[Trepang]

Stumbled across a nice, numbers matching, 1943 US Navy S&W Victory and I just couldn't help myself.

After the US Property marked S&W Victory in .38 S&W I should have stopped looking.....

But I didn't and came across this U.S. Navy one in .38 SPL that comes with a nice "correct" holster.

It will be at my FFL next week .... SMH

Here is a link to an interesting article on them from the AMERICAN RIFLEMAN magazine: An Official Journal Of The NRA | "V" Is For Victory: The Smith & Wesson Victory Model Revolver

 

[sechott]

Wow! what more can I say?

 

[trbnt]

Very nice- congrats!

 

[The Viking]

Love those old ones. A lady sold me her deceased husbands S&W M&P manufactured in 1915. Paid too much ( $300) for the old pistol ( a jillion of them were made); but could not resist it. It is about 90% perfect and looks like it was never fired.

 

[mlin]

Beautiful!

 

[dsk]

Be sure to get a letter from the Smith & Wesson archives which may tell you where your pistol was issued during WW2. I keep forgetting to letter mine, but it was likely a DSC gun and may have an interesting history of its own.

 

[Trepang]

Be sure to get a letter from the Smith & Wesson archives which may tell you where your pistol was issued during WW2. I keep forgetting to letter mine, but it was likely a DSC gun and may have an interesting history of its own.

Good idea - Thanks
I assume I can do that via their website?

 

[dsk]

Letter Process

Many collectors enjoy having “factory letters” for their collectible Smith & Wesson firearms. The Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation offers two such letters. Letter of Authenticity (formerly the “Factory Letter”) The “Letter of Authenticity” used to be called the “factory letter” when Smith &...

swhistoricalfoundation.com

 

[Trepang]

Letter Process

Many collectors enjoy having “factory letters” for their collectible Smith & Wesson firearms. The Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation offers two such letters. Letter of Authenticity (formerly the “Factory Letter”) The “Letter of Authenticity” used to be called the “factory letter” when Smith &...

swhistoricalfoundation.com

Thank you

 

[Hillbillyriviera]

Those were worn by the pilots in my Marine helicopter squadron throughout the Vietnam War and had been standard TO&E issue for Marine aviators since early in WWII. All of ours were marked U.S.Navy.

 

[Trepang]

I managed to find a copy on eBay of the December 2020 issue of the American Rifleman that has a great article on these Victory revolvers. I don't keep the old copies and in this case I wish I had.

I make up a folder of whatever documents I have or can find on each MilSurp I have in my collection and I really wanted this issue for the folder - That article is what got me interested in the Victory models in the first place.

Next, I will cough up the $100 for a S&W research letter.

 

[Jim Watson]

Be sure to get a letter from the Smith & Wesson archives which may tell you where your pistol was issued during WW2. I keep forgetting to letter mine, but it was likely a DSC gun and may have an interesting history of its own.

Seems unlikely. How is a factory letter going to show where it landed on the next bounce after the service armory or depot got it and issued it?

 

[dsk]

I didn't mean to imply that the letter would indicate what serviceman it was issued to. However being a Navy gun there's a good chance it'll say which Navy installation it was shipped to and at what date, which is still pretty useful info.

 

[Trepang]

I didn't mean to imply that the letter would indicate what serviceman it was issued to. However being a Navy gun there's a good chance it'll say which Navy installation it was shipped to and at what date, which is still pretty useful info.

No I understand ... Just what unit it went to would be worth the $$

 

[Frank Vaccaro]

Trepang, very nice. Treasure that one!

 

[dsk]

No I understand ... Just what unit it went to would be worth the $$

The trail will most likely end at whatever Navy base or arsenal received it. Like Oakland Naval Supply Depot or something along those lines.

 

[dsk]

Anyway, here's mine. I bought it two years ago during the height of the COVID lockdown. Nothing better to cure the cabin fever blues than a new C&R eligible firearm being delivered to your door!

Since there are no US Property or Navy markings on it anywhere it's mostly likely a Defense Supply Corporation purchase. I need to letter it because many of these went to some pretty interesting destinations. One guy on the S&W forum lettered his and found out that it was shipped to Hershey's chocolate factory. Apparently even Willy Wonka was packin' during the war...

 

[M-Peltier]

Nice find OP. Love the history of the old revolvers used to secure the companies who supported the war effort.

Interestingly during WWII Hershey's not only produced "D-Ration" bars for the Military, they also produced anti-aircraft gun parts.

And Willy Wonka was created by some British dude in 1964. Lol

 

[Trepang]

Finally got it home from the FFL after my 7-day wait.
It cleaned up nice.
Very happy with it.
The scratch I put on it is hardly noticeable after a Lucas Oil CLP wipe down; no Turnbull restoration after all.
This maybe my new favorite MilSurp.