WW2 Victory

[The bucket]

I have a WW2 Victory I just bought on line from a Cabelas. It will be 850 take home after shipping, tax, and all other fees.

Thet said it was matching numbers. They took off the grips and said the serial is on the non swing out side and not the other. Is that "normal"?

Charlie Flick from the S&W Collectors Association said it will letter as sent to the Navy, but was made post the US Navy top strap marking. I will buy the letter as I have a YouTube channel amd think that will make good content.

If it is indeed a Navy Revolver but does not have the marking does that help the value? If so what do something like these run?

Any other info would be appreciated?

 

[JP@AK]

If it is indeed a Navy Revolver but does not have the marking does that help the value?

The vast majority of the Victory models were used by the Navy (not counting, of course, the BSRs). The lack of a Navy stamp only means it wasn't part of the original Navy contract. When that contract ended, the Army handled procurement. Yours likely shipped in early 1943, which is after the Army started handling the distribution.

I'm not a Victory collector, but I strongly suspect a Navy marked gun would draw a slightly higher price, given the same condition. Charlie would be a good person to ask about that.

Added: What I find interesting about this one is the flaming bomb appearing on both the top strap and the butt. The only Victory I ever owned (from 1944) had it only on the top strap. I know the early examples usually had it on the butt. I don't recall seeing it in both places before.

 

[cmansguns]

genuine Navy marked maybe a tad more $

My genuine US Navy Victory, lettered as shipping to the US Navy on December 17, 1942 was sold 2 years ago for $700 which included shipping and full value Insurance so I netted $631 for the revolver, the Factory Letter and a copy of the original invoice to the Navy that was sent by the SWHF.

As far as my particular gun went the grips were period correct, and even could have been from the same bunch of guns but were NOT marked with the guns exact serial number, so not original to the gun.

Does your right hand grip actually number to the gun? If so I see the value right around $700 for the gun with no other accessories, maybe a little less if the grips don't match gun serial number.

Probably NOT worth a Letter because even with the Navy ones, the Letter just shows where it went to a distribution center and no other info. Most of the Navy ones probably went to ship board duty, maybe even carriers for pilots etc. as you can find tons of photos with pilots with Victories in shoulder holsters, but alas...the Letter can't give you this provenance. So yours probably went to a Army arsenal and then onto the Navy but no way to know exactly where it ended up.

 

[alwslate]

$850 seems a bit high to me for the condition.

 

[The bucket]

Charlie said it was a good price and to pop on it so I did. And I put it out there because I thought it was close. Nice thing about WW2 guns is they go up in value so it will be worth what I paid before I die and my kids sell it off.
The right grip is serial number matching. Cabelas said it came with a holster. I doubt the holster will be worth much, but maybe I will luck out and it will be am actual military holster.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

I think that is a good price. I've seen holsters that were hand made. I read mostly World War II books. I read once where this Navy pilot was given a revolver and some leather. He asked what the leather was for. The reply was "You don't think we are giving you a holster do you".