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I picked this up the other day from a guy who thought it was an ordinary 38special. It's an original.38ctg cylinder serial number v59..... It has U.S.Property GHD on top. Can anyone tell me the worth.
Victory.38ctg
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They match
Attachments
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I have no idea where it came from and didn't know the guy. When he asked me if I was interested and I seen that it was old I said yes. Wow! I tried looking up the s/n to find out if someone was missing it, site I used said it was clean.
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1,808 Posts
Super neat find!
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Like mkk41 said, it's .chambered in 38 S&W., ----NOT the familiar & common .38 Special round. ---- Perhaps yours's is a Lend Lease gun that spent some time in the UK during WW2. I have one of 'em too.
38-200, not .38 spl. It's not usually an $800 or more gun.
Be careful if you are buying as an investment. These do not command as much money as the Victory in .38 spl. Many examples languish unsold on the market if priced over $700.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/973929253
Above is a typical one in decent condition. Five bids and $655.
![Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory Metal]()
![Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory Revolver]()
Be careful if you are buying as an investment. These do not command as much money as the Victory in .38 spl. Many examples languish unsold on the market if priced over $700.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/973929253
Above is a typical one in decent condition. Five bids and $655.
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7,414 Posts
Not all .38 S&W guns were shipped overseas. Many were issued stateside at defense-related plants, mail guards, and railroad guards that were shipping war supplies.
Most, but again, not all guns that went to GB had some form of stamp. If not British acceptance or proof marks, then NOT ENGLISH MAKE.
None of them were of English make. S&W made all of them. But yes most of them stayed here for security guards at defense plants as you stated. Some were shipped over there. The majority of which were in either 38 S&W or 38-200 which the brits preferred. I even have a Colt official police that went over there chambered in 38-200. The brass is the same so you can shoot 38 S&W out of a 38-200. But Steinel periodically loads 38-200 for those guns. I do not think that I have ever seen one of those victories with a six inch barrel before. Eight bills is pushing it for one of those guns, but these days a clean one will pull that much.
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The collector's market for vintage S&W revolvers is not yet on fire, but soon it will be as values are starting to climb. Now that the USGI 1911 market has gone into rich man's territory the lesser-known WW2-era firearms are going up in price as well. The .38 Special Victories were selling for around $600-$700 all day long just a couple of years ago, but now it's hard to find a decent one for less than a grand. I agree the .38-200 models will lag behind, but eventually they will begin to climb in value as well just like every other WW2-vintage firearm. If you want one, now is the time to get one while they're cheap. Trust me, in another five years you'll regret it if you don't.
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I've been reading a lot about these victory models since I figured out what it was and you guys are right on point. Very knowledgeable! I could never find a definite price range, so thanks guys that helps a lot. I kinda like the this collector thing. Maybe I'll pick up a new hobby.
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Starline has 38 S and W brass in stock $112/500. About as cheap to load as anything, about 3-4 grain of powder and fun to shoot. 38 S&W Brass - Small Pistol - Brass Cases (starlinebrass.com)
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Don't look at the prices for US NAVY marked Victory Models.
As a former US Navy Aircrewman myself, I always thought I should have one. I haven't seen a half-decent one under a grand in over a decade.
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121 Posts
Many of the British Service revolvers re-imported during the Fifties were crudely converted to fire .38 Special by simply reaming the chambers. You can tell is such a hack job has been done by the two steps in the chambers.
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Very common, but such a shame. Clear proof, what we consider now as collectables, were once just tools. They were altered to use the more widely available and more powerful .38 Special cartridge. As pure collectors' items, the values drop drastically, as a small slice of "working man's history", they are still worth having.Many of the British Service revolvers re-imported during the Fifties were crudely converted to fire .38 Special by simply reaming the chambers. You can tell is such a hack job has been done by the two steps in the chambers.
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Grumpy
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They were altered mostly to make them easier to sell as the .38 Special was a more popular cartridge by that time. The fact that is sometimes split the brass was of no concern. Mail order outfit's like Klein's of Chicago sold them by mail Indeed it was a former British service revolver so re chambered with the barrel shortened that was used by Lee Harvey Oswald to shoot Dallas police officer J.D. Tippet. Note the lack of the front lug supporting the ejector rod typical of a Smith & Wesson revolver indicating the crudely chopped barrel.
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