Another Wolf & Klar Thread

[22hipower]

A couple of weeks ago I was whiling away a Sunday evening in front of the TV and waded through the GB listings expiring that night. Some fun to watch what others are finding even though I don't often buy there. Oops, what's that, looks like an old 44. Not much time left to bid, seller says 60% finish, "a good coverage of light scratches, some corrosion, some nicks and mild operation wear." With poorly fitting stags which someone has decided would be better with finger grooves. Said frame and cylinder SNs match, said nothing about an SN barrel stamp; supposedly no other stamps except assembly numbers and inspectors.

No time to ask questions but the finish doesn't look that bad to me and I'd really like to have another W&K and this one is fairly early at 28757.

So, picked it up this week. All numbers match including the barrel. Clearly original nickel finish, no modifications other than the grips, bright shiny bore. Most of the promised scratches are there but for a 97 years young S&W, which Dr. Jinks says shipped 97 years ago this month, I'm pretty happy with it. Even put a few rounds through it and it functions just fine. Didn't shoot it on paper for accuracy but it hit steel every time, which is saying something given my rusty handgun skills.

Here are a few pictures, the first being the sellers GB photo.

Feel free to enhance this thread with pictures of your W&K revolvers and the stories as to how you found them too.

Jeff
SWCA #1457



Then wearing the style stocks with which it would have shipped.




And dressed up in the type of stocks with which it might have left W&K.





And with its 4 inch a little younger kin.

[BaylorCattleGuy]

Very nice! I’m down here near Waco and I spend too much time on GB as well.

[raljr1]

I was watching that one....I am being fussy with finishes these days..pretty nice for the price

[Wiregrassguy]

Nice pickup! Makes me wish I had a W&K gun, Jeff!

[LEO918]

Nice score, Sir. Here is mine.

[22hipower]

Originally Posted by raljr1

I was watching that one....I am being fussy with finishes these days..pretty nice for the price

Certainly understand that, never buy one for which you have to make excuses. On the other hand, the models that were largely working guns, and most of the W&Ks probably were, it's not easy to find one without some signs of use. The 4 inch probably lived in a drawer most of its life but it too has some scratches and dings.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

[Kansasgunner]

5” 44 HE shipped May 1927 to W&K. Later was owned by a deputy sheriff in Claremore, OK.
4” 44 HE shipped January 1940 to W&K as a nickel gun. It’s been blued and has lived a hard life, but still is a great shooter.




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[rct269]

This is from out in left field as far as W&K guns go, but it's been a while since I've seen a tribute to Ed Cornett.

I had a line on a .44 H.E. 3rd Target----more than a line---a firm commitment to sell it------if. The W&K connection is, as you may recall, they were the driving force for the production of the gun----telling S&W their customers (lots of Texas lawmen) were in the habit of whacking bad guys on the head with the barrels of their .44 2nds---and bending the ejector rods----and then brow-beating S&W into bringing back the ejector rod shroud---with an initial order of 3500 guns---near as I recall.

So far, so good!

Popular lore has it there were less than 200 .44 3rd Targets made---MADE! The emphasis here is to highlight the fact there are more than that out there, but many won't letter as target. That sorry state of affairs has me in a dither, because I don't know the why of it---and I'm not about to lay out a big pile of money for a mystery gun.

I ask around, and nobody knows diddly! I call Jinks. He says "That gun (54911) was made in 1938---you're good to go!"----end of conversation! Now that's comforting, but I still don't know the why of it!

I call Ed Cornett---and I get chapter and verse-----the whole story! The initial shipment received by W&K was 1,000 guns. All, or damn near all, were fixed sight guns. More than a few folks (including W&K retail dealers) were asking for more targets than W&K had. W&K packs up a bunch of fixed sight guns, and sends them back to S&W for conversion to targets.

"Aye, and that's the rub!" as the saying goes! All those fixed sight guns converted to target were initially shipped as fixed sight guns. That's what the factory records say---and that's what any letters on those guns is going to say. Most, if not all those guns went out in 1926; so when Jinks told me that which was going to be mine was made in 1938, and I was good to go, he knew there was no chance I was going to end up with a made up gun. He knew that---I didn't! When Ed told me what I've told you, I was an EXPERT-----I knew the what AND the why!!

Ralph Tremaine

[THE PILGRIM]

First I heard about Fixed Sight Guns going back to Springfield to be converted!

[quinn]

You go, Jeff. A man can't have too many Wolf & Klars! Congrats.

[raljr1]

Here is mine. Refinished, action like glass. So If I get another one I want nice original nickel one.

20190628_192433.jpg

20190628_192447.jpg

[Muley Gil]

"Most, if not all those guns went out in 1926..."

The first shipment of the 3rd Model .44s was in 1927.

[Hawg Rider]

You have some very nice W&Ks! I found my .44 HE 3rd Model (W&K Model of 1926) at a small local gun show about 10 years ago. It had incorrect later magna stocks (N169xxx, ca. 1973), came in an incorrect mahogany presentation case, but had a letter from Mr. Jinx. This revolver was part of the second bulk shipment to W&K, May 1927. What happened to it after it went to W&K, who knows? I paid $940 OTD, and figured if the case was worth $150 and the letter was worth $100, I was only out $690! Sometime back in the day, a previous owner must have liked the barrel rib and Baughman-style front sight of the later 1930s+ N-frames because the half moon sight was removed, modified, and the revolver was re-nickeled. I had Pat Grashorn make me a set of Elk antler stocks which turned out great (I later "aged" them to match the age of the revolver), and Bob Mernickle made a carved crossdraw holster for me. All in all, I'm pretty happy with this W&K revolver- it's a comfortable shooter and makes a fine BBQ gun.

[raljr1]

Originally Posted by Hawg Rider

You have some very nice W&Ks! I found my .44 HE 3rd Model (W&K Model of 1926) at a small local gun show about 10 years ago. It had incorrect later magna stocks (N169xxx, ca. 1973), came in an incorrect mahogany presentation case, but had a letter from Mr. Jinx. This revolver was part of the second bulk shipment to W&K, May 1927. What happened to it after it went to W&K, who knows? I paid $940 OTD, and figured if the case was worth $150 and the letter was worth $100, I was only out $690! Sometime back in the day, a previous owner must have liked the barrel rib and Baughman-style front sight of the later 1930s+ N-frames because the half moon sight was removed, modified, and the revolver was re-nickeled. I had Pat Grashorn make me a set of Elk antler stocks which turned out great (I later "aged" them to match the age of the revolver), and Bob Mernickle made a carved crossdraw holster for me. All in all, I'm pretty happy with this W&K revolver- it's a comfortable shooter and makes a fine BBQ gun.

That one is gorgeous.

[rct269]

Originally Posted by Muley Gil

"Most, if not all those guns went out in 1926..."

The first shipment of the 3rd Model .44s was in 1927.

Apologies for the misstatement---I was a happy camper just so long as the do-overs were history before 1938.

Ralph Tremaine