Extra Quality ((full)) | S W 38 Victory Model Serial Number Lookup
The main serial number is located on the butt of the grip. To confirm the gun is original and not a "Franken-gun" assembled from mismatched parts, you should check several other locations. An authentic S&W revolver should have the serial number in at least five of the following places:
In late 1944, a tragic shipboard accident revealed that the revolver could discharge if dropped directly on its hammer. S&W engineered an improved, positive mechanical hammer block. Revolvers built with this upgrade feature an , signifying "Safety" and "Victory." Key Factory Specifications
Matte sandblasted sand-bobbed finish (often called "Black Magic" or Parkerized). Stocks: Plain, uncheckered walnut grips. s w 38 victory model serial number lookup extra quality
When evaluating a Victory Model, especially from online auctions or gun shows, having a systematic checklist is essential. This is where you separate the wheat from the chaff.
Serial numbers SV769,001 to SV811,119. Following a fatal shipboard accident where a dropped revolver discharged, S&W integrated a new hammer block safety. The serial number prefix changed to "SV" . The main serial number is located on the butt of the grip
: For an "extra quality" verification of authenticity, check for matching serial numbers stamped on the underside of the barrel, the rear face of the cylinder, and penciled inside the right-hand wooden grip panel.
Use the following guidelines to approximate your revolver's production date based on the prefix and number: S&W engineered an improved, positive mechanical hammer block
Are there US property marks or British proof arrows on the top strap?
Technical Report: Smith & Wesson .38 Victory Model Authentication and Serialization
Len stared at the screen. Then he looked down at the revolver in his hands. The extra quality wasn't a marketing term—it was a code. A secret spec for guns that had to work the first time, every time, in the dark, when the only sound was a wet thump and the faint click of a cylinder turning.
Models shipped to Britain, Australia, or Canada typically feature a 5-inch barrel chambered in .38 S&W (known as the .38/200). 2. Original Finish vs. Arsenal Refinish