Questions about a M&P target

Toyman · #1 03-01-2011, 10:22 PM

I purchased a pre war M&P target with KING front and rear sights. I decided to give it a good cleaning tonight and took the grips off. Under the grips on the forward lower grips frame is the name KING in an oval and above it the #2 in a circle. There is the #2 stamped in each of the inside of the grips.
Serial number 277506
Anyone care to comment ?
Does the KING stamp the sights were installed by KING ?

SDH · #2 03-01-2011, 10:24 PM

Wonderful! The grips look like factory from the inside, let's see the outside?

DCWilson · #3 03-01-2011, 10:31 PM

The King stamp on the frame probably means that the gun was tuned up at the King establishment when the sights went on. I am pretty sure King would have installed the sights. As I recall, the owner sent his gun to King with a work order, and got the gun back later with the new parts installed and the action tuned as requested.

I love those King reflector sights. I have a couple of guns with those installed, and an absolutely new, never-used red reflector as well. Just waiting for the right gun to put it on.

That's a really nice revolver. 1920s production, I presume, based on the shape of the ejector knob. I don't think King was in operation until the 1930s, so the gun must have had some kind of life before it got the King treatment.

EDITED TO ADD: Sorry, read past the serial number the first time. That would be a 1917 revolver.

Walter Rego · #4 03-02-2011, 01:21 AM

I would have that gun lettered. It may not have shipped as a Target Revolver but as an M&P and have had the target rear and front sights added by King. Hard to tell from the photos, but are the front & rear grip tangs serrated ? Somewhere around here I have the information regarding what year the Target models started to have serrated grip straps, that would be another indicator.
It's a nice gun one way or another and the King conversions are collectible in their own right. I like it.

1-1917 · #5 03-02-2011, 09:18 AM

Cool revolver. Looking at the outline of the pins on the front sight it looks like it might just be pined over/onto a regular M&P blade. Be interesting to see what it shipped as.

handejector · #6 03-02-2011, 10:01 AM

Neat gun. I have never seen that mark. I would assume King marked the gun- why would anyone else? I would assume the number 2 is to keep the gun and grips together during the work. Maybe the same guy sent two guns to them, or perhaps they had another S&W at the same time from someone else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walter Rego

Somewhere around here I have the information regarding what year the Target models started to have serrated grip straps, that would be another indicator.

The oreder to groove gripstraps on K frame Targets is dated Aug, 1923.
So, it will probably take a letter to tell if that gun shipped as an M&P or a Target.