As I posted in an earlier thread, I recently picked up this combat masterpiece. I looked at a couple since and I noticed that one that I looked at it had 2 pins on the front sight. As you can see mine doesn't and the other one I looked at didn't either. Why would one have a pinned front sight and another wouldn't. All were pre Model 15's. Was this a change before the model numbers?

You want to look very closely under magnification to see if the pins are polished flush and blued over. They may be very hard to see.

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John. SWCA #1586

It is my understanding that they all have set pins except the older models are not polished flush.

I have a "pre" Model 18 from 1951 that has flush pins ,
In contrast
I have a "Pre" Model 27 from 1954 that has them exposed.

A friend recently suggested that at some point as they came down the assembly line it depended on the finishing workers level of skill to polish them flush or not.

Certainly at some point in time they dissappeared completely on all models...

I am certain someone more informed will solve the mystery soon...

BTW,
Very Nice pre Model 15...
I LOVE the "HIGH SPEED" Hammer.... Is it a 5 screw gun with 6 groove backstrap?

if they are polished flush they did a hell of a job as I cant tell... It is a 5 screw gun.

I looked very closely at my 1957 model and I would say the front sight blade is machined on to the barrel. Under magnification, there are no signs of polished off pins or any discernible line on the front of the rib at the muzzle. Bob

Sometimes you can see the flush-polished pins in photos even though you can't see them on the gun. This subject has come up from time to time in the last couple of years, and as I recall there is no chronological import to whether the pins are flush or proud. Eventually, after the introduction of model numbers, the sight base was milled integrally with the barrel, and only the blade was pinned (as opposed to blade and base both).

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David Wilson

My understanding on flush or proud pins - it depended on the whether there were optional front sights. Those models that could be ordered with a choice of front sights were more likely to have proud pins. Don't know the production cycle, but proud pins were easier to remove to change out a sight. I would imagine those with sights that were changed after the bbl was finished, were left proud.

If the model dictated on one front sight available, the pins were polished flushed. IF this is true, I am sure it changed over the years ... maybe a few times.

that's my story and I'm sticking to it.


Charlie

Interesting theory and it would make sense in regards to the Model 27 but ...
The early transitional Model 18's and 15's were only available with Baughman sites and seem to have alot of proud front site pins ...

some great information. So they are there, mine are just polished and buffed out but this would be a factory thing. I also can't see mine under magnification. It does have a 6 groove backstrap.

The pins can be very hard to see, but I suspect they're there. Get it in good light and hold it at an angle and you might see them. I’ve also seen both pin styles on early K-22 Combat Masterpiece revolvers.

The pins are more visible on this .357 barrel because a previous owner bulged it, which heaved the sight base.

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"I also cook."

I think some were finished flush before bluing and some were not. I don't think there was a rhyme or reason.

Here's two early CM's shipped a year apart ('52 & 3) with "proud" and flush sight pins.



GF