This is the first Combat Magnum. K260003 was completed on November 15, 1955. It was kept in the factory collection and in 1961/62 was sent to Alvin White for engraving and inlay with gold and silver. The revolver was to be presented to President John F. Kennedy and has the initials, JFK, engraved on a gold shield on the bottom of the trigger guard. Mr. White also made the ivory stocks and carved the American eagle on the right panel. The escutcheon, stock screw, and S&W monograms appear to be made of gold.

The fine detail in the Great Seal of the United States on the side plate and the anchor on the left side of the frame are not visible in the photographs and require a 10x magnification to really appreciate the work of Mr. White. The carved stocks are truly one of a kind and are magnificent.

Bill

Love the stocks... not so much the engraving.

Was it ever presented to JFK?

Wow is all I can say.
That is a fine piece of history Doc. It is also my new screen back ground.
Thanks for showing us your collection.

Whoa.

Doc, your ability to stun and amaze me has achieved a new level.

I'm also very thankful that brother Ted didn't inherit this one.

Marvelous!
Thank you very much for sharing this.
Unique. Stunning. Historical.
JP

Magnificent. Thanks for posting. I too would like to know if it ever was presented to JFK.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

WOW! Just plain WOW!!!!

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Dyin ain't much of a livin

if a president that is in office at the time of being presented with a gift , isn't it considered a gift to the people of the United States and not to the president as a person? just curious about the history in aquiring the revolver.

Bill, That is a great piece to have in a collection. Good for you.

Chad Gripp

This indicates it was never presented to JFK.

Ps. great looking M-19, a true piece of history.

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Always Stay Strong!

Great gun Bill! Another fine example of Mr. White's outstanding work! Love the grips as well. I sense a Combat Magnum display coming soon!

Bob

The Combat Magnum was never presented to JFK. If it was, the revolver would most likely be in the JFK library near Boston. The revolver has been in the collection of two collectors and the factory since 1955.

Bill

Bill...did you letter it?

Just kidding

Just an amazing piece of history and thank you for sharing it with everyone here.

White and the Youngs.
It don't get no better.
Fabulous gun, Bill.
Would you show the initials, please?

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Spectacular gun is an understatement.
So what happened… Jackie wouldn’t let him bring it into the house??

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"I also cook."

Incredible revolver. Congratulations of the highest order. At my visit to the National Firearms museum last month I saw a Colt .45, also engraved for but never presented to J.F.K. This is part of the Peterson collection. I am uncertain of the engraver of the Colt. Click link to view: The National Firearms Museum: President John F. Kennedy New Frontier Colt

-KSK-

I don't know what to say about this one. Spectacular, amazing...those words just don't cut it. Truly a museum-quality piece, and a piece of American history.

Just WOW!!!

combat magnum? so this was one of the first model 19's made?
then wouldnt it make more sense if this was presented to Bill Jordan instead?

That's an astounding gun, it's rare to see that level of craftsmanship on top of the history behind it.
Thanks for sharing.

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27-2, 66-1, 640 Pro, 10-5

I'm curious as to why it wasn't presented. Someone change their mind? Did JFK not live long enough?

Does it seem odd to take a 6 year old revolver out the collection and embellish it for presentation rather than simply use a new gun? Was there some significance to using the first one made?

Spectacular!! Thanks so much for sharing.

This is the first Model 19 (but they didn't have model numbers yet) made.
Bill Jordan was presented the lowest serial number, K260001.

Fantastic, Bill!!

Sorry I didnt actually pick up on that when I saw the thread title, that's kind of weird that of all the people they wanted to present this to it was him as his family had a reputation for being really anti gun.

on the other hand wasnt the model 19 actually addopted by the secret service and used by them for a number of years?

maybe they were trying to make a sales pitch to him?

Bill:

That has to be the nicest combat magnum that I have ever seen. Would love to see it in person. Are you bringing it to Boise?

Thanks for sharing!

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

I am speculating here, But I would have to guess that the gun probably sat in the inventory for a few years, in some form. Regular production of partially engraved maybe...since JFK wasn't elected until 1960 and didn't take office until 1961. Or was it with White all that time, waiting for the right guy to give it to. I wonder how Eisenhower "lost" out on it and that it wasn't presented to him, after all he was another very distinguished WW2 veteran.
There must be an interesting story behind this revolver Bill. And as always, spectacular! Thanks for sharing!

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Geoff. Since 1960.

Unless I misunderstood him, Bill Jordan told me that he received the first Combat Magnum. I thought it was the gun that he displayed on a TV show?

He may have been misinformed about which gun was earlier.

