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Old 04-05-2018, 02:41 PM
Regaj Regaj is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crstrode View Post
Do you have a reference/source for this statement, or is it a guess?
Sure. Quoting from page 180-182 of Roy Jinks' History of Smith & Wesson...

"The line of K Magnums began at Camp Perry, Ohio. In the summer of 1954, Mr. Hellstrom asked the prominent U. S. Border Patrol shooter, Bill Jordan, what he considered to be an ideal law enforcement officer's handgun. Bill Jordan stated that in his opinion the gun should be built on a K frame, having a heavy 4" barrel with an extractor shroud similar to those used on the large-frame .357 Magnum, target grips, target sights, and the .357 Magnum caliber. Mr. Hellstrom made many mental notes and returned to Smith & Wesson to discuss the feasibility of these ideas with his engineers. Until this date, the powerful .357 Magnum cartridge had only been used in the large-frame models and no company had ever attempted to perfect a small frame for this cartridge. Tests were carried out on medium-frame guns throughout 1954 and into 1955 as Smith & Wesson tested various steels and different heat treatment processes [emphasis mine]. On November 15, 1955, the first production medium-framed Magnum was completed; it was serial numbered K260,003. This new gun was named the Model 19 Combat Magnum."

As an aside, Jinks' book is a treasure trove of information for anyone interested in S&W. Mine is a prized possession...