Victorys

[sgt dun]

I've got three for the database

#1 Pre victory SN# 936045 (no V)matching frame cylinder & barrel, NIM, 5", 79455 on yoke and crane, .38 S&W, Canadian C with arrow, WB & ordnance bomb on butt w/ lanyard ring, smooth walnut grips w/ two notches on the left, "Not England Made" below cylinder, Made in USA, and P0675 below that, S&W logo, S&W on barrel left, .38 S&W CTG on right, Brit proofs on barrel & cylinder. Some other marks looks like a big H under cylinder release. Pitted thru-out good bore, great shooter but ugly.

#2 Pre Victory SN# 865772 matching frame, cylinder & barrel, .38 S&W, 5", import marked VAN Dist Co LLC Wooster OH, no Brit proofs, WB in square & ordnance bomb on butt with a funny looking large F. 6025 on crane & yoke, smooth walnut grips, "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" on top strap.

#3 SN# V322503 all matching, missing lanyard ring, has S & W logo grips, checkered with diamond around screw, not sure if original, Grip screw is incorrect. SN on butt, V in front of lanyard ring, number to rear. Small ordnance bomb, U.S. PROPERTY G.H.D. on left top strap. On front left side of butt under grip is a 4 with the top facing front. On right side front there is an S with the bottom facing the front, bside the top of the S there ia diagonal H. Below the grip pin is a small V to the left of this is an unintelligable mark. On the rear face of the cylinder there is the SN# (matching butt#) a v, and a backwards S or 9. On the yoke and frame under the yoke there is 76194, also on the yoke is a diagonal S. On the barrel on the flat part under the ejector pin is the V on the front and the SN at the rear (matching) On the left of the barrel SMITH & WESSON, on the right .38 S & W SPECIAL CTG. On the right plate is the Smith & Wesson logo and on the frame under the cylinder MADE IN USA. Finish is a black magic some light freckling about 80%. Bore has slight frosting in grooves good lands.

I have since replaced the lanyard ring and the grips with some smooth walnut I got from Numrich but they seem too big. Is there a difference in size from the .38 S&W to the .38 Special?

 

[sgt dun]

I've got three for the database

#1 Pre victory SN# 936045 (no V)matching frame cylinder & barrel, NIM, 5", 79455 on yoke and crane, .38 S&W, Canadian C with arrow, WB & ordnance bomb on butt w/ lanyard ring, smooth walnut grips w/ two notches on the left, "Not England Made" below cylinder, Made in USA, and P0675 below that, S&W logo, S&W on barrel left, .38 S&W CTG on right, Brit proofs on barrel & cylinder. Some other marks looks like a big H under cylinder release. Pitted thru-out good bore, great shooter but ugly.

#2 Pre Victory SN# 865772 matching frame, cylinder & barrel, .38 S&W, 5", import marked VAN Dist Co LLC Wooster OH, no Brit proofs, WB in square & ordnance bomb on butt with a funny looking large F. 6025 on crane & yoke, smooth walnut grips, "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" on top strap.

#3 SN# V322503 all matching, missing lanyard ring, has S & W logo grips, checkered with diamond around screw, not sure if original, Grip screw is incorrect. SN on butt, V in front of lanyard ring, number to rear. Small ordnance bomb, U.S. PROPERTY G.H.D. on left top strap. On front left side of butt under grip is a 4 with the top facing front. On right side front there is an S with the bottom facing the front, bside the top of the S there ia diagonal H. Below the grip pin is a small V to the left of this is an unintelligable mark. On the rear face of the cylinder there is the SN# (matching butt#) a v, and a backwards S or 9. On the yoke and frame under the yoke there is 76194, also on the yoke is a diagonal S. On the barrel on the flat part under the ejector pin is the V on the front and the SN at the rear (matching) On the left of the barrel SMITH & WESSON, on the right .38 S & W SPECIAL CTG. On the right plate is the Smith & Wesson logo and on the frame under the cylinder MADE IN USA. Finish is a black magic some light freckling about 80%. Bore has slight frosting in grooves good lands.

I have since replaced the lanyard ring and the grips with some smooth walnut I got from Numrich but they seem too big. Is there a difference in size from the .38 S&W to the .38 Special?

 

[LWCmdr45]

Sarge,

Thanks for the entries and welcome to the madhouse! Can we entice you to post some pics of your submissions?

Questions: #936045 doesn't have the "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" marking on the left top strap? (If no, any sign that it may have been ground off?) The other marking reads "NOT ENGLAND MADE?" (I'm used to seeing "NOT ENGLISH MAKE.") The Canadian 'Broad Arrow' inside "C" marking is at the upper left of the frame?

Can you confirm that V-322503 has no "P" proofs?

The stocks were hand-fit, so dimensional differences between examples is to be expected.

Steve

 

[sgt dun]

LWCmdr45,

Concerning #936045, the left top strap is pretty badly pitted but I looked at it with a magnifying glass and can see no sign of a marking, It probably does have "Not English Make" it's very small and hard to see. The Broad "C" and arrow are on the upper left of the frame.

Concerning the V-322503 I can't find any "P" proofs but the pistol may have been refinished as the S&W logo is not very distinct and neither are the markings on the top strap.

Any idea when these were made?

I'll try to post some pics later in the week when I get the camera back from the office.

Thanks for the info on the grips.

 

[LWCmdr45]

Sarge,

Thanks for the additional info. And, yes, post pics; we love 'em!

SN 936045, absent any top strap markings, is probably one of the later guns to be shipped under the BPC contracts. We have several guns so marked in this time period (ca. Feb.-Mar., 1942) in the database, many having been designated for Canada. Even though, by this time, Lend-Lease guns (marked "UNITED STATES PROPERTY") were being shipped, the factory was also evidently still fulfilling the private contracts that preceeded Lend-Lease.

Based on the database maintained by Charlie (ordnanceguy on this forum, but I think of him as "Mr. Victory!") and me, SN 865772 shipped ca. Nov.-Dec., 1941, and SN V322503 shipped ca. May-July, 1943.

Steve