.357 Combat Magnum, K260001

[Doc44]

.357 Combat Magnum, K260001, was a gift to Bill Jordan, U. S. Border Patrol, from Carl Hellstrom, President of Smith & Wesson, for suggesting the idea and specifications for what became the .357 Combat Magnum. It was shipped to Mr. Jordan on January 5, 1956. Mr. Jordan showed the revolver on the television show, "You Asked For It" and also on the television series about the Border Patrol for which he was an advisor. The serial number is the start of the sequence for the new model and this revolver is sometimes referred to as "serial number 1". It is a very important revolver in the history of Smith & Wesson. Click on the photos for a closer look.

Bill

 

[handejector]

Bill,
Do we know where it is now?
Do we know if Jordan carried it on duty?

 

[Doc44]

Lee...I recently acquired it to go with K260003 and K260005. Based on the 98+% condition, I am sure Mr. Jordan did not carry it on duty. He was sent several Combat Magnums over the years by S&W including at least one more in 1956. He may have carried one of those.

Bill

 

[gmborkovic]

Bill, so if I come up with K260002, we could do a little trading?

 

[S&W ucla]

As Ralph would say "That's Spiffy!"

 

[quinn]

Wow, just wow!

 

[Nomadmax]

That's a very nice revolver. I assume you know why he left the border patrol?

 

[Engine49guy]

Being a Combat Magnum fanatic been wondering when serial K260001 would eventually turn up.
Always been curious why the AMC that first depicts an illustration of the new Combat Magnum ( 1955 IIRC?) shows it wearing non relieved target stocks .
I've never seen a CM that came with a pair, although only a small amount of early target stocks sometimes have a serial stamped any chance these are numbered to the gun?
I've always assumed the football cut was introduced with the Combat Magnum since the shorter .38 special round can ding non relieved target stocks and .357 casings are even longer.

On a side note while watching that episode of "You asked for it" I snapped a screenshot of Bill Jordan presenting his CM to the camera showing the right side, the picture is B&W and not high def so the details do not show if that gun is engraved but it does show his stocks had pretty pronounced tiger striping, while they are definately not the stocks depicted above being he owned other CM's I've always assumed he carried a duty gun to beat up and put that presentation piece away safe.

It's a fascinating revolver, would love to hear any more anecdotes about how it was acquired if stocks are numbered, if it has a blue case or factory accessories etc.
Thanks for sharing it !
Brad

 

[Doc44]

The stocks are not numbered. The factory letter states K260001 was shipped with the type of stocks on it now. The original stocks have been lost to history and these are correct (?) replacements. If it shipped with a case, there is no mention of it by Mr. Jinks or Mr. Jordan. I also believe the engraving on the right side was an addition by Mr. Jordan, but this is my opinion and there are no records on the issue. Like K260003 and K260005, the muzzle is highly polished like the barrel and not sandblasted like later Combat Magnums.

This is the extent of what I know and don't know about K260001.

Bill

 

[RKmesa]

Great gun!!! Glad that it ended up in your collection. I remembered this thread on this gun...

https://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-h...-please-stand-up.html?highlight=combat+magnum

Congrats,

 

[Muley Gil]

That's a very nice revolver. I assume you know why he left the border patrol?

He retired from the Patrol as a senior inspector. He had 30 years service at the time.

Yes, I'm aware that he accidently shot and killed a fellow Patrolman. That happened about 9 years before Bill retired from the Border Patrol.

 

[DARE]

Well, Bill, I have read some of the debate about whether K260001 or K260003 was the first .357 Combat Magnum. Since you have them both, you have the first Combat Magnum. Both are amazing guns.

Brad, here is the illustration from the AMC showing The ".357" Combat Magnum with non relieved target stocks. It is dated January 1, 1956.

 

[Keith Brown]

Beautiful Combat Magnum ! And a really fine set of unrelieved stocks.

 

[handejector]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELaiJZ8tjSk[/ame]

 

[Engine49guy]

Thanks David,
I just finished looking for my 1955 AMC but no luck, while looking I came accross SWCA journal Volume 47, number 1, Spring 2013, the cover pic is Serial K260003 and an interesting article about it by Bill Cross as well as a photo copy of the page with ship date info on K260001 thru K260010.
#3 definately left first but my bet is #1 was completed either prior to the holiday shutdown or after they reopened in January,
The next question is since #3 was logged out in 1955 and #1 was logged out in 1956 is #1 a "First year gun" or is it a second year gun?

Until I locate my 1955 AMC does someone have a 1955 AMC handy and can see if the Combat Magnum is listed?
For some reason I seem to recall it might be but my memories getting worse as I get older.
Btw the 1961 AMC depicts the new football relief cut stocks but the 57 AMC still shows non relieved target stocks.

 

[Engine49guy]

Thanks for posting that video Lee,
At about 1:10 Bill Jordon displays what he calls the "Foist one like it" it does not appear to be engraved yet, the striping of the stocks is pretty wild, also appears as if the checkering may have been sanded down a bit on the right panel but a bit hard to tell.

 

[Doc44]

These carved ivory stocks in a dragon motif were on K260001 for many years and are most likely replacements for the original stocks. They were on the revolver when it was auctioned by Devine in 1999. A similar pair of stocks was on the Model 57 shipped to Bill Jordan in 1964 when it was also auctioned.

Bill

 

[Muley Gil]

Skeeter Skelton wrote an article for Shooting Times where he talked about Bill Jordan coming to visit and they were out doing some target practice with their Combat Magnums. Each man shot the other other's revolver.

When they were done, Bill swapped his stocks onto Skeeter's CM and told him that when he had his CM slicked up as good, they would swap back. Skeeter did indeed work on Bill's .357 and was carrying it one night while trying to apprehend some drug smugglers. One of the smugglers shot at Skeeter and he returned fire. While looking for the bad guys, Skeeter found a hat with a bullet hole in it.

The next time Skeeter and Bill got together, Skeeter got his Combat Magnum back and told Bill, " Your d--n gun shoots high!"

 

[Claymore33]

Beautiful Gun and Handsome Grips. I have read Bill Jordan's book twice
I am surprised he did not prefer a Model 27.

 

[Wrangler Rich]

Thanks for this thread, a great testimony to Smith & Wesson's ability to turn ideas into reality.

WR