1955 target 5screw S/A only

SOFMatchstaff · #1 09-20-2013, 11:52 AM

I just got back a 45 target that I had given a good friend years ago, and discovered it is a single action only trigger. I kinda remember it, but it didnt register until I took it out to shoot. Very nice old shooter, late 1956 to early 57.

I opened it up to see what the hammer/trigger set up was, and found the internals modified with an additional stud to stop the hammer travel, and the stirrup removed. Not factory by any stretch.

Who back in the 50s and 60s did this modification for the Bullseye shooters, and was it common?

Muley Gil · #2 09-20-2013, 10:54 PM

I believe Jimmy Clark would do this mod for you, back in the day.

perrazi · #3 09-21-2013, 12:04 AM

I once owned one these that was a special order from s&w. had the jinks letter to prove it to. unfortunately is was sold or traded somewhere along the line. a couple of years ago I asked if anyone here owned it and got no responses. maybe it's the one you have.

Hondo44 · #4 09-21-2013, 03:37 AM

SOFMatchstaff says it wasn't a factory modification.

Might also be King if still in business then or MicroSight and any of a hundred others.

No ID marked on the inside of the sideplate?

SOFMatchstaff · #5 09-21-2013, 12:19 PM

Nope, no ID marks on the butt where you would expect to find them,
I'm going to open it up again and peer into the innards abit more carefully than I did on the range, it was a "why dont this work look" last time, this time I'll be looking for specifics.

SOFMatchstaff · #6 09-24-2013, 03:03 PM

Opened it up again and no indication of a smith that did the work, so I guess its gonna stay a mystery. Good old 1955 Target S-160000 range shooter.

tommy F · #7 09-24-2013, 10:10 PM

My pre 27 and 1955 are similar. Found Austin Behlert card in box.

H Richard · #8 09-25-2013, 10:27 AM

Usually anything Clark did was stamped with his name.

SOFMatchstaff · #9 09-25-2013, 12:06 PM

Yes, all my Chow and Clark guns are marked, totally forgot about Behlert, I have a couple of his rear sights for Smiths.

Tommy, have you had yours opened and looked at the geometry of the hammer/ trigger sear area? Mine is much different that what I would have thought a simple D/A de-activation would be. The hammer has had a lot of modification to shorten the throw.

elpac3 · #10 09-27-2013, 08:10 PM

Might be a King action job. I have a 1955 .45 with the King action set that has a very short hammer throw. (not S.A.) A number of the bullseye shooters of the day went the S.A. or short action route when thumb busting the National Match Course.

Hondo44 · #11 09-27-2013, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOFMatchstaff

Yes, all my Chow and Clark guns are marked, totally forgot about Behlert, I have a couple of his rear sights for Smiths.

Tommy, have you had yours opened and looked at the geometry of the hammer/ trigger sear area? Mine is much different that what I would have thought a simple D/A de-activation would be. The hammer has had a lot of modification to shorten the throw.

A stark difference to the simple S&W method of just using a different hammer. But of course it didn't change a long throw hammer to short throw or your short throw hammer to an even shorter action.

How much shorter is it than a standard S&W post 1950 short throw action?