Anyone have any info on Clark Gable's RM?

[Walter Rego]

The plumb color of the barrel may just be the lighting. Looks like Kings may have done some work on the trigger & hammer. Maybe a short action conversion ? Whatever, I'm sure it doesn't affect the value. The picture of Gable cleaning his revolver looks like it was from about the mid to late 1950's. He was Clark Gable. He can wear anything that he wants.

 

[Modified]

Having seen it in person, it's not badly re-finished. It's a very nice gun. The jeweling isn't to the taste, but it's still a really nice gun. He clearly enjoyed it a lot.

I don't think King did the hammer/trigger. I think that might have been Frank Pachmayr that did that.

 

[handejector]

Looks badly refinished. Barrel is plumb, trigger is jeweled and hammer blued. Beautiful stocks, though.

NOT refinished as I recall.
Just to be clear-
The trigger is VERY wide. As I recall, the hammer spur is widened on both sides, what King would have called "Double Cockeyed" on their hammers.
You might need a bigger screen to evaluate condition accurately.

 

[peter-paul]

what I want to know, what happened to men wearing hats? And not trucker/ballcap's, the real deal...men's snap brim's, fedora's, etc.
Personally enjoying wearing them..especially since I lost my hair..lol

I actually researched this some time ago. This trend toward lack of wearing hats in public tracks to JFK. As part of his image for the 1960 campaign to appear young and active, he eschewed the wearing of hats when out in public. After winning the presidency, the new fashion style took hold and hats were passé after that.

Plenty of photos of President Eisenhower wearing a hat. How many have you seen of JFK ?

 

[opoefc]

When I owned Jimmie Stewart's RM & Gary Cooper's RM, a few yrs ago, I tried to buy Gables RM to make up a trio of Movie actor RMs, however the owner ( who loaned Gable's RM to the NRA Museum ) would not put a price on it, so I never got to complete the trio. The trio were gun guys and hunted and shot together. Jimmie got his RM 1st and the other two followed suit. I've examined Gable's RM and it has been worked over extensively from it's original configuration, as shipped, never the less it is what it is and has the provenance. Ed.

 

[Art Doc]

NOT refinished as I recall.
Just to be clear-
The trigger is VERY wide. As I recall, the hammer spur is widened on both sides, what King would have called "Double Cockeyed" on their hammers.
You might need a bigger screen to evaluate condition accurately.

I always tell my art history students the worst way to look at art is to view photos. In the photo the finish looked less to me than the usual RM magnificence.

BTW, did Bogart have an RM? Don't see one on the table.

 

[mrcvs]

I always tell my art history students...

Wow! A gun totin' art history professor! I love it!

You are a RARE bird indeed!

 

[DCWilson]

It was there because I saw it. Must have been removed for some reason...probably copyright violation.

I don't see it either, but the linked URL for the image on phototime(dot)com is there in the underlying source code for the page. When I clicked on that link in Firefox, again I saw nothing. When I copied the link and pasted it into the New Edge browser, I got a warning about a poorly configured web site that might allow the theft of personal information. Those of us not seeing the picture are apparently being protected by security settings on our web browsers.

 

[JJEH]

Just a different breed back then... hard working, better dressed, well mannered, just more class and no whining allowed.

 

[Kurusu]

what I want to know, what happened to men wearing hats? And not trucker/ballcap's, the real deal...men's snap brim's, fedora's, etc.
Personally enjoying wearing them..especially since I lost my hair..lol

JFK happened. He liked to flaunt is full head of hair. Hats went out of fashion.

Edit. Beaten to draw by Peter-Paul.

 

[Kurusu]

Amen! I do too. Panama in summer, fedora in colder weather.

A man of good taste.

 

[max503]

Here you go. I photographed it some time ago.

John

Wow. Look how curved that trigger is. Is it special?

 

[paplinker]

When I owned Jimmie Stewart's RM & Gary Cooper's RM, a few yrs ago, I tried to buy Gables RM to make up a trio of Movie actor RMs, however the owner ( who loaned Gable's RM to the NRA Museum ) would not put a price on it, so I never got to complete the trio. The trio were gun guys and hunted and shot together. Jimmie got his RM 1st and the other two followed suit. I've examined Gable's RM and it has been worked over extensively from it's original configuration, as shipped, never the less it is what it is and has the provenance. Ed.

Owning Jimmy Stewarts RM would be my ultimate grail gun. I grew up not far from where he was born and everything I ever read about the man has left me with a very high opinion of him.

Is his RM in very good condition?
I think I will have to save my pennies for a very long time to have a shot at that gun.
But you never know

 

[opoefc]

Jimmie's RM was reg.#100. Shipped to a Los Angeles distributor in 1935. It was a 99% gun when I owned it. A fellow member of the S&WCA purchased it from me several yrs. ago at an annual meeting. Jimmie gave the gun to Carbine Williams as a gift when he made the movie about Carbine Williams with Jimmie starring as Carbine. Carbine later gave the gun to the 50s gun dealer and friend of his, Hy Hunter. Hunter sold it to another collector, who sold it to me. Ed .

 

[S&W ucla]

Wow. Look how curved that trigger is. Is it special?

It and the wider hammer were aftermarket. Seems like Christy or King did the work.

 

[StrawHat]

Yes, among other things, JFK was a lousy influence of men’s style.

Gale, Bogart, Stewart, Cooper, Cagney, E G Robinson, and a host of others wore hats as if they were born with them on their heads.

One of my spare hats with my N frame. (Perhaps we should start a thread for hats and gats instead of drifting this wonderful thread.)

Kevin

 

[steelslaver]

I own as many ties as I do registered magnums. If I one I will get the other. The only hats I wear are hard hats while actually on the job. They give me one when I arrive and I leave it when the job is over.

 

[iskra]

Old man, sharing. Recollections! LE eighties lifestyle, with over a year… Commuting! Monday AM, SoCal workweek. Friday PM, NorCal home. Periodically, Friday flight, missed; ‘hangin’. Such an evening. Rain! Bailing packed freeway. Settling for ‘burger & 'desert… as in, Woah! RM?' Shops almost adjacent, menus, happily different! Ending evening with first & only RM, SN 48519/R 1238, ‘37-’38 (?) & Winchester 94, “Extra Lightweight Rifle”, 30 WCF. c. 1903.
Both guns refinished, RM better condition! Grand old gals! ‘Take out package’, 2 to go, $1K for pair, OTD, No Tip required! Hotel weekend with this ‘of age’ pair! Over three decades later, weathered in home & safe nesting’ Now “Senior” Smith 469, duty gun, joined. Rumors of “plastic Glock” career end flirtations; greatly exaggerated!
Best & thanks for putting up…
John