Some housekeeping:
Bob's gun is one of the 2nd set, clearly a non-registered. I've got 60904, but its been thru its first life and second, maybe getting started on its third. And I have no answers to his history problem. But we do know that some PDs didn't issue all the guns they bought, keeping a few as replacements/loaners/whatever. Maybe he got lucky and got one of those (or the WWII GI did). His is clearly the exception.
As for the question Arlo poses.... My understanding is that the * is not a refinish mark, its a rework mark. Its a slightly bigger umbrella that can also include refinishing or the replacement or rework of a major part. And I'm too stupid to know what a "major" part is. Its pretty well agreed that a barrel, cylinder or frame is included. And most people I've discussed it with feel that a hammer or trigger amounts to a major part.
And most of us think, but can't prove, that a screw or spring isn't. But factories don't always follow the rules, and someone may have stamped a gun if it had a broken spring, out of time situation, etc. And anyone want to guess about something like a hand or cylinder stop?
Most refinished guns have the *. But they often also have another mark or two, including the often seen date stamp, the brackets with an "N", "R-N", "R-B", etc. And we don't really know if the guns with more than 1 date were fixed, refinished, or both. Roy can't tell us, or at least he says he can't.
I'd be great if he'd take a few hours and look under KC PD to see if they've got serial numbers on guns sent back in the early postwar. It seems to me that it might be fertile hunting grounds. But until the KC guns start getting more respect, that probably won't happen.
I think the answer to Arlo's question is that we just don't know. Sometimes the gun itself tells you a lot. The original KC magnums, both RMs and Non's all were originally shipped with a beautiful bright finish. The ones with the brushed finish and 1940s date stamps were clearly reworked, and I assume by the factory (no self respecting gunsmith would attempt to duplicate that.) And since all the one's I've seen show evidence of the brush work (and I've not seen Bob, much less his gun!
) , my assumption is that refinish and mechanical checking was done at the same time.
And that is mostly deduced by logic, not always my strong point. These were the top of the top end revolvers. Those that owned them didn't pitch them out when they began to show a little wear. Remember, all the people in this time frame had endured the Great Depression. The watch word was "waste not, want not". They didn't feel that a tuneup and refresh was going to damage the gun. They were doing it a favor at the time.
And in all my ignorance, I don't even know the general time frame that KC disposed of them. Bruce Perkins did a great research job on the one he had. He even got the original holster. I forget how that story ended up. If you're out there, Bruce, rehash it if you would, please?
