Does any member of the Forum{or any of your friends} have any Revolvers, Smith or Colt, modified by Mr. Matthews at his Downey, Ca. shop? They were normally M&P's with shortened barrels and King like rib with adjustable sights , modified hammer and very slicked up actions. There are pictures in the 1970 Guns&Ammo annual as well as the Gun Digest 1989 Handguns Annual edited By Wiley Clapp. Thanks for your consideration . Joe
Custom Revolver Pistolsmith -George Matthews-California
- Thread starter Joe Kent
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feralmerril
Absent Comrade
I remember seeing pictures of his work. I just now wrote of some work Dan King did for me some 45 years ago. He was located in near by culver city area. Here was the deal on him.
The original Dan King Sr. was a top gun smith in los angles around the late teens to probley mid 1950s. A very close friend and mentor of mine hung out around his shop with dan king jr., arnold "Al" capone. My friends name was ura "Duke" duvall. If duke were still alive he would be in his late 90s.
Somehow al capone got the business name of "Kings gunshop" and I belive his son runs it today. (This is old info as I understood it many years ago from duke. Capone had married dukes sister although I understand they divoriced. Duke was close with dan king jr. who ran a hole in the wall some shop in culver city. He did fine work but never got as well known or as big as capone did that took over his dads business name.
Duke introduced me to dan jr. and he done some fine custom work for me for peanuts. I just wrote this morning about a 1917 smith he converted for me to .45 colt on the custom handgun thread we have up.
I honestly belive king was capable of doing similar work as the big names like turnbull, chilcone, linbaugh and others do/did for many times the price.
Duke worked at lockheed with me and I rented him a room as his family lived a 100 miles away. Duke was a lot older than me but was a father figure to me. He probley was the biggest gun collector I ever knew personaly, and he liked best smith & wessona. This guy even owned volcanics and you name it! Duke is the one lone person that got me started in collecting. We used to talk guns for hours on end and also drove to gunshows and shops together. Duke had guns that were featured on old covers of guns and ammo magzine etc. I got a number of guns from duke. I still have a few. He got a few off me too! Duke also was the biggest "barginier" I ever met in my life. His daughter, Doreen, wrote a few things on this site a few years ago. She is a retired deputy from lake county california.
The original Dan King Sr. was a top gun smith in los angles around the late teens to probley mid 1950s. A very close friend and mentor of mine hung out around his shop with dan king jr., arnold "Al" capone. My friends name was ura "Duke" duvall. If duke were still alive he would be in his late 90s.
Somehow al capone got the business name of "Kings gunshop" and I belive his son runs it today. (This is old info as I understood it many years ago from duke. Capone had married dukes sister although I understand they divoriced. Duke was close with dan king jr. who ran a hole in the wall some shop in culver city. He did fine work but never got as well known or as big as capone did that took over his dads business name.
Duke introduced me to dan jr. and he done some fine custom work for me for peanuts. I just wrote this morning about a 1917 smith he converted for me to .45 colt on the custom handgun thread we have up.
I honestly belive king was capable of doing similar work as the big names like turnbull, chilcone, linbaugh and others do/did for many times the price.
Duke worked at lockheed with me and I rented him a room as his family lived a 100 miles away. Duke was a lot older than me but was a father figure to me. He probley was the biggest gun collector I ever knew personaly, and he liked best smith & wessona. This guy even owned volcanics and you name it! Duke is the one lone person that got me started in collecting. We used to talk guns for hours on end and also drove to gunshows and shops together. Duke had guns that were featured on old covers of guns and ammo magzine etc. I got a number of guns from duke. I still have a few. He got a few off me too! Duke also was the biggest "barginier" I ever met in my life. His daughter, Doreen, wrote a few things on this site a few years ago. She is a retired deputy from lake county california.
Guero
Member
I have been a fan of George Matthews' modified revolvers for a number of years. Information on them was originally included in a couple of articles by Wiley Clapp that were published over the past 25 years or so. I never saw one until recently when I stumbled over one on an auction site. It was a highly modified Colt Police Positive which, it turned out, was in much better condition than the pictures indicated. It was not advertised as a Matthews but when I examined the pictures it seemed to share a number of the characteristics of the Matthews guns included in the articles. Those characteristics were a welded up and re-shaped hammer that did away with the hammer spur but retained a area that enabled the shooter to thumb cock it after the trigger pull started the hammer moving. Also, a rib that Clapp described as being carved out of a piece of steel which was milled into the top strap of the weapon. Some were fitted with a fully adjustable but the example that I have has a rear sight adjustable for windage only. The rib ended in a front sight which was a modified Patridge. On this particular example the back strap is heavily checked at about 20 lpi. I am attempting to attach photos. I think it is an excellent example of another well known gunsmith who is now largely forgotten. Are there any other examples out there?
