Tam3,

I love it!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

For anyone interested in vintage King sights, et cetera, this is well worth your time.

See: King Catalog No. 19 (1939)

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Hi
I would like to thank everybody that posted there King guns. I have been collecting King guns for over 35 Years. I have some where in the area of 20 different King guns.
In the Large Frames I have one for every model of the 44,s from Triple lock thru the 4th Model. I am missing some of the small frame in king I thing the I frames are very neat.
Thanks again
Jim Fisher

I think many otherwise knowledgable S&W collectors haven't been up to speed on the King Super Target Revolvers (I know I wasn't until getting involved in this thread). It's one thing for an owner to have added on a few King accessories, and quite another for King to have performed one of their conversions, which besides the fitting of the vent rib assembly with its superior sights, also included (quoting Catalog No. 19 here), "Hand Honed Actions, Adjusted Trigger Pulls, and Balanced Mainsprings."

All that work did not come cheap (at least in terms of the value of Depression-era dollars). A factory stock K-22 Outdoorsman could be bought at that time through King for $38.00; a K-22 Super Target, on the other hand, ran $61.50! That's over a 60% premium, and represents a not inconsequential amount of money back then.

Edit: As to the question of how the value of the Super Target type as a collectible has evolved, see: Smith & Wesson King Super Target Auction

This sale took place almost a year ago, and I don't suppose that gun would sell for less today.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

Wells, I'm late to the party again...
One of my custom conversions with a modified King mirrored ramp and ivory insert.




Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

That's alright, Dave . It was worth the wait.

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Sheriff Russell Cottle. ret

Exremely nice Pre 27. I like the modified King sight, not so boxy looking especially on the short barrel.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

SWOOOON>>>>>>> THUD

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

There is a distinct possibility that I am going a bit overboard with this my King obsession.









Nah. I'm going to need a few dozen more.

This one has King Sights

Pre war Colt OMHBT King Super Target in .32. The full treatment--rib, F&R sights, cockeye hammer, trigger shoe, and Ropers. I just couldn't say 'No" to this one.



By the way Fisher--wherever did you find that .44 HE 2nd King gun???????

Jim

My two contributions.

First: A 38/44 Outdoorsman with a King double cockeyed hammer. It probably has a King action job as it has the smoothest action I have ever felt.

Second: RM 2269 with a King Reflector front sight.

Sorry this isn't a S&W, but it's got King and F. Bob Chow components. I believe Bob Chow worked at King for a time before he set out on his own. It has a Official Police heavy barrel, but spent the money on a Colt letter and found it was actually an Officer's Model.

Since this thread has other colts in it, I figure this one ok, right?

These stocks don't quite fit right, I don't know that they have ever been on a gun before. It also could be that they changed a bit since they were originally made, since I think they have just been sitting in a box somewhere.


















Bit of a speedbump in my S&W collecting, but I can't say as I am unhappy with it. King guns are addictive.

Are you a Lefty?

I am not, by my dad is. When I shoot this I'm going to have to go with the Sandersons it came with.





What I will probably do in the long run is find him a nice woodsman for those Ropers to live on permanently and give it to him for Christmas/Birthday. I picked those Ropers up for him, well thats a lie. I bought them because they are Ropers and I'm an addict, with the excuse that some day they would go to him when I found the right gun to put them on.

Then I found the right gun, and there's no way I can part with them.

I may just make a nice case for both sets of stocks, some magazines, and the gun and call it good. I think the gun probably warrants such attention.

Back when I was a pup, I had a friend who was in his 70's. He was a retired Police Officer, and quite the gun collector. He loved S&W's and pretty much only collected pre-war revolvers.

He frequented King's and Micro when they were doing business and had had quite a stockpile of sights. I always admired the workmanship of the reflector sights and white outline blades, and "cockeyed" hammers. Nearly all his S&W's had the reflector sights.

It's great to see these again, sorry that this old thread has lost so many pictures. These firearms really should be classified as "fine art".

In my insatiable lust for all that is King I found something that they apparently made that I think is pretty neat, thought you guys might too.

Here’s my 1939 RM with a King red bead sight.

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John
S&WCA Life Member

Wrong brand I know, but King made it better. I may love king guns a little bit too much.

1928 chopped barrel .45LC New Service.

A 38 M&P with a Super Target Rib and Ropers...











Gotta love the King's...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Keith did you have the revolver with you in Tulsa this April?

Here is my King sight that rests on my RM.

I can't believe I've never posted in this thread King modified guns are just cool!
My King modified guns...

Non Registered Magnum with King reflector front sight & U rear blade



38 spl M&P Super Target



32-20 M&P Super Target with Roper stocks


38spl M&P with King reflector front & adjustable rear sights. This one also has Kings short action!


K 22 Outdoorsman with King reflector & U rear blade


38/44 King Super Police


Colt OM King Super Target with Kings cockeyed hammer


Colt Woodsman King Super Target with Kings honed action

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Paul
SWCA #2864

My pre war Outdoorsman, King sights front and rear, barrel bobbed to 5" by King and pretty sure they did an action job on it

And my Super Target New Service in .45 ACP

Does anyone here have a Baby Chief with the King's Super Police conversion done? Would you be willing to post pix of same? To me, that seems like the ultimate S&W hide-out gun... the smallest 38 Spl they ever built but with sights that make it more likely that you could hit what you were aiming at in a poor light/high stress scenario. They must have made at least a few of them, right??

