A Comprehensive Look at the Smith & Wesson Victory Model K-200 and Its WW2 Legacy

As a gun dealer it takes a lot for something to arrive and that gets me excited.  Most of the guns that get the public excited are ho-hum to me. Things that excite me must be rare or unusual.  Most of the time it requires something with a historical tie.  When we had this Smith & Wesson Victory Model K-200 come through our shop was one of those instances that got us here at 2 If By Sea Tactical excited.

The Smith and Wesson K-200 have its origins all the way back to the end of the 19^th century and turn of the 20^th.  Designed in 1899, this revolver would go on to be renamed the Model 10 and is still in service to this day.  They gained widespread fame due to becoming the standard issue police weapon all the way through the 1980’s.

While the Model 10 would eventually be replaced in favor of semi-automatic pistols, this revolver served reliably for nearly a century.  The Victory Model version was only produced from 1940-1943.   As seen with its “Untied States Property” markings on the top of the cylinder well, this was made for the war effort in World War II.

The United States setup a Lend Lease program for the British during the war to help assist them with weapons production and supply chains in their fight to maintain independence from Nazi rule and eventually to free Europe.  That is where this gun comes into play.

These revolvers came to be known as the K-200 or the Victory Model, were purchased by the British government to supplement the war effort in Europe.  While the Americans utilized John Moses Browning’s famed 1911 design, the Brits maintained their penchant for revolvers.  In their military, officers were of upper-class status and thus presented themselves as a more “gentlemanly” amongst the men.  The

The Model 10 was redesigned into this model buy removing the blued finish for a cheaper and faster parkerized finish.  They also went with simpler grips instead of the checkering you normally see.  The machine marks are still prevalent all over the revolver as they minimized the amount of smoothing after the milling process.  All this was done to increase the speed at which these guns could be produced.

Revolvers such as the Victory model played a pivotal role in World War II especially amongst the Allies.  In World War II the era of the revolver was coming to an end in exchange for the age of the semi-automatic pistols.  However, vestiges of the past such as this K-200 model still served with pride and with great effectiveness.

We are very fortunate here at 2 If By Sea Tactical to have lots of history walking through our doors.  History such as the Smith & Wesson Victory Model K-200 is one of those guns.  It Is an affordable way to own a piece of this history.  Be sure to check out our Youtube video on this firearm.

Here at 2 If By Sea Tactical we strive to bring you the best experience in the firearms world.  As we continue to grow the media arm of 2 If By Sea, make sure you keep tuning in to our Youtube Channel @2ifbyseatactical or on Rumble @2ifbyseatactical and right here at “The Patriot’s Almanac” to stay informed on the latest happenings in the firearm world! But we are not lawyers, so this isn't legal guidance.

Stay sharp, stay informed, and stay ready.