1942 WWII Smith & Wesson U.S. Navy "V" Victory (4"), 38 Spl., Revolver, SN - V36584

This Smith & Wesson 38 Special double-action revolver is known as a "Victory Model" due to the "V" serial number prefix. Victory Models were produced under contract by the U.S. Navy during WWII in two separate shipments with a total of 65,000 revolvers. During early production 1942-43, there was not a U.S. ordnance inspector assigned to the Smith & Wesson factory. These early contract revolvers were marked "U.S. Navy" on the right top strap. From 1944-45 U.S. Army Col. (later Brig. Gen.) Guy H. Drewry oversaw production at the factory. These Victory Models are marked "U.S. Property G.H.D". This early Victory Model is serial numbered in the 1942 production range and is marked "U.S. Navy" on the top strap. SPECS: This gun sports a parkerized military finish, 4" barrel, lanyard ring smooth walnut grips and is numbers matching - butt frame, barrel & cylinder. This gun is in nice condition with very light wear, has a perfect sharp/ clean bore and appears to be in good working order. HISTORY: In mid-1940, when it was becoming increasingly likely that the United States would be drawn into the war raging in Europe, the U.S. Navy, along with all branches of our armed forces, was evaluating the projected demand for arms. The standard handgun for the Navy at the time was the M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol. It became pretty obvious that the demand for these pistols would soon overwhelm the available supply, particularly since the Army and Marines would also be clamoring for handguns when war began. The Navy adopted a policy of equipping its personnel with as many M1911A1 pistols as possible and obtaining a secondary source of handguns for “less critical requirements.” It was determined that the most suitable gun for this purpose was the Smith & Wesson Military & Police .38 Spl. revolver with a 4" barrel. The M&P was Smith & Wesson’s “K-frame Military & Police” revolver which had proven to be popular in the civilian marketplace prior to the war. While all of the .38 revolvers made by Smith & Wesson during World War II were dubbed “Victory Model,” the term as generally used today refers to the .38 Spl. 4"-barreled revolvers as made under U.S. Navy and U.S. Ordnance Dept. contracts. The Navy initially bypassed the standard procurement procedure of ordering its small arms under the auspices of the U.S. Army Ordnance Dept. and issued production contracts directly to Smith & Wesson (1942). This course of action, however, soon resulted in problems, and Ordnance got involved in late 1943. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators generally carried their Victory Model .38 revolvers in a leather shoulder holster, often with web loops sewn onto the strap to hold extra cartridges. A leather hip holster was also made for these revolvers, but the shoulder holster was generally preferred by pilots due to space constraints in the cramped cockpits. The hip holsters were used more often by security personnel, but period photos show some flyers with their Victory Model revolvers in hip holsters. While the U.S. Navy was the primary user of the S&W .38 Spl. Victory Model revolvers, Ordnance records indicate that some of the guns were also purchased by the U.S. Army and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Although the M1911A1 .45 automatic pistol was the standard issue sidearm, plenty of .38 caliber Smith & Wesson "Victory Model" revolvers saw action. There are a number of contemporary accounts of .38-cal. revolvers being used in combat during World War II by American troops. Often the exact model is not mentioned, but based on the numbers made and wide issuance, the odds are that most were the S&W .38 Spl. Victory Model.