Originally Posted by s&wchad

Nice score! It should clean up just fine.

I believe the hammer is original. There were a number of different hammers used over the years, including the "J", a wedge shape and a Commander style. Your is a later production original Detonics and probably dates to around 1980. The CR serial number prefix indicates stainless steel (C = carbon steel). Jerry Ahern resurrected the brand around 2005, but they didn't survive very long.

Here's a relatively early Combatmaster with the "J" hammer and a hard chrome finish.





Original magazines are not difficult to find and are quite distinct. The floorplate is marked Detonics .45 ACP and has a gap at the back, where an extension on the rear of the follower projects through and acts as a loaded magazine indicator. You'll want to sit down before you start looking for originals online, they can top $200. New Detonics mag's for the Combatmaster are marked differently (New Detonics logo) and should work just fine. I sold several a few years ago for about $50 each.


According to the owner's manual, the sight was moved forward and the "top rear of the slide was sloped to allow fast smooth cocking of the hammer". There's no grip safety on these and some people preferred to carry them with the hammer down on a loaded chamber. They are safe to carry cocked and locked, especially if the holster has a retaining strap that goes between the frame and hammer!