Victory questions

[snubsforme]

I'm looking at this revolver to possibly buy that appears original. The seral number is on the bottom of the frame is V548865. The numbers are also found on the barrel and the cylinder, so it looks to be authentic.

But: On the right side of the frame, under the cylinder is a stamp VEGA SA CA. This one has been parkerized over. Another stamp is FTR MA 53. This one is shiny, definitely stamped after the finish was applied.

One last thing; the S&W logo is not sharp and distinct, some of it is quite light. Is this from being refinished or is it typical of a wartime production?

I did call S&W with my questions, all they could say is it was made 1943-44.

The store wants $400. Worth it?

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[DBWesson]

Snubs:
It sounds like you are looking at a reparked import.
Is it in .38/200 or .38 S&W witch is the same caliber?
Vega was the importer out of Sacramento, CA.
I don't think $400 would leave you much room.
$ 200 would be more like it.
DBWesson

 

[hsguy]

Snubs, the gun is a re-import from Australia. The FTR means "Factory Thorough Repair" which was done in 1953. MA stands for "Munitions Australia". There may also be an L stamped there which means the Lithgow facility did the rebuild. These guns were refinished as part of the rebuild. $400 is too much for that gun.

 

[snubsforme]

I knew I'd get the best answers here!

Thanks to you both.

 

[PistolPackinDaDa]

Vega Plant

Try this link and read post #9/Vega plant

.38 Victory Model Info...Rights and Wrongs - U.S. Militaria Forum
Pistol Packin......

 

[hsguy]

Try this link and read post #9/Vega plant

.38 Victory Model Info...Rights and Wrongs - U.S. Militaria Forum
Pistol Packin......

PPDA, the Vega that imported the Victory models was not the aircraft builder associated with Lockheed.

 

[up196]

Lockheed Vega

The Vega was a high-wing monoplane built by Lockheed Aircraft Limited starting in 1928. Vega was not part of the company's name, as Martin was in the later Lockheed-Martin. Amelia Earhart and Wiley Post both flew Vegas at one time.

Here's a link to a picture of Post's Vega, named the Winnie Mae:

http://www.air-racing-history.com/aircraft/Winnie Mae Lockheed Vega.htm

 

[ordnanceguy]

The Vega was a high-wing monoplane built by Lockheed Aircraft Limited starting in 1928. Vega was not part of the company's name, as Martin was in the later Lockheed-Martin.

Agreed. However, the Vega Aircraft Corporation was a division of Lockheed. See the link: Vega Aircraft Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[popgun]

Snubs, the gun is a re-import from Australia. The FTR means "Factory Thorough Repair" which was done in 1953. MA stands for "Munitions Australia". There may also be an L stamped there which means the Lithgow facility did the rebuild. These guns were refinished as part of the rebuild. $400 is too much for that gun.

IMHO I disagree only 8000 Victory revolvers were sent to Australia, and they were all put through the FTR program in the 50s before they were sold as surplus to be imported by Veda in the 80s. In the current market $400.00 is a fair price.
popgun

 

[up196]

Agreed. However, the Vega Aircraft Corporation was a division of Lockheed. See the link: Vega Aircraft Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Good info. So there was a company called "Lockheed" and one called "Vega," but there was no company named "Lockheed Vega." That term refers to the aircraft. I guess it's confusing that Vega didn't build the Vega, but was named for it, and then another company named Vega imported Victory Models, but had nothing to do with Lockheed or with Vega Aircraft, which was in Burbank and not Sacramento.

So, to get this thread back on track and prevent it from turning into The Cossacks and the Ant, the marking "VEGA SA CA" is the mark of the company that imported the revolver back into the U.S.

 

[LWCmdr45]

...only 8000 Victory revolvers were sent to Australia...

Only 8000 pre-Victory Models were *purchased* by Australia; many thousands more were sent through Lend-Lease.

...the marking "VEGA SA CA" is the mark of the company that imported the revolver back into the U.S.

Actually, it's "VEGA SAC CA" (for Sacramento, California).

Steve

 

[up196]

Actually, it's "VEGA SAC CA" (for Sacramento, California).

OOPS, was going by what the original poster said: "On the right side of the frame, under the cylinder is a stamp VEGA SA CA."

 

[popgun]

"Only 8000 pre-Victory Models were *purchased* by Australia; many thousands more were sent through Lend-Lease."


Even the 8000 number could be considered hearsay as I have only heard second hand that that was what was sent, and those were lend lease. There are no records I know of a pre victory purchase by anyone other than the British. Do you have any documentation that more were sent? What serial range were they?

 

[LWCmdr45]

"Only 8000 pre-Victory Models were *purchased* by Australia; many thousands more were sent through Lend-Lease."


Even the 8000 number could be considered hearsay as I have only heard second hand that that was what was sent, and those were lend lease. There are no records I know of a pre victory purchase by anyone other than the British. Do you have any documentation that more were sent? What serial range were they?

The 8000 figure comes from the "form letter" portion of Roy's historical letter on a Victory or pre-Victory Model: "In April 1941, 8000 were sold to Australia." Since the V-prefix was not begun until Spring of the following year, the 8000 Australian must have been "pre-Victories."

The earliest Australian-marked pre-Lend Lease/pre-Victory that we have in the database is in the 734xxx range. Pre-Victories without Lend-Lease markings, with known Australian provenance, exist through the 834xxx range, by which time the Lend-Lease shipments had begun.

Steve

 

[olypenn222]

Picked up a Victory last weekend, is a VEGA, SAC CA stamped Revolver below the MADE IN USA stamp , Serial number in V463XXX, has the original factory blue black finish, no 1953 rebuild stamps. No british proofs, Is US PROPERTY GHD marked on top of the frame, has a P next to the hammer, Barrel has same SN, is marked 38 S&W Ctg, Cylinder is SN# 344XXX p, finish matches the revolver, is a 38 Special cartridge length, has matching smooth grips. No other stamps at all.

It is outside the SN range mentioned above, any thoughts, ideas as to a dob ?

Thanks, olypenn222

 

[opoefc]

olypenn222, V463XXX would be Dec. 1943.
popgun, All the South African purchases were pre-Victory guns, as well as some Canadian.
Roy Jinks' references to the 8,000 guns sent to Australia are backed up by purchase orders on file in the S&W archives. When Roy first wrote factory letters, a typo occured that said "Austria" rather than "Australia" for those 8,000 guns, so we looked for those Nazi pre-Victory models for some time, but never found any! Ed.