.38/44 Outdoorsman Rear Sight Question

[Gunhohulk]

I ran across a pre-war 6.5" .38/44 Outdoorsman in the 40,xxx range today. I don't make a move on it but might change my mind and see if it's still there tomorrow. My question is did these come with a white outline rear sight blade or would that be aftermarket? It also had a red square partridge style front sight and some jigged bone grips on it but otherwise seemed to be unmolested.

 

[handejector]

It could have been ordered with those sights.

 

[rct269]

The Outdoorsman came along in 1931, starting with #36500. It had a "one screw" adjustable rear sight--the one screw being for elevation adjustment. Windage adjustment was accomplished with two screws, one on each side.

S&W target sights would "shoot loose" (as respects elevation adjustment) right from the get go---S&W's theory being either the barrel catch cam spring (on top breaks) or the sight tang (on hand ejectors) would provide sufficient resistance to prevent such irksome happenings.(They were close to correct with the top breaks, and not even close with the hand ejectors.) I suspect the coming of the Outdoorman provided an awakening, and the "two screw" rear sight was not long in arriving (1932)----and no way in hell was ANYTHING with that sight going to "shoot loose"---when it was properly adjusted and locked. As an aside, misunderstanding runs amuck to this day when it comes to the proper adjustment and locking of the "two screw" sight. (BOTH screws are employed with elevation adjustment AND locking-----BOTH SCREWS!!)

So question #1 is which sight is on your gun---the one with one screw for elevation at the hind end-----or the one with two screws at the hind end? Actually, that question is somewhat rhetorical because alternative sight blades were available from the aftermarket. (I had a white outline rear sight blade (from King) on a third model single shot from 1923.) If yours is from KING, it will be so marked. Removing it to have a look is simply a matter of loosening the windage screws (more than a little bit), and plucking it out.

The Patridge front is correct. The red bead gives me pause, because the beaded sights of the time were one (with the bead on the face of a Patridge)----the Call---and its beads were either gold or ivory ---so my knee-jerk reaction is either the sight's been messed with-----or replaced. (Replacing a front sight blade is child's play.)

Ralph Tremaine

 

[handejector]

Ralph-
Many 357s had King sights, including the Red Post. Guns before the 357s could be ordered with them also.

 

[rct269]

Absolutely right, but he said "red square" which I took to mean on the face of the Patridge. The King Bead had the bead on top of a Patridge, at the end of an elongated (full length of the blade) round section--and the bead was round also.

All of which lends credence to that old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words.

He had me going off right when he said "white outline", which my somewhat disconnected brain decided was a later (and criminal) addition of the micrometer sight----and that had me going off describing what should've been on there----just in case.

Now the King Reflector had the bead on the face of a Patridge, but that came along after this gun-----then too his front may very well have come along a good bit later than the gun.

And you got me with the "Red Post", 'cause I don't know what that is.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[RKmesa]

This K-22 from 1938 has a King red post front sight.

No reason to believe that the Factory would not install the same on the Other bigger Outdoorsman. Also, several of my pre-war target sighted guns have white outline rear blades...
Sounds like a cool gun. If it was half way reasonable in price snf condition, and I were you, I would be posting my photos of my latest Outdoorsman find...

 

[Gunhohulk]

Ralph you raise excellent pints asu usual and that helps me describe things better. You mentioned King and that was the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw it as well. The rear sight is the "newer" two screw version and the white outline sight blade seemed to sit low in the sight. The bottom of the u wasn't visible unless you were looking down at it from an angle. The front sight was the general shape of a partridge sight but where the gold bead would normally be was a red/orange square that was flush with the top of the blade and the same width of it as well. I was just looking through old photos of the king catalogs and they had a graphic of one that seems to be nearly identical but is locking color in the catalog.

 

[Gunhohulk]

Yep just like the one above but no engraving and no King markings.

 

[handejector]

Not all King Blades are marked.

 

[paplinker]

My 1935 38/44 OD was ordered with a red post front sight but a King mirror sight was installed. My guess is your blade was likely added later but still would be a very cool gun to own.

Most of the real tall King front blades I have looked at were marked. The ones on a base not as much.