Dad's Bill Davis S&Ws and others

Gryff · May 3, 2012

I'm glad to see that there is a lot of appreciation for Bill Davis' work as a gunsmith here on the board. My dad and Bill were close friends until my dad moved out of state in the mid-1980s, and Bill built most of my father's PPC guns.

Bill's a great guy (although I haven't seen him in 25 years). When I was 12, he let me spend a summer working in his shop, and built me a custom S&W model 34 with a 4" Colt Woodsman heavy target barrel. As usual for Bill's hybrid work, you'd never know that the gun didn't come from the factory based on the quality of the hybridization. Sadly, the gun was lost when our home was burglarized in '84.

But I though you might enjoy some pictures of dad's guns.

First gen S&W 629 cut down to snubby size by Bill. Brutal with Magnum loads, but fun when shooting .44 Specials. Full Davis-tuned trigger on it.

Dad's original PPC gun (top - a Bob Chow) and his later Davis (bottom)

A chopped Davis PPC gun. Heck if I know why my father wanted this, but it is a fantastic gun to shoot

And if you have one chopped PPC gun, why not two?

Three Davis hybrids. Top is a Model 13-2 mated to a 581 barrel (Christmas gift for my dad in 1981. I think Bill put this together from pieces in his parts bin, but did one of his magnificent action jobs on it).
Middle is his Cougar. Ruger Security Six frame mated to a 4" Colt Python barrel. Stunningly nice action job on it.
Bottom is his Rattler. Ruger Speed Six frame with a 3" Colt King Cobra barrel. Marked "Rattler" on the barrel. With the action job on it, this (to me) is the most ideal CCW revolver I've ever seen (just needs to have the hammer bobbed).

Gryff · May 3, 2012

Some non-Davis Smiths of my dad's:

ASP

Behlert M59, Devel M39, Devel M59

Gift from our hometown PD where he was a Reserve Officer and de facto department doctor (his badge was engraved on the right sideplate)

VM · May 3, 2012

VERY COOL - thanks for sharing!

Stu Honea · May 3, 2012

Fantastic looking revolvers! I really like those hybrids with the different make barrels. I know you're proud to own those. Revolvers like these just make all autoloaders downright boring.
Thanks for posting these photos.

Not that the autos aren't great too,but you know what I mean.

myhardtop · May 3, 2012

Cougar

I own a 6inch nickel plated Cougar from the early 70's that Bill built. It is in excellent condition and is the most accurate revolver I have in my collection. Trigger is like butter....makes me look good at the range. This Cougar will make anyone look good. Happy to see that discussions are now becoming a topic for PPC revolvers.

CALREB · May 3, 2012

Gryff, did your Dad shoot PPC ,been shooting over 30 years, was wondering if I knew him.
Great guns and yep Bill is a heck of a guy. Thanks for sharing. Bob

Jim Watson · May 3, 2012

Top is a Model 13-2 mated to a 581 barrel

Gryf, do the center pin and latch match up?
There was a gunzine writer who had an underlugged barrel, apparently a 581's, on a Model 12. Kind of neat looking.

I could be interested in a Model 19-586 combo to get a little more muzzle preponderance on a K frame.

The short PPC guns were in response to a set of rules that provided for 4" and snubby events without enough restriction to hold it to real service and hideout guns. So short bull barrels and heavy ribs were seen for a while. I think that has been changed, but I am a long while away from PPC.

Snakeshift · May 3, 2012

Man.... I really would of loved to known your Dad. Sounds like one hell of a guy!

Doug M. · May 3, 2012

Those are some neat old guns; classics from the 70s.

Gryff · May 3, 2012

CALREB said:
Gryff, did your Dad shoot PPC ,been shooting over 30 years, was wondering if I knew him.
Great guns and yep Bill is a heck of a guy. Thanks for sharing. Bob

He shot PPC on the Stockton P.D. team in the mid-1970s to early 1980s.

Jim Watson said:
Top is a Model 13-2 mated to a 581 barrel

Gryf, do the center pin and latch match up?
There was a gunzine writer who had an underlugged barrel, apparently a 581's, on a Model 12. Kind of neat looking.

