S&W Victory model

U

Uncle Ethan

New member
I have a "new" Aussie Victory model w/ a 4" bbl in S&W 200. I bought another S&W with a 2" bbl in S&W special. I just bought the book recommended by the Moderators for checking models and serial numbers so I can see if my 2" is really a Victory model. After I get the book and check I'll try to post pictures. The pistol was stamped on each cylinder with the British test markings, but the lanyard was removed and the hole filled in. The side with the S&W logo was ground down until the logo was gone. I thought it was probably one of the weapons shipped to England after the Dunkirk loss.
 
Make sure of the calibers. It sounds as if you have 2 different calibers. You say the 2" barrel is a S&W special. Are you sure it doesn't say S&W 38 Special? The 4" barrel model probably says S&W 38-200. The S&W 38-200 is the old 38 S&W caliber not to be confused with the S&W 38 Special. S&W was instrumental in developing the calibers so their name went on them. The modern short names are 38 Special and 38 S&W. The two are not interchangeable.
 
A factory two inch Victory model is vanishingly rare.
On the other hand, thousands of them were sawn off to sell better in the US surplus market when private eye books, movies, and TV shows were at their peak and there was a hot market for "snub nose" revolvers.

You could go ahead and put up the pictures and numbers, there are probably people here who could tell you what it is.
 
Does the 2" gun look similar to this? Many were cut down after the war basically destroying them.

standard.jpg
 
Technically, the Victory Model was made only in .38 Special, marked ".38 S&W SPECIAL CTG"; S&W called the gun made for the Allies in .38 S&W the ".38/200 Model"*, but the barrels were marked ".38 S&W CTG", not ".38/200". There were very few with 2" barrels; those that were had the forward lock and a short ejector rod; the ones like Saxon Pig shows were shortened in the U.S. by importers to produce a "detective model". With no front lock, they can get out of alignment and become inaccurate.

*The government called both the "Military and Police" in contract letters.

Jim
 
True, and I am not sure. A lot of that work was done in England by Cogswell and Harrison, which was at that time owned by Sam Cummings. I doubt they made or bought new barrels, though; more likely they reworked/reshaped the old ones. They not only cut (or replaced) barrels, they also reamed the chambers to take .38 Special. One way to tell that is by the proof marks; if the British proof is for .38 S&W, the work was done in the U.S. since no further proof would be needed. If it was done in the U.K., the proof would be for .38 Special, done on guns C&H obtained directly from the government depots and which were not proved until after the conversion work was done.

Jim
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. The Aussie is in storage, but the 2" only has British caliber markings under the barrel covered by the ejector rod. It shows as BNP 38" .767"
3 1/4 Tons

The S&W logo has been removed, and the number under the crane is 4595 3
 
The proof mark with .767 for the case length indicates it was proved for the .38 S&W cartridge. If it has been altered (to .38 Special) that was done in the U.S.

Jim
 
I have no idea what the S&W was/is. The weapon looks like the picture shown except the barrel looks just like my MODEL 10 with a 2' BBL. There is a factory "flat" on the bottom of the barrel where the ejection rod goes, which is the same as my civilian model. Each cylinder chamber is marked as proof tested also. I more think it is a S&W gathered up and sent to England after the Dunkirk disaster. I am working on pictures, but please be patient. My book on the serial numbers should arrive in a week or so.
 
The 100% tell of whether it was a longer barrel altered to a snub nose configuration is if the under barrel locking point is missing and the ejector rod "floats" under the barrel like a Colt, as shown in Saxon Pig's photo.

The last S&W .38 manufactured without an under-barrel locking stud was the Model of 1899.
 
Got the book and got out my "other' snubby.

Apparently my "Victory model" was either not one or mutilated as you describe. I got the camera and will take pics. My original snubby [not a victory model] has a lug under the barrel for the ejector rod. The barrel is 1.984" long with an integral sight machined in the bbl. The serial number is C 0177xx with all the parts [cylinder, barrel, is serial marked. Not a lot of wear. I haven't looked up the year of it. The one from England must have had the bbl cut as there is no under lug [ as you all have mentioned] but I didn't pay a lot for it and I do love a gun with history. As soon as I figure out the mechanics of posting pics I'll send some of both. That leaves my Model 1917 with a British length [6"] barel and my two Model 57's as my total S&W arsenal. Oops, I forgot the Aussie Victory model.
 
"The serial number is C 0177xx with all the parts [cylinder, barrel, is serial marked."

That's a post World War II serial number.
 
Thanks- that's good to know. I posted the serial number of the British marked S&W, which is 804487 and is to the rear of the plugged swivel hole. The post WWII S&W I bought as a house gun for my wife about 40 years ago.
 
just looked up the paperwork on the Aussie Victory model. Bought it in 1990 for $195 dollars. Looks like surplus never issued with a 5" bbl. .38-200 chambering, parkerised including a parkerised cleaning rod. Serial number is
200xx.
 
Check that serial again. A "0" is ever used as the first digit. Must be a 6 or a 9 and hard to read.

A C prefix means it was made 1948-67.

Does it look like these? These are round butt and yours may be a square butt.

standard.jpg
 
Mine looks like those except it is a square but. The ejector rod retainer seems shorter in mine but it may just be the angle of the photos. I'll check the serial number. Thanks
 
Well, Saxon, I wish I could say I misread the number, but apparently I created the 0 out of whole cloth. The serial no. is c 177xx
 
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