New York City
Police Department
Smith & Wesson
"Victory" Model
Back to: Main
Page
Return
to: Collection
Online - Main Page
Return to: Collection
Online - NYCPD Page
This Smith & Wesson Victory Model #V 138199 was
a direct shipment from Smith & Wesson to the New York City Police
Department
on November 12, 1942.
On November 24, 1942, the NYCPD's Equipment
Bureau
sold this gun to Probationary Patrolman William Hayes, shield #2407.
The
sale is recorded in Book 42-46 Page 29. Officers assigned command was
Police
Academy.
The history and development of the Smith &
Wesson
Victory model pretty much parallels the wartime development of the Colt
Commando.
Basically, the government asked Colt & S&W to produce their
standard
.38 Special revolvers in a lower cost version for government contracts.
While
the wartime guns were mechanically identical to the pre-war models, the
finish
was cruder and machine marks and such were visible, since polishing had
been
reduced to speed production and cut costs.
While the guns were made for the US government with
an eye towards military use, some did wind in non-military hands.
Through
a government corporation known as the Defense Supplies Corp., the
Victory
(and other resources that are hard to get in wartime) was provided to
essential
users; police, factory guards, prisons, etc.
When WW2 started, the NYCPD was affected by the
governments blanket freeze on all non-military small arms sales. Many
new oficers were unable to secure a revolver for their work. The DSC
was designed to alleviate this situation.
In this particular model we note that while it is
mechanically identical to the Military & Police (parts
interchange), the finish is
a phosphate type rather than the more expensive blue. Also, we can see
that
polishing was kept to a minimum and machine and tool marks are visible
under
the finish. Barrel markings were identical to the Military &
Police.
The classic checkered wood grips were replace with smooth wood.
While the gun bears no US property marks or
inspectors
initials, it does bear an Ordnance logo stamped on the butt next to the
swivel.
On the backstrap of the gun we find the number 2407
handstamped. This is the shield number of the purchasing
officer, Probationary
Patrolman William Hayes. Regulations of that era required an officers
shield number be stamped on all his gear. This also illustrates the
often overlooked fact that NYCPD handguns are not issued or department
property; they are the private property of the officer who bought them.
That is why they do not bear any NYCPD property markings and instead
sport the shield number of the individual owning officer
Just like with the Colt Commando, the utilitarian
appearance
of the Victory is largely responsible for it's unusual survival rate
among
NYCPD models. Most documented NYCPD Victory revolvers are in pretty
good
to excellent shape. I suspect, and the records seem to support this,
that
as soon as the more attractive commercial finish guns were available
after
the war, the Victory revolver was put away and replaced with a
prettier
post-war gun. Some support for this theory may be found in the gun
ledgers;
early in the war the Commando was sold to new officers. The remaining
inventory
of pre-war revolvers was held back and not sold to the rookies. These
pre-war
guns were only sold to veteran officers who needed to replace their
revolver!
As soon as the war ended and commercial finish guns were once more
available, Victory sales ceased. No Victory was sold by the
NYCPD after November 1945.
The Victory did sit in inventory until about 1951, when they were
traded
in to Colt's 20 Vesey Street office.
Surviving Victory records show sales of
approximately
851 guns, although I suspect that actual number is somewhat higher;
perhaps
900-1,000.
Back to: Main
Page
Return
to: Collection
Online - Main Page
Return to: Collection
Online - NYCPD Page