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07-31-2022, 07:56 PM
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ID Help: Early Combat Masterpiece?
My fiancé sent me pics of a revolver she purchased from an extensive collection while traveling out of state, that will be transferred home next week. It is a gorgeous engraved piece. K frame, 38 special, 4” barrel, adjustable postwar sights, 5 screw, grooved trigger and front strap. Serial number is K938XX. I think it’s a pre-15 Combat Masterpiece but not sure and not sure of production dates…given the 5 screw, 5 digit serial and Victory Model grips, I think it is pretty early. Can anyone pin it down for me?
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07-31-2022, 08:02 PM
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Yes, a .38 Combat Masterpiece. The serial number puts it as being produced in 1950. Our engraving experts will want to see close-ups once you have it.
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Alan
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07-31-2022, 08:05 PM
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SWCA Member Absent Comrade
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That is beautiful! SCS&W 4th ed. puts it at 1950. Someone with more knowledge will be along shortly to give you more info. Congrats!
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07-31-2022, 08:16 PM
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I'm thinking it's a bit unusual to see a "magna" stock era gun with engraved coverage for service type stocks. Some "ivory" service stocks would really look good there !
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Y. B. Ord & A. Ree
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07-31-2022, 10:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmtnman
I'm thinking it's a bit unusual to see a "magna" stock era gun with engraved coverage for service type stocks. Some "ivory" service stocks would really look good there !
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I thought that also. Perhaps a post-war European (German?) engraving job with Victory Model stocks, which would have been common overseas at that time.
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Alan
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07-31-2022, 10:19 PM
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The hammer is not the fish hook style, may have been replaced.
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07-31-2022, 10:29 PM
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Really nice gun! I like it. Ivories or pearls would really pop with the gun. Dave
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07-31-2022, 11:10 PM
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Scooter1942
K92334 shipped in October, 1950
K95402 shipped in November, 1950
Hence, a 1950 date for your fiance's revolver to have been shipped is a reasonable guess.
DWalt wrote:
Quote:
The hammer is not the fish hook style, may have been replaced.
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True, but the target hammer became available in 1950, so this one could have been ordered that way.
It is very odd to see Victory stocks on a .38 Combat Masterpiece. But apparently someone liked it that way.
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Jack
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08-01-2022, 01:22 AM
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I believe the engraver is Orville Kuhl of San Francisco. I have a couple of Kuhl engraved guns.
... K-22 Outdoorsman:
... and a prewar 38 M&P
If you ever tire of that CM, please let me know.
Congrats and thanks for sharing,
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Richard
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Last edited by RKmesa; 08-01-2022 at 01:28 PM.
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08-01-2022, 01:31 AM
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Richard
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Last edited by RKmesa; 08-01-2022 at 01:33 AM.
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08-01-2022, 07:01 AM
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It is truly a pleasure to see the ongoing high level of collaboration on so many fronts, here including potential provenance and artistic similarities among revolver specimens.
Thanks for the information and education!
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08-01-2022, 08:09 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JP@AK
Scooter1942
K92334 shipped in October, 1950
K95402 shipped in November, 1950
Hence, a 1950 date for your fiance's revolver to have been shipped is a reasonable guess.
DWalt wrote:
True, but the target hammer became available in 1950, so this one could have been ordered that way.
It is very odd to see Victory stocks on a .38 Combat Masterpiece. But apparently someone liked it that way.
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The so-called fish hook hammer design was the factory standard from the late 1940s through the mid-1950s. The wide spur Target (or semi-Target) hammer appeared early in the 1950s as an available factory option, so it is certainly possible that the target hammer was original. It is equally possible that that the target hammer could have been a replacement done by a previous owner, as it is a trivial job to swap out a hammer. But it would impossible to know which. Most of the earlier period K-series revolvers I have seen had the fish hook hammer.
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08-01-2022, 09:44 AM
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Here is one made in 1950 and shipped in January 1951. It has a standard hammer.. I believe both hammers were available when mine and the OP's gun was built. Target stocks and hammers were originally offered at additional cost.
Here are notes from my reference material:
Combat Masterpiece introduced in October 1949.
1st .38 Combat Masterpiece shipped 10/3/49.
Target Hammer and Stocks introduced in January 1950 for the Masterpiece line.
One note referenced an early shipment of Target Hammers, but I do not have any documentation of its accuracy: 1st K-38 Heavy Barrel masterpiece, K66198, with target hammer, reached shipping room on 2/9/49.
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Gary
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08-01-2022, 10:22 AM
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It is a safe bet that Orville did the engraving.
It is possible that the Target hammer is original. Most people that add them later also added the Target trigger. I have seen many early Masterpieces that shipped with the Target hammer before the Target triggers became available.
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Lee Jarrett
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08-01-2022, 11:57 AM
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Any sense of value in this?
She bought it because “it was pretty”.
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08-01-2022, 04:49 PM
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I was able to get an additional picture from the store. It sure if engraved name, owner name, collection number or abbreviated social security number. Adds to the mystery!
…can’t get image to post. Under the trigger guard is engraved the following: A.C. Murphy 378-59-45
Last edited by Scooter1942; 08-01-2022 at 04:54 PM.
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08-01-2022, 04:58 PM
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Guy
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Last edited by handejector; 08-04-2022 at 10:14 AM.
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08-02-2022, 05:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scooter1942
I was able to get an additional picture from the store. It sure if engraved name, owner name, collection number or abbreviated social security number. Adds to the mystery!
…can’t get image to post. Under the trigger guard is engraved the following: A.C. Murphy 378-59-45
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Here ya go-
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Lee Jarrett
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08-03-2022, 02:25 PM
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Very very cool…wk
Last edited by Seaburry; 08-03-2022 at 02:26 PM.
Reason: Didn’t mean to advertise my name
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08-05-2022, 08:45 PM
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I'll give another vote to Orville Kuhl as the engraver. His borders and flowers are pretty distinctive. He did engraving work for King Gun Sight Co
For a number of years I had a Parker Shotgun he engraved. It has now found a new home.
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Bill Bates
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