38 revolvers made for the British government prior to the U.S.’s entry into WWII. The Victory Model serial numbers were a continuation of the numbers used on the S&W. The serial number on the butt has a V prefix.

Colt sold over 45,000 Commando’s before war’s end.Ĭollectors will find that identifying a Victory Model is simple. Most had a 4” barrel length, but a few were produced with a 2” barrel and came to be known as Junior Commandos. Like the Victory Model, the Commando was a conventional double action revolver with a parkerized finish and chambered for the. 38’s, the military turned to Colt, and the Colt Commando was born. The Victory Model was also used by security officers who guarded factories and defense installations throughout the United States during the war. Coast Guard used the Victory Model well into the 1990’s. The lighter and more compact design made a good fit with for the tight spaces pilots and crew members found inside airplanes of the day. Navy and Marine aviators carried the Victory Model as a side arm.