D.W. King Information Thread

[kwill1911]

I can't help with the short action question, especially without examining the gun, but I can say that King modified S&W parts. He did not make hammers and triggers.

 

[Green Frog]

The only King gun I've ever owned was a High Standard Model HE (already a rare bird!) with the King sights installed. It also had a set of Sanderson target grips (with thumb rest) that fit my hand fairly well.
Now that I've quit collecting HS and moved on to S&W my dream is to find someone to replicate the King Super Police Night Sights conversion on a late model Baby Chiefs Special. That would be one super fine carry piece!
Froggie

 

[paplinker]

I have a question for the King experts. I recently picked up a Colt King Super Target from 1949-50 that is pretty obvious it has the King short action treatment done to it. The hammer is not king marked but it is a "Target" style hammer and when cocked it only goes about half as far back and in double action it travels back even less.

On the other hand, I have a King Super Target that's built on an M&P Target that has the Cockeyed Hammer but I can't tell if it has the short action treatment done to it. When you cock the hammer back it goes fully rearward in single action. But in double action it seems like it drops considerably shorter than a normal double action would but I don't have a similar K Frame from the era to make a comparison with. The Smith hammer and trigger have case hardening that is pretty much identical and the trigger and hammer have the same font patent information stamped on them. Did King make the hammer and trigger themselves or were they modified S&W parts? And how would one go about verifying if it is the short action trigger or not?

Well every short action King gun I own also has the cockeyed hammer. I believe back then it was mostly the bullseye shooters that wanted the short action so why not do the cockeyed hammer. One of my short action guns is a prewar MP Super king, maybe I will check out your findings on mine.

A picture of the King short action before clean up.

 

[Beau254]

I have a couple unfinished King sights

Do you have one for a 6" Outdoorsman you'd like to get rid of? I have one with a King Cockeyed hammer. Would like to add a rib to match.