S W 38 Victory Model Serial Number Lookup Extra Quality Instant

: Revolvers produced in 1945 (approximately starting at serial 769,001) feature an "S" or "SV" prefix, indicating an upgraded, positive hammer block safety designed after an accidental discharge incident on a Navy vessel. Assembly Numbers

Identifying the production date and specific contract of your revolver requires a deep dive into serial numbers, proof marks, and frame stamps. This guide provides an extra-quality lookup framework to help you decode your Smith & Wesson .38 Victory Model. The Anatomy of a Victory Model Serial Number

Production moved rapidly during the war. Use this general roadmap to locate your revolver's manufacturing window: Serial Number Range Estimated Production Year Primary Recipient / Context Early 1942 Early U.S. Navy & Defense Supplies Corporation (DSC) V 40,000 to V 200,000 Split between U.S. forces and British Lend-Lease V 200,000 to V 550,000 Peak production, heavy Allied distribution V 550,000 to V 769,000 Early to Mid-1944 Final "V" only series before safety modification SV 769,001 to SV 811,119 Late 1944 to Late 1945 Introduction of the new factory safety hammer block

Look up the serial number on a Smith & Wesson .38 Victory Model, and you find a date. By using the range tables, understanding the factory markings, and checking the details in this guide, you can understand its history, its value, and its legacy. From the battlefields of Europe to the islands of the Pacific, the Victory Model served with distinction. When you hold a clean, all-matching, original-condition example, you are holding a piece of living history—that is the ultimate "extra quality." s w 38 victory model serial number lookup extra quality

Serial numbers SV811,120 to approximately SV842,000. Production ceased at the end of WWII. Distinguishing Calibers: .38 Special vs. .38 S&W

Initial production. Many were shipped to Britain under the Lend-Lease program.

To look up a Smith & Wesson .38 Victory Model serial number, check the for a number starting with a "V" or "SV" prefix. These revolvers were produced roughly between 1942 and 1945 for military and Lend-Lease use. 1. Serial Number Prefix Identification : Revolvers produced in 1945 (approximately starting at

. You may also find it on the rear of the cylinder and the bottom of the barrel. "V" Prefix

A: Yes. All S&W revolvers with a "V" prefix in their serial number are, by definition, Victory Models produced between 1942 and 1945. However, "pre-Victory" models exist in the 800,000-999,999 serial number range. Be aware that some guns with a "V" prefix may have been chambered in .38 S&W for the British Commonwealth, not .38 Special.

: Typically found on the frame, cylinder, and barrel, indicating the gun passed military proof-load testing. The Anatomy of a Victory Model Serial Number

Caliber Note: These were originally chambered in , not .38 Special. While many were reamed to .38 Special after being imported back to the U.S., a gun that remains in its original .38 S&W caliber can be more desirable to specific collectors. D. The "SV" Prefix (Safety Block)

They added a positive block safety device. Revolvers made with this fix received an prefix or suffix.

If your serial number has no “V” or “SV” prefix, it is not a Victory Model. It is a standard M&P from the 1930s or post-1946.

In early 1942, Smith & Wesson reached the 1,000,000 mark in their standard M&P production sequence. To signify the shift to wartime contracts, they restarted numbering at 1 and added a for "Victory." Serial Range: V1 to approximately V769,000. Calibers: