finances have dictated that I sell 1 of each to a fellow collector, and keep 1 of each in the near future .

For now, I need your help in deciding which of these 2 .38s&w's to sell and which to keep. Here is the info on both:

Australian Victory (only 8000 made?),serial 952xxx, top strap = "UNITED STATES PROPERTY", butt marked "WB" with flaming bomb, Lithgow marked FTR's 1954, 98% park, all matching except grip, import-marked on left.

U.S. Victory, serial V548xxx, top strap = "US PROPERTY GHD", left marked "Osterreich Polizei", 95%, all matching including grip, no import mark.


What would be the value of each now?

What would be the value of each in the future?

 

[mikepriwer]

You may not care for his idea, but as nice as those guns are, they should go for
relatively good prices -I'm just guessing at $600 +/- $200. If I were you, I'd
sell all four of them, and then rethink your collecting when the opportunity
presesnts itself.

The factory only made 830,000 Victories, so there is no imminent shortage of them.
This fact alone will tend to keep their prices from rising too fast. If you are
going to collect Victories, you will eventually want more than two, anyway.

Beyond that, there is the notion that, just because of the sheer quanity of them,
its hard to find one that has any significant personal history to it, beyond having
served in WW2. If you really want to collect something that has investment
potential, garden-variety Victories are not high on my list.

Later, Mike Priwer

 

[Meece 1]

Mike,
thanks for your reply. I have collected for over 20 yrs, specializing in WWII small arms. I don't like the idea of parting with anything I have obtained, but the current situation is one where I don't have a choice.

Since I do have multiples of some rifles and pistols, I will have to sell these multiples and try to keep only the 1 best example of each, hence my question here on the 2 Lend-Lease Victories.

I wish to retain 1 of the Lend-Lease .38s&w and 1 of the 4" .38 spl's, since they were issue weapons during WWII.

I dont collect just Victories per se, as my collecting goal throughout the 20+ years was to have just a nice, correct, and original representative sample of each of the small arms (with accoutrements) utilized by each of the major combatant countries during the war.

Over the last 20+ years, I have seen Victories go from $80 to who knows what currently. Hence my questions.

 

[Guest]

A "tough" call because I have a 'fondness' for Police marked guns and the Australian is calling to me mainly because of their recent "Act of Stupidity" relating to their Gun Laws. My suggestion is to simply Flip a coin and hope it lands on the edge!!!

MAK

 

[canoeguy]

I bought an Australian Victory Model just like yours about six months ago, import marked, had FTR arsenal rework marks on it as well. I think I over paid a little for it, $405, would have liked to get it for $350 or so. The good news is it is a great shooter, one of the best .38 S&W caliber revolvers I own.

The one you have with Austrian Police markings may bring more in my opinion, with no import marks, original grips and police marking. This is from a guy who just likes Victory Models, especially ones with odd marks showing useage.

I am of the opinion that Victory Models will only increase in value, compare them with M1 carbines. Over 6 million M1 carbines were manufactured during WW2, the only thing they made more of were steel pot helmets. A few years ago, they were plentiful and cheap, now even worn out examples with import marks will bring $400 or more, collector grade ones are through the roof.

Yes, they made a lot of Victory Models, but a lot of them were butchered post war by importers, cutting the barrels, rechambering them, etc. A lot more were used until they were worn plumb out. They may seem plentiful today, but give it a few years....

If you like Victory Models, my advice would be to hold on to them, as either one will be hard to replace five years from now. If you are "Ho-Hum" about them, place and ad in the classifieds section of this forum and I am sure you will find ready buyers...

 

[Swissman]

Sell the Austrian. Keep the Australian.

This would be my decision without a doubt.

Swissman

 

[CI_SeaWolf]

I'd think about it hard...I was at a shop yesterday. A nice US victory with clean grips in .38 spl. was tagged for $795! Makes the one I have a pretty good buy. I also agree with the post about M1 carbines, they used to be around the $ 200 mark, but anything now out here is $650 plus.

 

[opoefc]

I agree with Swissman. The Australian Victory models are harder to find than the Austrian Police guns, so down the line it will probably cost you more to replace the Aussie. However, if finances are in a squeeze, sell a good carbine - it will bring more than all you Victories put together.

 

[jjones33]

My way of thinking is the Australian with the import mark and non-matching grips as well as the Factory Through Repair makes it the stepchild and I'd send that one down the road.

 

[Meece 1]

Seems like a split decision with the answers so far. I am having the very same dilemma.

Am I correct in that only 8000 Aussies were made, so they are kind of hard to come by?

If this is the case, then it seems that even if the one I have is import-marked and FTR'd, the hard-to-get factor keeps its value up.

So is the Australian worth the same, or more, now and in the future, than the non-import marked Austrian police?

 

[Meece 1]

Follow-up question:

Looking around at shows and shops lately, in effort to ascertain some kind of value, it seems that the prices for these are all over the map. Since you guys are the S&W collectors, what are these 2 pistols worth, given their condition and specifications?

 

[popgun]

Here's my thoughts, Only 8000 were sent through offical lend lease in WWII, Many more found there way there during the war and after. All Aussie Victories went through FTR in the 50s and then releases late in the 60s to private sale, almost all in the Aussie hands were destroyed in their last round of gun control madness. So the only ones there are will be marked as FTR and have the import stamp. Of all of the non-US service vitories the Aussie is the one increassing in value at a higher rate. These are all my opinion, from watching victory market prices over the last two years on both national auctions, gun shows, local pawn shops, gun stores and on the internet.
popgun

 

[Meece 1]

Many thanks for everyone's replies so far!

It would seem that a slight majority favors me keeping the Australian, in spite of import mark and non-matching grip, due to relative rarity.

Is this the case?

What then would be the average value of the other one, the Austrian police marked, since it is in overall 95% condition and completely matching?

I have to give this other collector that I would be selling it to some kind of price, and I dont know what I should ask for it.

$450?

 

[LWCmdr45]

I believe the 8000 figure quoted refers to the pre-Victory Models shipped directly to Australia under a "private contract" in 1941; many thousands more-- both pre-Victory and Victory Models-- were shipped later through Lend Lease. Yours, with its "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" top strap markings, is one of the latter.

Steve

 

[Meece 1]

LWCmdr45,

Based on the serial # for the Aussie, when was it produced?

 

[LWCmdr45]

Meece,

Based on the database maintained by my friend Charlie (ordnanceguy) and me, I'd estimate your SN 952xxx was shipped from the factory circa April, 1942.

If you'd like to contribute the full SNs of your guns, please post them here or e-mail me off-forum at [email protected] (and delete the "NOSPAM," of course).

Steve

 

[Meece 1]

Steve,

Many thanks for the info on the Aussie!

 

[H Richard]

I appreciated the info on this post. I have an Aussie, FTN'd, reimport stamp, in 38 S&W, with large silver medalian grips. According to Roy, it was a Pre-Victory, shipped in 1941. That would evidently be the 8000 batch you mentioned. Since I am into this one very inexpensively, what would the current value be in about 95% (FTN reconditioned) condition? Not for sale, but like to keep up to date on values.

 

[popgun]

Richard: I'd say $450.00 is a good place to start. Condition is everything.
popgun