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Rehabbed? Victory


Matt_X
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I thought this M & P Victory might make a nice WW2 vintage shooter at a reasonable price.

 

I would appreciate any insight into its original configuration.

It may be refinsished. Clearly the hammer and trigger was removed and polished to a 'jewel' type finish maybe to remove surface rust.

image.png.7e232fca27e23608bff779642bcdfe6e.png

 

image.png.18ea3459d9446712d42e48b980dae4f4.png

 

image.png.645359e8bc7a884a125de4a86bc63fcc.png

 

V 71,179  on frame, barrel, and cylinder.  Yoke, frame, and sideplate numbers match each other,  The left stock has a non-matching 403/201? and the right is not stamped.

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After looking around the internet (including posts here) it seems this is intact, but refinished and civilianized with the 'magna' stocks and removal of the lanyard swivel.

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Charlie Flick

Hello MattX:

 

Your conclusions about your Victory are correct.  Are there any left top strap markings or markings on the butt besides the V serial number?

 

Regards,

Charlie

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3 hours ago, Charlie Flick said:

Hello MattX:

 

Your conclusions about your Victory are correct.  Are there any left top strap markings or markings on the butt besides the V serial number?

 

Regards,

Charlie

Nothing on the top strap or next to the swivel hole on the bottom other than the V711 number.

Under the stocks there are various stampings.  See attached photo.

Was DSC the only purchaser? and did they mark the purchases in any manner?

 

edit: I missed two of the stamps on the right.  There's a 1 under the tension screw.  There is 2 under the pin for the stock alignmet.

V71179-frame-stamps-under-stocks.jpg

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Charlie Flick

Hello MattX:

 

Your Victory likely shipped from the factory in the August, 1942 time frame.  

 

I suspect that the refinishing process may have removed some of the markings that one would ordinarily expect to see on this one.   accordingly, I can't offer much on what the likely shipping destination or end user was.

 

The markings on the side of the grip frame are fitters and inspectors at the factory.  They are of little consequence on the questions you have.

 

The only way to learn more about the exact shipping date and exact shipping destination is to obtain a letter from the S&W Historical Foundation.  Let me knowif you want to pursue that route and I will get you the information on how to do so.

 

I hope that this information has been helpful to you.

 

Regards,

Charlie

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Well I'm certainly curious what sort of business or personel got this or ones like it.

I assume the Magna grips are just post WW2 except that I don't see a series letter. 

 

The yoke is pretty tight but there is a lot of 'end shake'.  Timing is good, lock up is good.  When Kuhnhausen's book gets here I can develop a course of action.

I'll look at the top strap again but it seemed very smooth with no trace of stampings.

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Charlie Flick

The Magna stocks are known as the PC or plain clothes version of the Magna.  With the diamond center they pre-date 1969.  The serial on original stocks like this is found inside of the right stock panel only.

 

There may have been a small ordnance bomb marked on the bottom of the butt.  Sometimes lightly struck, it would not be difficult in the polishing part of a refinish to obscure or remove that marking.

 

If this Victory shipped to a non-military destination through DSC authorization it would have been carried in any number of civilian police-style holsters as used by guard forces during the 1930-40s.

 

Regards,

Charlie

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Charlie, With the grips I was going by the style of the checkering outline as I had found a dated example posted with a similar pattern.

The numbers stamped on the right stock is 403 over 201

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