Posted: 2/20/2011 2:45:04 PM EDT
Sometime in the past my Victory Model got buggered.  The grips are incorrect, the lanyard ring is missing, the finish is incorrect and in places the lettering was way too heavily buffed during the refinish. But for some strange reason this revolver has grown on me. I own nicer revolvers, with better sights and more powerful cartridges. But when I go for a walk in the woods the Victory Model is the one I take along.  I acquired it as the throw in gun in a 3 pistol purchase. I have very little money into it. When I got it one chamber did not carry up. I drove over to Numrich and bought a replacement hand, and with a little home gunsmithing got it working fine. I have made some amazing shots in the woods on squirrels. I have a load that hits to the point of aim of the sights, and I know if I do my part I will connect. It is a joy to take a few handfuls of wadcutters and plink away. It was made in 1944. The marking on the backstrap always intrigued me -" WB-LP " folllowed by what looks to be a very worn 5 digit number. I have wondered where this pistol has been. I know it was used by a local constable in the late 1960's. So here it is - my ugly duckling that gives me a whole lot more pleasure than it should.   |
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Still a beautiful gun, even if not wearing its war-time uniform.
I have a Victory and an early 50" Model 10 M&P. Great shooting pistols, and really have a wonderful appeal to them. They don't bark quite as loud as their .357 brothers, but the .38spl still packs a punch without too much recoil. |
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Quoted: You sure it's a victory model? It looks a lot like my 5 screw pre-model 10. I love mine, it has the smoothest trigger of any gun I've ever fired.  http://images3a.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp73396%3Enu%3D3269%3E587%3E347%3EWSNRCG%3D35%3B7%3A9447732%3Anu0mrj It was made in 1944. As long as it has military acceptance stamps/proofs, it's a Victory. If they aren't present, then it was probably a guard gun or PD gun. This one was made in late 1941 and still shoots better than I do(although when I got it, it was so loose I was afraid to fire it).  |
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Quoted:
You sure it's a victory model? It looks a lot like my 5 screw pre-model 10. I love mine, it has the smoothest trigger of any gun I've ever fired.
http://images3a.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp73396%3Enu%3D3269%3E587%3E347%3EWSNRCG%3D35%3B7%3A9447732%3Anu0mrj You can tell that the Victory is older than your 5-screw by the shape of the hammer; the older hammers moved farther back in single action use. S&W went to the "improved short action" in the late 1940's. I prefer the long actions for double action shooting, they feel a little different to me, though maybe it's just 60+ years of breaking in
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