I could be interested in a Model 19-586 combo to get a little more muzzle preponderance on a K frame.

I'll have to check on the center pin/latch issue when I get back home (traveling for work right now).

I've been using a 686-1 for SSR in IDPA and ICORE recently. Really like it, but I wouldn't mind finding one of the mythical 4" Model 14s with full underlug for competitive use.

Rapidray · May 4, 2012

The Asp - now there is a gun that was a pretty neat ideal in it's day. Expensive but neat. Your Dad had great taste! Willing to bet he would have fit in the forum really well!

Stu Honea · May 5, 2012

Rapidray said:
The Asp - now there is a gun that was a pretty neat ideal in it's day. Expensive but neat. Your Dad had great taste! Willing to bet he would have fit in the forum really well!

The ASP was neat.Last Sheriff Dept. I worked for,there was an older guy who worked in the jail.He had an ASP that a Georgis State Trooper had given him,believe it or not. (The Trooper had to be nuts,or in love.

)
He let me shoot it one afternoon and I fell in love with it.
The guttersnipe sight was a little weird,but I guess one could get used to it.
I guess the ASP and the Devel guns were the inspiration for the smaller 3rd Gen S&W's. It was a great idea for a 9mm pistol,IMO.
Now the Shield is here.The next generation,I suppose,and I like it. I'd love to have an ASP. Anybody need an extra arm or leg?

myhardtop · May 5, 2012

Picture of my Cougar

Purchased this one at a Gun Show about a year ago. Did the research and figured it is one of a kind, or limited. Sorry about the poor quality of pictures. This was built by Bill Davis in 1972 with the Python barrel. This is my favorite........

harley0711 · Jul 15, 2012

Bill Davis,, Sacramento CA area - gun shop/store used to be called

Cake / Davis??

I remember them from the 70's and into the early 80's

Alan F Brookes · Nov 8, 2014

The Davis Company

I was the Controller and Company Secretary of the Davis Company from 1984 till 1986. Yes, it started out as the George F Cake Company. When George died it was bought by a couple of Hawaiian fellows who did nothing with it and then sold it to Bill and Gil Davis. Gil was a Smith & Wesson rep at the time, while Bill already had a gunsmithing shop in Sacramento. They merged his gunsmithing business into the Cake retail business and changed the name to Cake-Davis Co. At first, in addition to Bill's Gunsmithing Shop in Sacramento, their main branch was in Berkeley, and they had outlying branches in Washington state and Anaheim. They moved from Berkeley to Hayward in 1983 and closed the Washington store. They designed and patented the ElektroLok and the SpeedFeed shotgun stock. Eventually these became independent companies. Gil and Bill dissolved their partnership and sold the Davis Company to the Pacific Armory, while Bill retained his business in Sacramento, which he renamed the Bill Davis Service Center. The new owners moved the company to Oakland, and I left shortly after.

I lost track of the Davises after they sold the company. That was thirty years ago now, so I doubt if Bill or Gil are still active in the business.

bronco45 · Nov 10, 2014

The Rattler looks like the ideal concealed carry revo. What a nice piece. Davis was a real gunsmith and did much more than screw .38 bull barrels on to Model 10s, and screw a Aristocrat rib on the top.

Great collection, thanks for sharing!!! I used to buy Police gear from Geo. Cake and Cake-Davis, first Bianchi Model5 for a Model 19 came from Geo. Cake! Thanks for sharing, lots of memories dredged up!!!

pete950 · Nov 10, 2014

Those are some sweet guns wow!!!!!

SuperMan · Nov 10, 2014

Nice guns...one question on that first 629...it is a first generation P&R gun but are you sure the barrel was cut down...reason I ask is that the printing on the side of the barrel is centered where it is on the later 3" guns. The longer barrel 629s would have had the lettering centered more forward of the current location...or was it relettered... Very nice work however...

Bob

Walky Talki · Nov 15, 2015

Does anyone know if Bill Davis is still doing work?

Andy Taylor · Nov 17, 2015

Not guns. Last I knew he was doing work with bows & arrows/archery equipment somewhere in the Granite Bay/Folsom/El Dorado Hills CA area. This was about 5 years ago.

Dad's Bill Davis S&Ws and others

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