Factory letter on my Second Model 5 inch Target

[HeloMt]

Hello all, well I got my factory letters today for a Triplelock Target and a Second Model HE 5 inch target. I'm going to try to share pictures for the first time, so I hope this works. The factory letter bore out my hopes and then some! I am thrilled to own a King special that was sent by the factory to King and then shipped on to the customer. The revolver is, I feel, special in several ways. It is a 5 inch, which is supposedly scare and a factory target to boot. It has a humpback hammer, King installed sights and in a deviation from the letter, ivory checkered magnas. All in all, a pretty cool gun. The letter states the barrel was cut at the factory to five inches, but the atteched invoice shows it as being a special order 5 inch with no mention of cutting. Now on to attaching photos...hope this works.

 

[Mbrgr1]

Hello all, well I got my factory letters today for a Triplelock Target and a Second Model HE 5 inch target. I'm going to trey to share pictures for the first time, so I hope this works. The factory letter bore out my hopes and then some! I am thrilled to own a King special that was sent by the factory to King and then shipped on to the customer. The revolver is, I feel, special in several ways. It is a 5 inch, which is supposedly scare and a factory target to boot. It has a humpback hammer, King installed sights and in a deviation from the letter, ivory checkered magnas. All in all, a pretty cool gun. The letter states the barrel was cut at the factory to five inches, but the atteched invoice shows it as being a special order 5 inch with no mention of cutting. Now on to attaching photos...hope this works.

Congrats and a great gun! I got letters today too, I hope yours were not folded!

 

[HeloMt]

additional Photos

Here are a couple more shots

 

[HeloMt]

No, my letters weren't folded (thank heavens!). I forgot to mention that this has been to the range and is a joy to shoot. I love the way a .44 special slaps the plates on a dueling tree. Really a delight to shoot and as smooth as you'd expect.

 

[quinn]

Don't you just live it when a letter like that comes back? Really neat gun!

 

[SS336]

Wow! That's nice. Seems to be a lot of King revolvers posted lately so there is hope i can find one.
The ivory stocks are very nice, really make that revolver special.

 

[Frank237]

Congratulations Randy! Always nice to get a Factory letter thats gives You better news than one hoped for. You are on a roll here lately!

FN

 

[HeloMt]

Thanks Frank. There is just something about a 5 inch prewar N frame. I have a 5 inch RM, a Heavy Duty and another 2nd Model HE in .44 Spec. All of them have the same wonderful handling characteristics. They are a bit easier to carry than a 6.5 inch and have a little longer sight radius than a 4 inch. And the weight distribution and recoil recovery seem about optimum for me. In reading about Fiala Outfits, Inc., it seems they were very much into something like the Target I lettered. It makes me chuckle to think that if Indiana Jones was going to do a special order, this would have been it!

 

[JP@AK]

The letter states the barrel was cut at the factory to five inches, but the atteched (sic) invoice shows it as being a special order 5 inch with no mention of cutting.

That is the way it worked. When an order for a non-standard barrel length (shorter) came in, factory technicians grabbed the next longer length barrel and trimmed it to the requested length, properly fitted the appropriate front sight and assembled the barrel to the gun. So, in your case, it became a special order 5" unit. There would be no call for the shipping invoice to record how the barrel length was achieved.

One known example is the group of 365 .38 Combat Masterpiece revolvers made for the Missouri State Highway Patrol in 1952. 4" was the standard length barrel for the Combat Masterpiece. S&W pulled some 6" K-38 Masterpiece tapered barrels from inventory, cut them to 5", affixed Baughman sights to them and assembled the revolvers to fulfill the special order. It is believed this process used up the last of the .38 caliber 6" tapered barrels, which were being eliminated from production of the K-38 Masterpiece because the K-38 Heavy Masterpiece was designated to take over the K-38 Masterpiece line.

Here are a couple pictures of one of those MSHP revolvers. I purchased it from the son of the late trooper who carried it on duty.

 

[Kinman]

Congrats, beautiful firearm. The 2nd model is my favorite, King did a great job on yours...near perfection. Heres my 2nd model factory adjustment, it is also a pleasure to shoot, not as handy as a 5".

 

[HeloMt]

Jack, thanks for the clarification on the barrel order issue. Makes perfect sense. I can tell on the King front sight installation that the factory front sight is used as attachment for the King unit. Because I have a non-target five inch I am able to compare the two. In my mind, with the cutting of a longer barrel to five inch the front sight would be lost. I had always assumed the front sight base was integral to the barrel during manufacture...apparently not. Also, Frank 237 has one of the MSHP 5 inch combat masterpieces as well. I have a 5 inch masterpiece with the heavier contour. I much prefer Frank's (and yours) to mine. Something about that lighter contour. Mine is similar to the Illinois SP guns...one of the left overs that went to HH Harris. Again, 5 inch guns are just about perfect in my mind!

 

[HeloMt]

Congrats, beautiful firearm. The 2nd model is my favorite, King did a great job on yours...near perfection. Heres my 2nd model factory adjustment, it is also a pleasure to shoot, not as handy as a 5".

Wow, those are a pretty set of cokes on your revolver. Very nice!!!

 

[S&W ucla]

I had always assumed the front sight base was integral to the barrel during manufacture...apparently not........5 inch guns are just about perfect in my mind!

The barrels were forged with the front sight base and blade integral on 1-3 models until the Pre-War Magnums. Can you post a photo of the patent markings on top of barrel? They would show whether the barrel was cut to 5" with base reattached for King ramp or if original 5" barrel. Neat Gun!!

 

[HeloMt]

I'll get some pictures up soon as I'm away from my computer. The barrel markings match up to my 5 inch non-target which does lead me to believe it was an original 5 inch barrel. My 6.5 inch target 2nd model has the markings more centered for that length. The markings on my 5 inch heavy duty also match up to the five inch 2nd model. As I'm not going to attempt to remove the King sight to ascertain the forged nature of the front sight base I'll just be satisfied with the 5 inch special order on the invoice, cut or not.

 

[VM]

Wow, those are a pretty set of cokes on your revolver. Very nice!!!

I'd love to know who did the checkering on Kinman's grips.

(Thanks for sharing your TL Target… very cool accessories!)

 

[Kinman]

Wow, those are a pretty set of cokes on your revolver. Very nice!!!

Thank you, courtesy of John & Jennifer Culina, it was a joint effort.

 

[HeloMt]

The Second Model 6.5 inch target is on the right, next is the Second Model 5 inch target, next the Second Model HE, and then the 5 inch Heavy Duty. Based on the position of the lettering I would say an original 5 inch barrel and not cut. But I'm open to other interpretations if anyone wants to share.

 

[S&W ucla]

That looks good to me on patent date spacing. I know of two other 2nd model 5" targets, they are very scarce. Photo of barrel forging showing integral base, sight with flange trimmed. It measures 6.125" long.

 

[Kinman]

I'd feel confident with the factory letter, everything else looks great...I'm envious, good for you.

 

[Kinman]

I'd love to know who did the checkering on Kinman's grips.

(Thanks for sharing your TL Target… very cool accessories!)

The checkering was done by someone employed or outsourced by John and Jennifer Culina. It was offered at the time I ordered the stocks.