A Combat Masterpiece that shipped in November of 1953 to the “George Cake Co., Berkeley CA” Besides the holster wear, you’ll notice the beautiful engraving of his initials on the side plate; hoping for “WLW”, but the engraver had lost his “W” and had to use an upside down “M” for the job. The artist was actually a prisoner in the Somerton AZ jail in the late 50’s or early 60’s, one of many that traveled there supposedly for work, but in reality were criminals looking for easy marks. This particular ward was working on the Town garbage truck and told my dad how he could ahem, improve the looks of his sidearm and my dad agreed. Before anyone comments, the revolver was unloaded when handed over and the idea that this old shooter had any value other than it’s shooting purpose was beyond the idea of any in those days. In 2011 my father gave the revolver to my son, who is a police officer, 2 months before he left us; it will be passed on to my grandchildren. Anyway, this is how it was done back then, nothing fancy, just an effective piece of insurance strapped on the hip!

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COURAGE=Fear+Prayer

They are always special when they come from your dad. I have a couple old guns of my dad's that would not bring more than $300. a piece at a gun shop but I would not sell them for any amount.

There was a time though when the Combat Masterpiece was considered pretty cutting edge and was a hot item on the market.

Thanks for posting the photos and the story about your dad's revolver.

Any Dad gun is a gun to charish!!!!!!

That's a neat revolver and, in this case, the finish wear adds something. It wouldn't mean nearly as much if it were a safe queen.

I see "BEAUTIFUL" in it's honest LEO wear, original grips, and family heirloom status.

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Y. B. Ord & A. Ree

it is exactly what a Dad's gun is supposed to be...
I suggest you go to the range Fathers Day weekend and have a celebration of generations...

Sorry to hear of the loss of your dad. Sometime in the past, the side plate screw that goes under the grip has been swapped to the middle hole.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Just to clarify Muley's excellent observation, the three visible screws on that era revolver holding the sideplate on are domed. If you check under the right stock, you will likely find another domed screw. Just move it forward and replace the hole under the stock with the flat top screw!

I have no handguns from my father, but have some long guns that I will not be selling anytime soon. I do have a 32 S&W Double Action from my grandfather that I will never sell. He used it to shoot rats in the chicken coop and raccoons in the barn. Good for rats, but just made the raccoons angry!!

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Gary
SWCA 2515

"Good for rats, but just made the raccoons angry!!"

I know what you mean! I have a Model 1 1/2 CF in .32 S&W. I shot a coke can with it at about 10 feet & it barely fell off of the fence post!!! "(

I'd love to have the same revolver chambered in .22 LR. It really does point well.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

That gun is a Treasure in my book! Thanks for sharing it and the story with us.

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PTLAPTA!

Is the holster marked with the Cake logo ? They sold everything for police use including holsters.
That’s a fine and beautiful revolver, thanks for posting it.
Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

Blackcloud2, I can relate to so much here. My dad passed my Grandfather's LEO 38-44 Outdoorsman to me. It is my pride and joy. It is a priceless heirloom, for me and, someday, one of my own sons. They will remember the old Pasadena Police officer/Sergeant/Detective/Captian/Acting Chief through the beautiful piece that it is.

Your son is very fortunate.




***Sorry to keep sharing these pics. I like them a lot***

Due to family estate grabbers (nicest word I could think of, I have others), and the fact that I was half way around the world serving in the Navy, I wound up getting none of my Father or Grandfathers guns...It bothers me still nearly 40 years later.

I think it’s beautiful and something to be cherished, you and your Son should take it shooting on Fathers Day, his Birthday, or any other day that was special between you. Think of him when you do...We are only lost if forgotten.

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Danny
SWCA #3370 - SWHF #672

To the OP, congratulations on having that gun and rig in your family. It looks plenty pretty to me. I also own some firearms that belonged to my Dad, and they are among my most prized material possessions. I also inherited some cool holsters, but unfortunately they were useless to me since they were left handed lol. Thanks for sharing.

Every wear mark and scratch on that gun, every chip in the grips, are testimony to your dad. When you hold it and feel the checkering pressing against the flesh of your hand, you know your dad felt the same thing. When I open the safe that has my dad’s rifles in it, I still get a whiff of his cigar smoke on them permeating the stocks from sitting in the gun rack in his house for decades. And it always makes me pause and smile.

Anyone who says that good honest working wear on a gun isn't pretty is full of beans.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

Doesn't have to be pretty to be special.




This was my brother's duty weapon for the first 10 years of his career in law enforcement. This was how he carried it wearing these Hogue Monogrips.

Its a M66-1 shipped in Sept 1980. I am waiting for my letter.




I didn't get the original Target Stocks so I took these off a well used but very nice M68-2 CHP.

I think they are aesthetically perfect for the gun perfect.

edit:
My dad was a carpenter and didn't have any guns.
My brother was the only LEO in my family.

One more edit.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

We do too.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

Great revolver and story, BC!

Tighten up that mainspring screw, too

Doesn't get any better than that OP.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

A beautiful gun, And even more beautiful memories. Cherish them both.

Since you're talking screws....Doesn't it look like the strain screw, on the OP's pics, is loose?

It's gorgeous just like it is. I think you should write down what you remember about it's history and store it with the gun when you're not shooting it. That would mean something to those you pass it down to one day. But in the meantime, shoot it and enjoy it for what it is.

