With a gun that has floated around as long as that one, and likely served from one side of the world to the other, and then back again...rebuilds upon rebuilds...there likely marks on it not posted which could tell a lot of its travels.
All the serial numbers match: barrel, frame, and cylinder. The parts numbers match: yoke, frame, and side plate. The importers mark is the only extra mark I find.
This is a quote on this particular gun and serial number from a friend who is a S&W Historian. I asked this question,
I believe SV was victory model there is no lanyard loop. End of war possibly? Oh, its .38 special.
His answer, "Yes, SV has the improved hammer safety block. That’s a late Victory".
Thanks. I do believe the grips are not original. It has some major pitting under the grips on the frame, too.
Yes, they had instances of them dropped on steel decks and discharging, the hammer block in all subsequent S&W revolvers until they went to frame mounted firing pins relatively recently, only circa a quarter century ago, on a gun design dating from latest 1800s. Historic gun design, and I wish I had every old one back I ever ditched, even the low rent Victory model far smoother and lighter than anything made today.
I would have hoped for rebuild marks (of which I am not conversant) or ditto as for who all issued it. It nearly surely ended up exported since Century imported it. If it were mine, I'd be doing online searches on Victory models, I think rebuilts got some manner of paint instead of parkerize, depending upon when done and where, and would be looking for traces of paint such as around barrel pin etc in recesses. A gun that old near surely was rebuilt a few times, our military formerly had vast stores of parts for them, all sold off on surplus market.
The Magna grips surely are replacement, the Victory had the skimpy service panels which terminated in a half-moon matching gripframe cutouts. Pitting is par for the course, whether from sweaty hands, neglect, sea duty, whatever.
This ^^^^^
.38 M&P frame manufactured during WWll but not completed before the contract was canceled at the end of the war. S&W wastes nothing, so when commercial production restarted at the beginning of 1947, they used up the frames on hand first, thus the V serial number, lack of a lanyard loop and the "S" stamp indicating the new hammer safety bar. The "S" isn't considered part of the serial number on these transitional guns and the inconsistency in location indicates this. This gun shipped from the factory in 1947, as all S&Ws shipped with the new 4 line address in 1948. Prior to that they only said "Made in USA", What you have here is a very significant and hard to find piece of S&W history showcasing the transition from military to commercial production. Later "Pre" model 10s would have the rounded stocks on the bottom and a ramp front sight instead of the half moon. Also, pull the stocks and check to see if the serial number stamped on the right side matches your gun. In all a very nice piece if history, thank you for sharing.
Thanks for that info. No serial number on the stocks. The pattern of pitting under the stocks indicate these Magnas have been on here a while. I've requested a letter. I've been told that there was a shipment of 500 of these to a foreign destination after the war and this pistol might be one of them. Thus the import CAI markings.
Great to hear from somebody who actually knows details such as this. Personally, I never knew such existed, and I thank you for the info.
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