King's Super Target, Pre-War? LETTER HAS ARRIVED

larry21556 · Mar 25, 2013

I bought this recently as a dusty, grimy relic. Imagine my surprise when it turned out so very nice. I got out the Standard Catalog and tried to ID the base model and I am a little stumped. The serial # is 775176. That should be about 1940/41, but the frame is drilled for a lanyard ring and it's retainer pin. Anyway if anyone can ID this for me I would appreciate it. Thanks Larry

I have a set of Ropers to replace the grips. Should spiff it up a little more.

Lee Barner · Mar 25, 2013

do the numbers on the butt, barrel flat and cylinder all match? nice looking gun. should be fun to shoot. more pictures!!!! lee

larry21556 · Mar 25, 2013

All numbers match and no "S" prefix

Green Frog · Mar 25, 2013

The serial number, style of the King's Target Rib, and knob on the ejector rod would all lead to a pre-War origin. The grips, of course, are from a much later time period. How about the bottom of the barrel, is there a serial number there that matches the one on the bottom of the grip? Is the hole for the lanyard centered with the serial number placed to clear it? (This would suggest factory work.) I would raise the possibility of a complete King build on a pre-War N-frame gun like a 1937 Model for instance, but that's just a SWAG, of course. Nice gun, regardless!

Froggie

larry21556 · Mar 25, 2013

Serial number on the barrel flat matches and the lanyard hole is centered with the serial number forward of the hole.

DCWilson · Mar 25, 2013

Letter that gun. It was produced at a time when there was presumably no (or next to no) commercial production going on. There is at least one M&P from Spring 1941 that was shipped to a Midwest hardware store. It has a serial number only a few thousand below this one.

I think I would guess that this was an original fixed-sight M&P that was redirected to King for the target treatment. While there it looks like it got a modified hammer, too. Is that a cock-eye hammer with a King stamp on it?

I suppose it might have left the factory in target configuration, but that seems unlikely to me given all else that was going on at the time.

Very nice specimen with extremely interesting features associated with an equally interesting period in the company's production calendar.

Culina · Mar 25, 2013

very nice indeed, thanks for sharing

larry21556 · Mar 25, 2013

Yes, it has a cockeyed hammer and the shortest double action I have yet encountered. I haven't pulled the side plate to see what was done to it, but the rib is milled into the top strap and notched for the rear sight.

larry21556 · Mar 25, 2013

Here are a couple of new photos.

larry21556 · Mar 25, 2013

Correction of serial number it is 755176

RKmesa · Mar 25, 2013

Very NICE! I love the King Super Targets. I am surprised that your gun has the short throw hammer?

Green Frog · Mar 25, 2013

OOPS, you threw me with the "no 'S' prefix comment. Forget what I said about N-frame and Model of 1937. See why I asked for more info? I still think it's a neat gun, though!

Froggie

j38 · Mar 25, 2013

Great post & pics! I'd love to hear what a letter will say about that one. Thanks,

Jerry

DCWilson · Mar 25, 2013

The toe of that hammer looks modified to me. It would come to rest on the rear arm of the trigger in single action with the hammer resting quite a bit further forward than in the conventional prewar hammer position. It's not a short throw hammer in the S&W sense, but it looks like a modification that would result in a hammer fall of shorter duration than in the standard M&P. I wonder if the gun has a stiffer mainspring to push the hammer forward with equal energy despite the shorter path of travel.

jsfricks · Mar 25, 2013

larry21556 said:
I have a set of Ropers to replace the grips. Should spiff it up a little more.

Very nice! If you don't want them ole grips, keep me in mind. I have a soft spot for them.

Jeff

JeffJ377 · Mar 25, 2013

Kings Super Target

I have one that was given to me by my mother. S & W King Super Target 38 special. Serial #C68199.

MT99 · Mar 26, 2013

That is a really sweet gun. I'd love to see a photo after you get the Ropers on it.
I know it has been asked in other threads what the King Super Target conversion adds to the value of the gun, but I don't recall anyone answering that question. I would guess $500. Am I close?

DCWilson · Mar 26, 2013

JeffJ377 said:
I have one that was given to me by my mother. S & W King Super Target 38 special. Serial #C68199.

The C prefix on that serial number tells us the gun left the factory as fixed-sight Military & Police model. The target models had a K prefix. The gun probably shipped in 1949.

King got the fixed sight gun and channeled the frame to be able to mount the long rib sight on it.

I'm not sure when it would have been engraved. Do you have any information on that? Sometimes the engravers would bury their initials in the pattern, but you might have to search to find them.

Nice custom box. Are there any maker's marks on it?

larry21556 · Mar 26, 2013

Nice, I would like to see some close up of the engraving and I wonder if yours has the same trigger/hammer that mine has.

Masterpiece · Mar 26, 2013

DCWilson said:
Nice custom box. Are there any maker's marks on it?

David,

The Presentation Case in JeffJ377's post is one of the 1950's S&W Cases that some refer to as Salesman Sample Cases although, in truth, they are not!! These were originally intended to be used for the "New" 6" Masterpiece Series Revolvers, but due to some problems they were dropped shortly after they appeared & most scrapped if my memory serves me correctly!!

I've also attached a few photos for you & the others to see one up close!! I'm sure after you view them you'll recognize the Case as I seem to remember them being discussed here from time to time!!

King's Super Target, Pre-War? LETTER HAS ARRIVED

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