The gold Masterpiece boxes were never made to fit the target stocked Masterpiece revolvers, but rather were made to fit a Masterpiece with the Magna stocks you show in your top images. It is documented that there were some target stocked revolvers sent in N frame boxes, so the target stocks would fit both by length and width. Target stocks are wider that the gold box is high, so needed a 5 tab metal cornered box to fit them if coming from the factory. I believe that target stocks and the Masterpiece with Magnas would fit in the same box, or they could have been sent separately. Most were probably bought in the same hardware store as the gun, or bought later and put on the revolver.
By my notes, the large non-relieved target stocks were available in 1948, so it was possible that a 1948 gun could be ordered with that style stocks.
__________________
Gary
SWCA 2515
|