Victory revolver ship date question

[Housepuss]

I have 2 US Navy marked revolvers. V147731 and & V245591

V147731 has a ship date of October 1943 and V245591 has a ship
date of March 1943

Given the fast and furious pace of war time Victory production
at this time, does it seem reasonable that the latter serial
numbered Victory would have shipped 7 months before the
earlier serial numbered Victory.

Regards,
Dick

 

[Wiregrassguy]

IMO, V147731 likely shipped in Oct 1942...

 

[Goony]

Are these dates per factory letters? I'd expect the lower numbered one to have shipped during the latter part of 1942. I wonder if the 1943 date given for it is just a typo.

 

[murphydog]

Agree with the earlier SN being shipped before the later one. These were being produced and shipped as quickly as possible for the duration of the war, so unlike regular production you can fairly accurately predict ship dates for these.

 

[OFT II]

Must have been on the bottom of the bin.

 

[cmansguns]

Checking the SWCA database...listed but no ship date

I've posted mine (now sold) V 192216 many times. It shipped to the US Navy Oakland CA on 12-17-1942. 4", Black Magic finish, 38 Special.

Both of yours are also listed in the data base as 4", 38 Special, Black Magic, and shipped to USN, and both have U.S. Navy on left topstrap, but no ship date posted for either.

If you have a Letter, or copy of original invoice from SWHF than info can be added to the data base. If not then a "request ship date" from Roy (for free) could also work as proof of ship date. Remember to not post a request if 5 others are already posted.

My guess is just like others above, October 1942 for s/n V 147731 as my invoice shows the factory cranking out 1000 per shipment (50 each in 20 cases) and IF the factory was cranking out 475 to 500 per day and the frame stamping was uniform and sequential then your s/n to my s/n (445XX delta) is certainly possible in 90 days.

The other thing that comes to mind is that the Navy Contract did not really last that long before the Army took over the procurement. I don't have my Charles Pate book handy but it has a wealth of info on Victory wheel guns.

 

[JP@AK]

The other thing that comes to mind is that the Navy Contract did not really last that long before the Army took over the procurement.

From an article I wrote six years ago, published elsewhere:

"[There was] a U.S. Navy request for 3,000 revolvers that were to be issued to the U.S. Naval Civilian Police Corps. The formal request for this purchase is dated January 4, 1941, and specifies that the backstrap of the gun is to be marked U.S.N.C.P.C. Company records reveal that all of the requested guns were delivered in ten shipments beginning on March 14 and ending on May 10, 1941.

"[T]he Navy became the first major U.S. purchaser of the S&W revolver. By early February 1942, the Navy was already in communication with S&W to purchase 20,000 .38 Special revolvers with 4″ barrels. A letter from the factory representative to the Navy Department, dated February 10, 1942, acknowledges the company’s ability and willingness to deliver these arms to Norfolk, VA, at the rate of 100 per day as soon as a contract was in place. The contract was delivered on March 2, 1942, and production began within two weeks. In late June, the Navy placed a supplemental order under the contract for an additional 45,000 revolvers. Most, if not all, of these Navy Contract guns had U.S. Navy stamped on the top strap and the serial numbers reached to approximately V267000. The last 9,500 of these Navy Contract guns were delivered in January 1943. From about April 1943 forward, Navy purchases went through the U.S. Army procurement system and the Navy stamp was replaced with a United States Property stamp, later truncated to U.S. Property."

 

[Housepuss]

Victory revolver ship date

I've posted mine (now sold) V 192216 many times. It shipped to the US Navy Oakland CA on 12-17-1942. 4", Black Magic finish, 38 Special.

Both of yours are also listed in the data base as 4", 38 Special, Black Magic, and shipped to USN, and both have U.S. Navy on left topstrap, but no ship date posted for either.

If you have a Letter, or copy of original invoice from SWHF than info can be added to the data base. If not then a "request ship date" from Roy (for free) could also work as proof of ship date. Remember to not post a request if 5 others are already posted.

My guess is just like others above, October 1942 for s/n V 147731 as my invoice shows the factory cranking out 1000 per shipment (50 each in 20 cases) and IF the factory was cranking out 475 to 500 per day and the frame stamping was uniform and sequential then your s/n to my s/n (445XX delta) is certainly possible in 90 days.

The other thing that comes to mind is that the Navy Contract did not really last that long before the Army took over the procurement. I don't have my Charles Pate book handy but it has a wealth of info on Victory wheel guns.

The ship dates I have listed came from Roy per my ship date request. I'll ask Roy to double check that 147731 ship date.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Housepuss, are there any other markings on the barrel, cylinder or frame like "R"? It's possible the gun was deficient in some way and was reworked to fix the issue which would have it shipping later than typical.

 

[Housepuss]

Victory revolver

Housepuss, are there any other markings on the barrel, cylinder or frame like "R"? It's possible the gun was deficient in some way and was reworked to fix the issue which would have it shipping later than typical.

No other markings any place to indicate it ever went back to the factory. I posed a question to Roy asking him to recheck the
ship date on V147731. He replied that it left the factory in
10-1942. My ship date request for this one was made several
years ago so something got lost in translation.

He also said that V245591 shipped on 3-2-1943, a bit earlier
than his original ship date.

Many thanks to all who's collective knowledge of these wonderful handguns can not be over stated.

 

[jeffrefrig]

"Many thanks to all who's collective knowledge of these wonderful handguns can not be over stated." Housepuss

Not only this model but every gun that's passed through these sub forums; these guys are a collective encyclopedia of everything that goes bang! And bird feeders, lawnmowers, generators, knick knacks, paddy whacks, and chatacasies of all types. I forget what I donate per year, but it's very well worth every penny. All I have to do is watch what I say!!