The Victory ModelSmith and Wesson.38 Caliber RevolverThe revolvers of the U.S. Armed forceshave always been under appreciated by collectors, the good news is thatmakes them relatively inexpensive to acquire, but this is changing. At arecent trip to the 2003 Louisville gun show I noticed prices on Victoryrevolvers had increased noticeably. That being said you might want toconsider adding a few Victory models to your USGI collection.While the information Iprovide below can be helpful please see the list on the bottom of thispage for reference material you should have if you are going to collectthese historical pieces. The Victory model revolvers participated invarious roles from guard duty to riding in a shoulder holster with fighterand bomber pilots. I have talked to many ex-military personnel thatcarried them as late as the 1980s, as you can see these pistols played asignificant part of our history.
To this day the Victory model is a veryenjoyable shooting collectible, mainly due to its inexpensive cost, lightrecoil, and good accuracy.Enjoy and happy collecting, TyThe Victory model wasso named for the 'V' prefix which was placed before the serial number andrepresented 'Victory' against the Axis powers in World War II.Serial numbers for the.38 special Victorymodel began at about V1 in early 1942 and ran untilVS811119 with a date of late August of 1945 (end of production). V1 toapproximately V39,999 were predominately.38 S&W Caliber (I haveobservedrevolvers in the 1-40000 range in.38 special caliber). Serial numbers are located on Inside rightgrip, frame butt, Cylinder, extractor star, and bottom of barrel. Crane and crane recessare also serial numbered to each other, but this is a different number thenthe revolvers serial number as is correct for Victory model revolvers.The Victory Revolver was producedduring World War II, it is a variation of the Military & Police Model of1905, fourth change and had the following characteristics between 1942 and1945:Barrel:2, 4, 5, or 6 inch.
(4 inch common in.38 special, 5 inch common in 38/200or.38 S&W)Sights: FixedFinish: Early sandblast blue, sandblast mid-night black (appearsgrayish black). And finally a parkerized finish. Hammer and Trigger arecase hardened.Grips: Checkered walnut with medallion until early 1942, postFebruary of 1942 they are smooth American Walnut with out medallions.Ordnanceacceptance marks:The acceptance mark varies with the particulars of the order placed. Navy orders you will find no acceptance marks on the original twocontracts they placed. On later Navy revolvers, ordered through the Armythey will be found with the more typical Army G.H.D. Acceptance mark.Below you will find some of the common stamps with links to examples.W.B.The acceptance mark of Ordnance officer Waldemar Bromberg is located onthe butt (to about serial number V145000). Just to the right of theacceptance mark (W.B.) is usually found an ordnance bomb and proof mark.The 'P' proof mark indicates this revolver has passed military prooftesting.
EXAMPLE –G.H.D – From approximately 1942 to about May1943 the acceptance mark of Ordnance officer Guy H. Drewry is found on thebutt.
From approximately V300000 to end of production G.H.D is found onthe left top strap; EXAMPLE –Propertymarks:The most common property marks found on the Victory model are the UNITEDSTATES PROPERTY, US PROPERTY, and the US NAVY markings.UNITED STATES PROPERTY– Found on lefttop strap to approximately V300000 and on the M&Ps pre Victory. Applied at the S&W factory.Example -U.S.
PROPERTY – The property mark wasshortened to 'U.S. PROPERTY' at about serial number V300000.
At this timethe G.H.D acceptance mark was moved from the butt to the left top strapwith the property mark. Applied at the S&W factory. EXAMPLE –U.S. NAVY – Found on the revolversleft top strap as per the two Navy contracts.
The Navy also applied aProperty mark on the left side plate on some revolvers; thesewere filled in with red paint. This is not an S&W applied marking.EXAMPLE –and.Victory models have also been producedwith out property marks, these revolvers were probably delivered bythe U.S. Defense Supply Corporation (DSC) to defense contractors andpublic agencies that required them for guarding war sensitive materials.Other commonmarkings:S - Revolvers that have the'S' marking on the right side plate as well as before the serial number onthe butt have the improved hammer block installed. If the 'S' in theserial number on the butt appears to be machine applied this wouldindicate it was produced with improved hammer block, and that it was notadded later or it would have been hand stamped. The improved hammer block was put intoproduction after an accidental discharge killed a sailor during World WarII. This improved hammer block is still utilized in today's commercialSmith and Wesson revolvers. EXAMPLE –P –Proof marking.
This can very depending on the contract. Navy markedpistols usually have none. Pates books indicate that somedelivered under an Army contract could be found with a P mark. Post theV400,000 serial number range they are located on the underside of thebarrel, back of the cylinder and left side plate. The later appear to beArmy Supply Program contract revolvers. EXAMPLE –SerialNumbers:Serial numbers are located onthe inside right grip, frame butt, Cylinder, extractor star, and bottom ofgrip.