Froggie

Here's my 1905 4th chg. Target with a gold bead front sight and Kings rear blade.

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Tom
"Panem et Circenses"

Pretty unlikely. The King Super Police conversion seems quite rare to begin with and the first Baby Chief was built 6 or 7 years after D.W. King's death. It could be that a former King employee or MicroSight/Ricky (maybe, not sure how long they ran) could have done it.

I completely agree with you though. I'd love to own such a gun. Or a pre-war round butt 2" M&P with the job, which seems to me much more likely and would also be a glorious carry gun.

This was my first King gun. It shoots far better than I and it has one of the smoothest actions that I have ever felt.

It is a pre-war Heavy Duty with a 5" barrel. It is scary accurate with my hand loaded 158 gr semi-wadcutters.

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On the Oak Savannah

Colt New Service, 7.5" barrel, 44 Russian and S&W Special with Ropers. Awaiting letter from Colt on this one. And then my 5.5" Registered Magnum is lettered with King Sights...

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Randy
Provenance nerd

I didn't have either of these guns when this thread was first posted.

This 38-44 Outdoorsman shipped to the King Sight Company October 23, 1939









This 4.5" Registered Magnum just has a King plain ramp, but it's a King Sight

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Rick
SWCA #2727 , SWHF #435

Well, I guess I'll post mine. I've looked at this thread so much and just realized I havent posted a single one.

1905 4th change Target with King sights and Ropers





38/44 Outdoorsman King Super Target with Cockeyed Hammer and Ropers





38/44 Outdoorsman with King Sights, Double Cockeyed Hammer, and Ropers



1949 K-22 with King sights, Double Cockeyed Hammer, and Sandersons







Registered Magnum with King Sights








And an offbrand with King sights and Ropers

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Kris
OGCA, NRA LM

Here is my Registered Magnum with King sights. White outline U-notch rear, and it's supposed to have a red disc on the front, but the disc is broken off. If anyone is making restoration parts, I'd sure like contact info.

I still use this gun for hunting, target shooting and plinking. It is not a "safe queen".

Link to my original post:
Pre-War 357 Magnum Appreciation Thread

Happily adding my first gun with King sight to this thread...

I have some King sighted guns, but not all Smith&Wessons. The first is a 32-20 target from 1917. Next is a Reg. Mag. from 1938. The next two are King Super Targets. A Colt Shooting Master from 1934, and finally a Colt New Service .357 from 1938.
Bill

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Here are the Colts.
Bill

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And a King conversion done in my shop in 2015 for Sixgun Caleb to a pre-war M&P. It features a bench-made 14kt gold bead, rust bluing and nitre blued screws.

Registered Magnum from 1936, with King Sights. It had a red disc on the front sight, but it has been crumbling away and needs a replacement. The rear is a white outline U notch.

Can anyone tell me what sights are on the Triple Lock? I can get closer pics if need be.

Here's my Woodsman I picked up a few years ago.

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Very hard to tell from that picture, need a close shot from the top on the rear sight to tell you for sure, and a closer shot on the front sight.

If the front sight is a King it will be stamped King on one side or the other.

The rear sight from that shot does look like a factory sight, but if it has grooves along the top of it you may have a king rear sight, which looked very much like the factory sight. The rear blade could also theoretically be King, which was made to fit into a factory rear sight. If it has a white outline it's likely to be a King.

Have you checked the front sight with good light and magnification. It's clearly not a factory sight, but even if not a King sight they're usually stamped with the maker's name. There were several available back in the day, and S&W would even install an after market sight of your choice.

If the rear sight is a factory installed target sight, you have a pretty scarce TL and more desirable than a King sight converted standard model.

It there's a matching serial # to your gun on the bottom side of the rear sight tang, you have a factory target model TL.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

It's not marked.

I'd thought it was a target model, but wasn't sure of details about the sights.

Looks like a homemade front sight, possibly replacing an original sight that was damaged. I'm not suggesting you remove the front sight just to check, but an original sight blade will have the serial # (or partial #) stamped on its bottom that's in the slot of the base.

The rear sight looks factory and factory installed.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

It doesn't appear home made. The fit is perfect, as is the pin job. It could be gunsmith made. There are tool marks on the rear. The finish matches and appears to be original.

But that's observation and opinion. Will macros of the sight base help?

Got a nice set of elephant ivory stocks for the K22 with King red post front sight.

I think it actually might be a factory sight. I have a very similar sight on one of my guns that lettered to have been a factory modification.

Have a look at this one and compare that front sight: Increasingly more Interesting Triple Lock *update*
The rear sight is certainly factory.

Jim
I like the way you put your SWCA name badge in each photo with your guns. I guess that way people cannot use your original pictures as their own. I'll have to do that next time I copy one of my original pictures for someone to use.

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Don Mundell

After looking at this great display of enhancments, that actually can make our beloved S&W revolvers better, I wonder how anyone can be satisfied with one of today's plastic guns? The design, workmanship and skill that went into the making of the king products, just amaze me. That my friends is, to me fine art, and I enjoy it as such. Thanks ever so much for sharing it with me.
Chubbo

Do the reflectors on the front sights really work?