King Super Target Rib

[boykinlp]

Kevin
That is a great gun. If you have a picture, I would like to see what the weights look like. We would love to see a copy of your article too.

 

[Gatorbaiter]

S&W 32WCF King Super Target:

 

[phenson]

I think that is the strangest S&W that I have ever seen too. But I think the reason is because it is a COLT. LOL. I know you knew this because of your title of your thread. It is wild looking. I like the cockeyed hammer and wonder who made the grips, maybe King. The backstrap on your Colt is checkered. Maybe they come that way, but if not, I think I read that was also a thing that King would do.

I'm not totally sure, but almost certain he checkered the backstrap. What I'm wondering about is the trigger. It is checkered on the face. Its not like my newer Python, I just wonder if D W King did the trigger as well?

 

[boykinlp]

I'm not totally sure, but almost certain he checkered the backstrap. What I'm wondering about is the trigger. It is checkered on the face. Its not like my newer Python, I just wonder if D W King did the trigger as well?

phenson
If you look at post #15 in this thread by Dan M, his last picture is of a checkered trigger by King. I believe that it is a trigger shoe though. It is checkered on the face and says King on the side. So, he made have only done the trigger shoe or he may have even done the triggers themselves. Does yours say King on the side? I would assume he would put his name on it if it was done by him.

 

[rlee1976]

handejector, are those genuine Walt Ropers on your K-22? That's an unusual style with the "widow's peak" at the bottom like that.

 

[Hammerdown]

Hello
King made some wonderful looking Sight packages. A company that came after them was called The Micro Sight Corp.. I have heard that they stole some of King's ideas and Patents and were eventually forced out of Business for doing so. Shown is a Second series .455 Hand eejct re-chambered in .45 Colt Caliber. it shipped in 1916 and has been converted with a Micro Sight Corp. adjustable Rear sight and Very High Front sight blade...

 

[DCWilson]

Kurt, if I knew you had one of those I completely forgot about it. Here's mine, 73778 (July 1916), .45 Colt (converted by planing the recoil shield, not the back of the cylinder), refinished, Micro sight package. I never had the original stocks, however.

When you get one of those large-block rear sights on the gun, the front sight needs to reach for the stratosphere. The front sight profiles on our guns are different, but otherwise...

To honor the original purpose of the thread, I'm hoping to connect with a King Super Target at some point. I have a few guns with King reflector sights, or other maker bead sights and King white-outline round bottom rear sight leaves, but haven't yet managed to find the Holy Grail of King sights.

 

[Hammerdown]

Kurt, if I knew you had one of those I completely forgot about it. Here's mine, 73778 (July 1916), .45 Colt (converted by planing the recoil shield, not the back of the cylinder), refinished, Micro sight package. I never had the original stocks, however.

When you get one of those large-block rear sights on the gun, the front sight needs to reach for the stratosphere. The front sight profiles on our guns are different, but otherwise...

To honor the original purpose of the thread, I'm hoping to connect with a King Super Target at some point. I have a few guns with King reflector sights, or other maker bead sights and King white-outline round bottom rear sight leaves, but haven't yet managed to find the Holy Grail of King sights.

Hello David
This Gun came from a Dear friend, Through a work Barter deal. He shared with me that it was owned by a Fighter Pilot of the Canadian Royal Navy and that it flew missions with him during World War I. He had it converted to .45 Colt as he felt the .455 Cartridge was Anemic. I too Long to have a King conversion revolver and would have scored one at the 2009 Annual S&WCA meeting in Troy, Michigan as I had an eye on the same exact one that Don Warner grabbed and has shown in this thread, but elected to buy my 1935 Registered Magnum Instead.. I Have Not seen one since, but am alway's looking for one to add... Hammerdown

 

[handejector]

That is one high front sight, how does it shoot?

The front sights on non-ribbed guns do look very high. Look at the ribbed guns and you'll notice that the height is actually about the same, they just don't LOOK as high. If you add the rib height to the blade height, you'll get a very tall front sight.

handejector, are those genuine Walt Ropers on your K-22? That's an unusual style with the "widow's peak" at the bottom like that.

They are genuine Ropers.

Hello
King made some wonderful looking Sight packages. A company that came after them was called The Micro Sight Corp.. I have heard that they stole some of King's ideas and Patents and were eventually forced out of Business for doing so.

Micro was started by some former King employees as I recall. I don't think they were forced out by the suit. King won some damage money, but not enough to make the effort worthwhile.

 

[Green Frog]

IIRC, there were 3 major outfits building high end adjustable sights for target use, King, Micro, and Triangle. You see virtually identical (mechanically) versions of all 3 on .45 hardball guns from the late pre-War period through about the '60s. As memory serves, King started first with a variety of sights back to the WW I period give or take, and Micro outlived Triangle by a little as the popularity of formal bulls eye shooting waned. If you look at the 3 side by side, you can see an awful lot of similarity, but it might be a matter of "form follows function." BTW, didn't Ruger use Micro sights on their adjustable sighted guns for a while until they started making their own??

Froggie

 

[gagunner 2]

Froggie,I'm pretty sure you're right. I know I got a Micro sight from E-bay that was supposed to be for a Ruger Mark 1 and it worked out fine.
gagunner

 

[perrazi]

colt either used micro or a very close copy on their postwar adj sight guns. starting after the coltmaster rear sight period.

 

[Green Frog]

Addendum

I've seen or owned all three of the sights mentioned on semi-auto pistols, and decided to do a bit more research... but if you have thought about getting anything useful on the subject out of Stroebel's sight book (the "SCSW" of sights) don't bother... it aint there!

Anyway, I have little to no info about the King rib assembly for the revolver, and that's what really got me interested when I saw them in a couple of threads here. You guys just have to stop showing me all this neat stuff that brings lust to my heart! I can't stand it.

Froggie

 

[crsides]

From an early flattop ruger 44
My MkI targer ruger 22 auto has Micro sight also.

Charlie

 

[gdogs]

They're not S&W's, but both of these Colt's wear Micro Sights. The first an Army Special sporting a pair of Sanderson grips as well as a Micro hammer. The second a 1917 with what I believe to be Hurst or Farrant grips. The frame is cut for the grips on the 1917. It still shoots good, but is an ugly duckling for sure. I've been thinking about having it hard chromed or perhaps satin nickeled.

 

[Michael Stern]

A Pony and a Thoroughbred

 

[lawandorder]

I see some similarities Michael............

 

[boykinlp]

Those are some really modified Ropers. Very Nice!!

 

[lawandorder]

Here is the flip side.............

 

[Green Frog]

Well, this thread has lain dormant for a while, and now I have a question to be added to it. What few pix I have been able to find of the rear of the King ribs around the actual sight blade look as though they are used on a target sighted gun and utilize the little niche that S&W used for the elevation nut to anchor the rear of the rib and to make the King Sight's adjustment work. Is this the case or is it an optical delusion on my part? I'm still searching but I wonder, does anyone have a King full rib on a Bekeart Model or a 22/32 HFT? I'd love to see pix of that one!

TIA ~ Froggie