Serial numbers should be matching on all revolvers. Crane and Cranerecess are also serial numbered to each other, but this is a differentnumber then the revolvers serial number and is correct for Victory modelrevolvers.Grip/Stock EXAMPLE –Barrel EXAMPLE –Cylinder EXAMPLE –Extractor Start EXAMPLE –Butt EXAMPLE –Production:38/200 British Service Revolver (S&W Caliber)- There were over 571,629 of these models produced between October 1941and May 1945 for the British Common wealth countries. These countriesinclude the Union of South Africa (21,347), Canada (45,328), and Australia (8,000).The remaining 384,100 shipped between 1941 and the end of World War IIwere supplied by the U.S. Army Ordnance through the lend lease program toBritain for distribution.Victory model 38 Special– 352,000 shipped to the Army andNavy. Some of these were shipped to a commission responsible for supplyingthe civilian industries.
They will usually have no property marks. Usesincluded guarding factories, ports, and federal/local government agencies.Note:You can find all kinds of variations, with additional war and post warmarkings. These include rebuild markings, country ownershipmarkings, unit markings, and much more. For a complete listing see thebooks referenced below.Recommended reading:US Handguns of WW II - The Secondary Pistols and Revolvers by Charles W.PateAmericas Right Arm - The S&W Military and Police Revolver by John HenwoodSmith and Wesson 1857 - 1945 by Robert J. Neal and Roy G.
Number Revolver Serial Smith Wesson 22
Contents.History Early history As 's patent on the was set to expire in 1856, and were researching a prototype for a metallic cartridge revolver. When they discovered that a former employee named held the patent for a 'Bored-through' cylinder, a component needed for this new invention, the two partners approached White to manufacture a newly designed revolver-and-cartridge combination.Rather than make White a partner in their company, Smith and Wesson paid him a royalty of $0.25 on every 'Model 1' revolver that they made. It would become White's responsibility to defend his patent in any court cases which eventually led to his financial ruin, but was very advantageous for the new Smith & Wesson Company. Variants The Model 1 had three issues or major variants, with each subsequent issue introducing significant technical changes.1st Issue The 1st Issue of the Model 1 was the first major iteration (and the least common), with approximately 12,000 produced over a three-year period.
The features that easily distinguish the 1st issue are the flared, square cornered shaped grip (also seen in the 2nd Issue), the small round side plate, the round profile of the frame between the back of the cylinder and the grip, a split articulated hammer, and the flat spring barrel latch seen in some early variants.There are six known variations of the Model 1, first identified in an article by John Kountz in the April 1956 issue of 'The Gun Report'. In this article, Kountz noted specific differences in the recoil shield, the barrel latch (the first two variations used a dart style flat spring catch, while later variations used a larger bayonet release), the rifling and other subtle differences.Serial numbers were issued sequentially for the Model 1 1st Issues ranging from 1 through approximately 12,000. 2nd Issue The 2nd Issue of the Model 1 looked similar to the 1st Issue, with several notable differences. The side plate on the 2nd Issue was much larger and irregularly shaped. The profile of the frame was flatter (a likely concession for manufacturing efficiency), and the hammer was now made in one piece. Model 1 2nd Issues still had the flared, square cornered shaped grip and the octagonal tip-up style frame, and at first glance the two issues are easy to confuse.There are several variations of the 2nd Issue guns.
Variants between serial numbers 12,000 through to about 20,000 involve the shape of the side plate ('straight' or 'round'), the design of the trigger spring (flat spring, V spring or coil spring), and the number of patent dates on the cylinder (two or three). There was also a decrease in the size of the barrel roll stamps at around serial number 95,000. 2nd Issue marked '2D QUAL'TY' are also seen occasionally.There were approximately 110,000 2nd Issues produced from 1860 through 1868, with serial numbers ranging from approximately 12,000 (following the 1st Issue) through to approximately 120,000. 3rd Issue. Lock of Smith & Wesson Model One Third variation with side plate removed. The mainspring is under tension from a screw in the low-front grip frame as on modern S&W revolvers.The Model 1, 3rd Issue represented a substantial redesign for the Model 1, with a fluted cylinder, a round barrel and a rounded 'bird's head' style grip.
Finishes included full nickel plating, full blued steel, and a 'half plate' nickel/blue combo, and there were two barrel lengths offered by the factory. Variants include the 'square' and 'triangular' top strap design that changed around serial number 9,500. The 3rd Issue guns were produced from 1868 through 1882 with serial numbers from 1 through approximately 131,000. Popularity The Model 1 was in popular demand with the outbreak of the as soldiers from all ranks on both sides of the conflict made private purchases of the revolvers for self-defense. So much that orders for the Model 1 revolver outpaced the factory's production capabilities, forcing Smith & Wesson to expand into a new facility and began experimenting with a new cartridge design more suitable than the.22 Short in 1860.This popularity led to numerous knockoffs and patent infringements by other armsmakers.
Rolin White and S&W brought infringement cases against Manhattan Firearms Company, and others. The courts mostly allowed these manufacturers to continue production runs, with a royalty on each revolver paid to White.
In some cases, Smith & Wesson bought the revolvers back to remark and sell; these are marked 'APRIL 3 1855' as a patent date. See also.References.