The Unofficial P64 Resource Forum

Here are a couple of my WWII handguns, these old .38's probably didn't see any action, the S&W & Colt were probably issued to the DSC to be distributed to defense contractors, both have the phosphate finish. The Victory has matching SN stocks/grips which are smooth walnut, the Commando has the plastic grips which are correct for this model, Colt went to the wood grips in 1954. Neither has been shot very much, both actions are tight and the bbl's are both bright and shinny with strong lands and grooves. I have shot them and they shoot a 3" group at 50 ft from a bench.



S&W Victory Model July 1942





Colt Commando May-June 1942




papabear

Beautys!

Could you tell me about a "phosphate finish"? I'm unfamiliar with the term.

nbender,

The Phosphate finish is much the same as Parkerizing. If I remember correct, the Parkerizing was a trade name by the inventor.

papabear,
I had a S&W Victory I bought last year when I was in Washington State, but I traded it to good friend of mine that likes nice revolvers better than I do. Your S&W and Colt are absolutly gorgeous examples that are top collector quality! Congratulations on having these two beauties!!!!!

thanks abwehr, they looked Parkerized and I've heard that term describe older military finishes. Add another item to the vocabulary.

nbender,

Abwehr is correct, phosphat/parkerized is a method of protecting a steel surface from corrosion and increasing its resistance to wear through the application of an electrochemical phosphate conversion coating. Parkerizing is usually considered to be an improved zinc or manganese phosphating process.

The development of the process was started in England and continued by the Parker family in the United States. The terms Parkerizing, Parkerize, and Parkerized are all technically registered US trademarks of Henkel Surface Technologies, formerly Parker-Amchem, formerly Parker, formerly Parker Rust-Proof Company, formerly Parker Rust-Proof Phosphating Company of America, although the terminology has largely passed into generic usage for many years. The process was first used on a large scale in the manufacture of firearms for the United States military during World War II.

Parkerizing is commonly used on firearms as a more effective alternative to bluing, which is another electrochemical conversion coating that was developed earlier. The Parkerizing process cannot be used on non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, brass, or copper. It similarly cannot be applied to steels containing a large amount of nickel, or on stainless steel. Zinc phosphating results in a non-reflective, light- to medium-gray finish. Manganese phosphating produces a medium- to dark-gray or black finish.

papabear

Man those are some pretty pics--and i mean the whole pic, not just the gun!

Nice Papabear...see what I mean, what else you got tucked away... ...hmmmm?

I nevere realized they were originally issued parkerized (phosphate) finished. I almost picked one up a while ago (a Victory) for a couple of hundred but it had been "refinished" (reparkerized) and I did not like the look and figured it was no where near original!! Silly me.

carguy,

Was that Victory a 2",4", 5" or 6" barrel? S&W made around 570,000 Lend Lease Victory's for the British, which distributed them to their Commonwealth countries, South Africa [21,347], Canada [45,328 and Australia [8,000] the remaining 384,100 went to the British. The US Victories were.38 specialaand usually with a 4" bbl, and the Lend Least Victories usually had the 5" bbls and were .38 S&W [.38/200 or .38 short]. A good book one these is; "Smith and Wesson 1897 - 1945 by Robert J. Neal and Roy G. Jinks" also, "US Handgus of WWII - The Secondary Pistols and Revolvers by Cahrles W. Pate"

For a quick reference try:
http://coolgunsite.com/pistols/victory_ ... wesson.htm

papabear

carguy,

Here is my Lend Lease Victory of a British Victory .38/200 CTG with the 5" bbl and a Pattern 37 Army holster dated 1944, I now have the P-37 pistol belt with ammo pouch both dated 1944 but I didn't have it when I took this pic I have shot this one maybe 100 rounds, and at 50 ft it shoots better than I do, the .38 S&W round is pretty tame, but still fun to shot. The finish on this is worn, I'd say it is 80%, but it does have a nice patina on the it, a realistic war time finish.




papabear

Uh Papabear,
If something happens to you......I am in your will, right?

grayfox,

Well of course you are and if something happens that I need the money you are on the short list of one's to call........ ;D

papabear

My wife says I don't collect, I accumulate, well here is one of my most treasured "accumulations" that took me a while to accumulate.

Its a WWI set for my S&W M1917 .45acp, it includes:

S&W M1917 .45acp BOD 1918

1918 G&K Holster

1918 M1912 Dismounted NCO Pistol Belt

1918 Half Moon Clip Ammo Pouch

1917 Lanyard

1943 Evansville, In. Arsenal .45acp ammo

WWII Half Moon Clips





Close up of the S&W 1917



papabear

papabear,

That is not an "accumulation", that is a "Collection"! Wow, that is realy a nice rig you have there.

Ditto that--love the holster, etc....

Papabear

I believe it was a S&W 4" barrel in 38 special. Again that was what intrigued me about it as I have a modern 38 special and figured a 2nd one to shoot!!

And I love the model 1917... I want one soooooooo bad... and you have such a great example!!!

Forget about what Grayfix said about your will...adopt me? :'(