There is a pistol listed on GunBroker initially advertised as a slant grip Victor (Auction # 519950291). After getting information from John Stimson concerning the gun, the seller (to his credit) added a note stating the pistol originally shipped as a Sharpshooter. The pistol exhibits several characteristics that show it is not an original slant grip Victor (SGV). I have attached photos of the gun, and a photo of an original SGV (bottom one) for comparison. The following are things that are inconsistent with the characteristics of a SGV:
1. The serial number is outside of the range of numbers for slant grip Victors. This pistol's serial number is 2,499,151. Thanks to John Stimson, we know the serial number range for SGVs is 2,401,860 to about 2,460,614. John looked up the serial number and found that it shipped as a Sharpshooter.
2. The frame has non-factory stippling on the front and rear grip straps instead of longitudinal serrations like slant grip Citations and Trophys of the time.
3. The slide is from a series 107 Victor. The rear of the slide has been reshaped in an attempt to blend the slide to the slant grip frame. However, it still does not fully mate to the frame like an original slide would, and is not the same contour as a slant grip gun. The appearance of the slide with the incorrect serration pattern is probably the most notable inconsistency at first glance that indicates the gun is not an original SGV.
4. The barrel and rib are likely from a series 107 Victor. The rear of the rib has had the extension under the sight blade ground off to more closely resemble the way the SGV ribs were made. The grinding job left a small notch at the rear of the rib that indicates it was ground down instead of being factory produced.
5. The trigger and slide release are not correct for a SGV (non-gold plated trigger with overtravel screw, and blued safety).
6. There is no trigger pull weight adjustment screw in the rear of the frame.
I have also attached a photo of an original SGV for comparison (bottom photo).
The current bid price is a bit over $1000, which seems high to me for a SGV clone/fake. The condition of the pistol is less than 95%.
This gun is a pretty good example of how a person who is not very knowledgeable concerning SGVs could end up paying quite a bit more for a replica/fake gun than warranted.
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| Authentic Slant Grip Victor |
One correction: the highest serial number for a slant grip Victor is 2,460,614 according to John Stimson.
ReplyDeleteThere is another fraudulent slant grip Victor that visually is close to perfect from the photo I have seen. However the serial number is for a catalog number 9205. Not only the serial number log but the invoice confirms the fraud.
ReplyDeleteSo the final selling price for this pistol was $2275. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteHello guys:
ReplyDeleteI'm the guy who purchased the gun...Here is the good part of the story; had I not located this collector group web site yesterday, I would have been stuck with the gun. However, the seller has agreed to take the gun back from me and we're working on that now.
So, all I can say gents is; THANK YOU for being out there keeping an eye on things like this.
And, I plan on sending back the 102 I purchased just recently which I haven't received yet..
Fred Olsen
fredolsen59@gmail.com
Thank you for posting these pictures side-by-side for comparison. Worth way more than a thousand words.
ReplyDeleteThis is the type over valuable information that makes it worth the money to join!
Fred, I appreciate your reply concerning this pistol and the 102 pistol you also purchased. I am glad you are getting your refunds. This new weblog and John Stimson's www.histandard.info site are good places for High Standard aficionados to obtain valuable information concerning these guns.
ReplyDeleteWe hope this weblog will be a resource for collectors in the future.