Eisenhower was in the White House when the gun was made, but JFK, like S&W, was from MA and was then (I think) the senator from that state. So, perhaps S&W saw some advantage in giving it to him. Colt gave Sir Winston Churchill a .45 Commander in about 1950, probably to thank him for carrying their Govt. Model in two world wars and for getting it adopted as the standard handgun for the commando units, which he conceived and had raised.

Bill-

Is it okay to Save these pics to put in our S&W reference books? No commercial use is intended. I saw where one member is using one now for his desktop image.

These are among the best of all the superb images of S&W's that you have posted here over the years. Thanks for sharing them.

What a beauty, glad Teddy was never President, it would have been very hard to do all that engraving on a bottle of scotch.

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Vaya con Dios

I'm just speechless. Bill, thank you for sharing this wonderful firearm.

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Ash

Texas Star... Please feel free to use the photos for your reference books. Bill Jordan was given the Combat Magnum with the lowest serial number, K260001. It was the first gun out of the factory and S&W wanted him to have the one with the lowest serial number, but K260003 was the first gun completed on November 15, 1955.

Bill

Anyone know what happened to K260002?

Class III

Amazing gun, Bill. Takes my breath away, and that doesn't happen often!

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John

Bill

We have rules around here, you know ! They are not just ours,
but the BATF, as well. Guns are made on their shipping date, not
some intermediate date from which they subsequently receive
further work, as was the case with this gun.

So - when was this gun shipped ?

More importantly, when was this gun finally completed ?

I find it curious that the gun was engraved as a presentation for
President Kennedy, but never delivered. The man was President for
over two and one-half years. I would have thought that was
enough time to get the engraving completed. My records show
several shipping dates, one being Nov 18 1960. Was this when it was
sent to Alvin White, for engraving ? If so, I would have thought that
it would have been completed , and presented, before President
Kennedy's death. Or did some other event, or change of thinking,
prevent the gun from being presented ?

Regards, Mike Priwer

good gracious! that is awesome. thanks for the great pics!

Stupendous "First". Intriguing that the gorgeous complexity of its final form is mirrored by the multi-layered complexity of its creation, numerology and going public.

Thanks for sharing,

Dyson

four pages for this beautiful gun...and not ONCE has someone asked "are ya gonna shoot it"?

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

true but if he does he'd better take video!

Bill, another amazing find added to the collection. Would it be possible to get the story behind the story? Would love to know the answers to questions posed about how it came to be and yet never presented. Also a trace of its life from then to now.

If I read you correctly, it was never presented, went into the factory collection, was probably auctioned off when the factory collection was broken up, went through two private collections and ended up in yours. Curious how you learned about it or it found its way to you.

This is the kind of information that makes the rest of us hold out hope that there is still gold in them there hills.

As Lee asked, can we see a photo of the initials???

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James Redfield
LM #497

Bill-

Thanks for permission to print the pics to stick into my books by Roy Jinks and others. This is simply a magnificent gun.

The Presidential seal on the sideplate and the naval anchor on the left and the initials on the trigger guard almost compel one to conclude that the gun was meant for Kennedy. What happened to keep it from him would be very interesting to learn.

Great gun Bill would love to see that in person

Bill, awesome gun. The history of it would be very interesting to know. I, too, hope you bring it to Boise!

Sheryl

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SWHF

WOW is all I can say.
Everything about that gun is stunning!

This thread shall not die.

Bill--

I have seen an American Rifleman article by Jordan talking about his new Combat Magnum.

The gun is clearly a five-screw.

I'll see if I can dig it out.

The revolver sent to Bill Jordan has serial number K260001 and I am certain it is a 4-screw (I have held and examined this revolver).

Bill

Bill--

I will look and try to find the article and post a pic.

Bill--

I've looked high and low--can't find the article--maybe someone out there has an old copy?

I am sure of two things: the article was about the new Combat Magnum, and Bill was shown firing a 5-screw 4" underlug revolver.

I am aware that the CM was the first 4-screw S&W gun, or so I thought until I saw the photo.

Could this have been a pre-production prototype?

Curious...

I would speculate a prototype made from a 5 screw Combat Masterpiece frame and a new C. Magnum shrouded barrel. If you see the picture again look at the front frame 'flat' to verify if it's slightly short where the bottom rear of the shroud meets it.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

If Bill Jordan received a pre-production prototype, this is the first I have heard of it (not to say he didn't). But I know for sure that K260001, a 4-screw, and the second gun completed, was shipped to him on January 5, 1956. As published in History of Smith & Wesson, page 182, by Roy Jinks, this is the revolver Mr. Jordan used when he appeared on "You Asked For It", a popular TV show in the 50s. K260004 (with a dark blue presentation case) was shipped on January 20, 1956 to Major General Julian Hatcher of the NRA and featured in the March 1956 issue of the American Rifleman.

Bill

Ya need to take out the trigger stop. Never know when it might bind up that wheelgun!

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!