Identifying the serial number,type of gun, date and possible price.

[Etraveller]

Hi. I'm looking at a pretty old, six chamber revolver, that looks a LOT like a S&W Military and Police revolver, with the regular oval shaped front sight(looks like it broke or was damaged and a welded joint was added to keep it on).

Some of the specifications are: Calibre consistent with .38, Rifling 5R (same as a Smith and Wesson) Stamped on the underside of the tapered barrel are :V 5(8 or 9)7956 P and the numbers above are also stamped on the back face of the cylinder (the face closest to the firing pin and frame). Stamped on the inside of the sideplate and the inside of the crane/yoke are the numbers 5077? Also stamped on the frame opposite the inner yoke are the number 3 5077? Barrel length, 4 inches, overall length 9 1/8 inches.

I'm not sure if there was a number on the butt of the firearm, but if there was it may have been erased.
Doesn't appear to have a US property stamp on top strap.
No info of chamber size visible on barrel (may have been worn out or so).
There is a circular indentation on the butt, which may have been for a lanyard ring and was ground off. There is no serial number on the inside of the wooden grips.

What I would like to know is which of the numbers correspond to the serial number, and has anyone come across any firearms similar to this? And would the number stamped on the butt (if there was a number stamped there, correspond to a different number than those listed above?
What about possible year of manufacture and price?
P.S. You may see some black looking marks on the gun I put those there to omit certain marks that I didn't get permission to put on the net...

 

[deadin]

Looks like a standard 38 M&P "Victory" Model. The numbers on the bottom of the barrel and on the face of the cylinder would be the serial number. There should be the same number on the bottom of the butt. This is the one that counts. If it has been removed the gun could be illegal. There is a way to get the number reassigned, but I'm not sure of the procedure. The 5077 numbers are assembly numbers and were used to keep the major parts together throughout the assembly process. A large number of these guns were sold civilian use and do not have the US PROPERTY markings, so this is not unusual. The grips appear to be replacements so I wouldn't expect a number there.
I don't understand what it is you blacked out on the sideplate and grip panel.
What do you mean you "didn't get permission" to post the marks. Are they somebody's name, Soc. Sec. No. (or something pornographic )

Dean

 

[Sir William]

I think it is a abused and highly modified, poor condition, so-called Victory 38 S&W revolver myself. 380-200 British was the original chambering and plain wagontop walnut grips, a lanyard ring and AFAIK a 5" barrel were OEM standard. I have seen many of these that had terrible crown damage or erosion in the crown from corrosive ammunition. The cheap solution was to cut the barrels back, remove and remount the front sight and recrown them. I think I can see where yours was poorly converted to allow 38 Special cartridges to chamber in the cylinder. The fact is that many of these are grab bags of parts made into functional parts revolvers. Numbers often do not match on these examples. The accepted S/N location is the bottom of the barrel, inside the crane, on the cylinder chamber face, the front of the lanyard ring on the bottom of the butt and you might find it on all major components. The numbers may again, not match. Value? $85.00 to $125.00. These are the firearms versions of the old Johnn Cash song. I got it one piece at a time.

 

[Jim Watson]

Extractor rod does not look right, one of that age would have a noticeable knob on the end, you can see where the barrel is cut to clear. It is likely a replacement, assuming the whole gun is not a fake. Top sideplate screw is missing, rear sideplate screw is in the front hole. Gun is in terrible condition. Put it down and walk away.

 

[XavierBreath]

I agree with my three cohorts, the basic gun here is a Victory M&P. It has been altered so much though, any value it once had as a historic firearm is gone. Looking at that extractor rod (good catch Jim!) you know someone, some where, has been doing more than just swapping grips on this one. That might even make it lose all value as a shooter. Only shooting it will tell you for certain.

If I were to buy this gun, I would have to shoot it first and it would have to be a .38 special example, from the factory, not a conversion. If it made it through 100 rounds without a problem, I might offer $50 to have a true beater truck gun. If I were in a charitable mood, and the seller supplied the ammo for the test shoot, I might offer $75. There are just to many good S&W .38s out there to invest much in this one.