Many thanks to Joe Kent and SG 688 for sharing copies of the articles.
Sorry about the size, I am just happy to get it on the forum right now, I will do better if I ever do this again.
Many thanks to Joe Kent and SG 688 for sharing copies of the articles.
Sorry about the size, I am just happy to get it on the forum right now, I will do better if I ever do this again.
Guero, you most certainly found a "Treasure", Both SG-688 and myself are delighted to share what we have in the way of written material and hope that we may hear of more of this type of custom work from a largely unknown pistolsmith as our other Forum members and friends start to know what to look for. All my very best and thanks for sharing.
Wyatt Burp
Member
I never knew four leaf clovers grew in Texas but you sure found one. what an unbelievably great modified little Colt. I have one article in an old G&A annual about this guy's modified Victory Model. Very sharp eye on your part to make the G.M. connection. I love that the orig. grips were left on. Put a Pach. grip adapter or a Tyler and you are all set. I'm seething with jealous rage as I write this.
Could'a ... would'a... should'a
The irony is that -- we could have ordered one of these when we first saw the articles... instead of wasting time and money ordering those silly Swenson .45's....
I inferred from the 1970's Walter Rickell articles that Mathews was gone. Only too late did we learn from Wiley Clapp that Mathews continued working into the 1980's or even later.
The irony is that -- we could have ordered one of these when we first saw the articles... instead of wasting time and money ordering those silly Swenson .45's....
I inferred from the 1970's Walter Rickell articles that Mathews was gone. Only too late did we learn from Wiley Clapp that Mathews continued working into the 1980's or even later.
I found one !
I found a George Mathews post WW2 Civilian Victory model rework. It came in with several other gunshop excess revolvers.
- Clockwork inside this gun is mirrored, turned and amazing.
- Machine fitted vented barrel rib with adjustable sight.
- Deep saw tooth back strap and hammer, Bobbed Hammer spur.
- Crane & cylinder is tight fit in frame.
- Trigger pull is light & crisp.
- Gunsmithing & Fitting is amazing. Pics available !
I found a George Mathews post WW2 Civilian Victory model rework. It came in with several other gunshop excess revolvers.
- Clockwork inside this gun is mirrored, turned and amazing.
- Machine fitted vented barrel rib with adjustable sight.
- Deep saw tooth back strap and hammer, Bobbed Hammer spur.
- Crane & cylinder is tight fit in frame.
- Trigger pull is light & crisp.
- Gunsmithing & Fitting is amazing. Pics available !
Pogo84
Member
Sometime in the early 1970's I happened to be in Duane and Bob's gun shop in Garden Grove, CA when a gentleman brought in a revolver to sell.
I knew both Duane and Bob well and when the gun was in the possesion of the shop, I told Bob I would buy the gun from them. I paid the princely sum of $100 for the Triple Lock modified by George Mathews. The gun was in beautiful condition in caliber .455 which I had changed to .45 Auto rim. It has a 5" barrel with a full length ventilated rib and target sights.
I subsequently gave it to my son who has it now. The next time I visit him I will take some pictures and maybe I can figure out how to send them to the forum.
I knew both Duane and Bob well and when the gun was in the possesion of the shop, I told Bob I would buy the gun from them. I paid the princely sum of $100 for the Triple Lock modified by George Mathews. The gun was in beautiful condition in caliber .455 which I had changed to .45 Auto rim. It has a 5" barrel with a full length ventilated rib and target sights.
I subsequently gave it to my son who has it now. The next time I visit him I will take some pictures and maybe I can figure out how to send them to the forum.
ShivasIrons
Member
That is a fantastic piece. There is no way I could pass that up! Snubby goodness to the highest power.
Modified
Member
I think I have one.
The front sight in particular seems very unique.
I should note that the action on this gun is unlike any other S&W I have. I have no other gun with lockup like this, he seemed to want perfect lockup, and achieved it.
The front sight in particular seems very unique.
I should note that the action on this gun is unlike any other S&W I have. I have no other gun with lockup like this, he seemed to want perfect lockup, and achieved it.
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