I have one of my Dad's old H&R 9 shot 22's that isn't safe to shoot now. I wish I knew if he wore it out or what the story is on its history.

My brother has Dad's old single shot 22 rifle that Dad bought sometime in the 30's. He earned the money shooting neighborhood rabbits from their gardens for a nickle apiece. I'm going to ask him to write down the story, for those that get it years (hopefully) from now. It is always neat to know things like that about old gun, or cars or whatever.

Thanks for sharing it.

Interesting side note, George Cake was the first one to install metal detectors at Alcatraz, San Quentin and other area prisons. While never a police officer, he was probably instrumental in saving many officers lives. He is also credited with coming up with the plastic barrier between the front and rear seats in police cars. I would bet many officers were spared harm from suspects/criminals riding in the back seat.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Good eye Muley.

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America First

Thought you might enjoy reading some info on the Cake Company...

George F. "Jim" Cake was never a cop, but he probably saved a lot of cops' lives.

Mr. Cake pioneered a lot of police technology. Gun locks, motorcycles and, most importantly, the plastic shields that separate the front seat and backseat in cop cars.

Mr. Cake, a survivor of the '06 quake who later developed and sold law enforcement equipment to police departments in California and nationwide.

The George F. Cake Co. of Berkeley distributed guns, ammunition, badges, handcuffs, helmets, Mace, sirens and radar guns all over the West. Mr. Cake sold everything but the uniform and also taught police officers the use of teargas and submachine guns. He was the first to install metal detectors at Alcatraz, San Quentin and other prisons in the region.

Mr. Cake was a friend and adviser to Earl Warren and Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, working with both when they were young Northern California district attorneys. McIntyre said Mr. Cake worked with Warren on several investigations and that Brown, when he was governor, asked him to sweep the governor's mansion for surveillance "bugs." He found none.

Mr. Cake was born on Feb. 28, 1904, in Shasta County. His family lived in San Francisco's Sunset District in 1906 when the quake hit, and they stayed in Golden Gate Park for several days. They later moved to Los Angeles. He got his start in his chosen business in the 1930s when he supplied firearms and teargas to police and sheriff's departments quelling labor unrest in the Central Valley.

Mr. Cake joined the Army during World War II and served with the general staff as the allied forces marched across Europe toward Berlin. A lieutenant colonel, Mr. Cake was credited for his work on policies for the occupation and for quickly returning civilian control after the soldiers moved on.

He moved to Kensington after the war and started his company. He sold it in 1971 but stayed on as company president until 1975, when he and his wife moved to Rossmoor. Sadly, as happens to us all, Mr. Cake passed away in 2002 at his home in Roseville, CA. He was 98.

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Danny
SWCA #3370 - SWHF #672

Those are some great looking family heirlooms.

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KM
S&WCA 3110 S&WHF 625

Not pretty? That pistol is like a middle aged woman who took pretty decent care of herself, looks good, walks proud, and still knows how to get the job done....that is the definition of pretty..

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I appreciate the kind words about my dad’s revolver, it’s very special to our family. It was the very first firearm I ever fired, having first been instructed about safety, where to always point it, then how to load it, fire it and unload it…I was 5 years old. My two older sisters were there, going through the same exercise, but this wasn’t new to them, they’d already learned about “The Gun”! We knew it wasn’t a toy and we knew to never touch it unless my dad said it was okay to do so. My dad became a cop in 1955, he and my mom understood that we’d be having guns in the house and they wanted to ensure their family fortune, that being us kids, we would learn properly how to safely coexist with firearms in our home growing up. I would get a 22 Rifle when I was 13, later use my grandfather’s shotgun to hunt Dove, Quail and the rare Duck (if you could find one in the Yuma Valley). To answer some questions about the holster, it was a later one used by my dad when after being relieved of his duties as Chief of Police in Somerton, a couple of years later he signed on to the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office and served as a deputy for 3 years. His original holster, the one he wore for 20 years prior to his break in service also resides with my son, along with his service belt, it’s an old SD Myres, I’ll attach a picture.

Tomorrow happens to be my son’s birthday and although he doesn’t know it, he’s going to have a party! When everyone is in the pool or eating, I’ll have him pull my dad’s old shooter from his safe and I’ll bring along a set of hollow ground screw drivers to address the screw anomalies you’ve pointed out, thank you! It never ceases to amaze me how expert eyes can spot things that others with a pedestrian interest miss! My late father and my son miss nothing about criminal activity and you’d be hard pressed to lie to them and it not be immediately detected, but neither had a skilled eye about Smith & Wesson revolvers. Why are the screws out of place? I can guarantee you my dad didn’t move them, but I do remember as a boy that my dad had a gunsmith in Yuma in the mid-60’s work on his gun for some reason. I don’t know the issue, but that has to have been when the side plate screws were pulled and replaced. I can tell you this, the old gal still shoots perfectly! I agree we need to shoot it again, likely in an indoor range because Arizona summer temps are back, desert shooting is out for the time being!

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COURAGE=Fear+Prayer

I'm very new to this forum, but I would bet my last dollar that the members on this board welcome every one of these pictures.

I also get the distinct feeling that we're in the mess we are in right now because we didn't have enough police like your grandfather or Blackcloud2's father. That you both cherish those guns and photos suggests to me that they must have been admirable men.

Sharing those photos with us is an honor.