Patridge Pin?

[NavySCPO]

I was cleaning the Triplets today, and saw something a bit odd that I hadn't noticed before.

The K22 and the K38 clearly have the Patridge front sight pinned in place, the K32 does not 'appear' to have a pin. I have a 20x magnifier, and I can't see even a slight indentation, mark, circle, or anything else to indicate a pin or hole was ever there.

Not sure it matters, but the K22 is a 1953, the K32 a 1955, and the K38 (wide barrel) a 1949.

Could it have been sanded (or polished flush) during a refinishing. I hope that isn't the case, but can't rule it out. I'm certainly nowhere close to being any kind of expert, but I can't see any other signs of a re-blue that I've read discussed here, side plate, screw heads, lettering or logo too soft. I'm sure there are other indicators, but these are the ones I remember, and none seem obvious, to my untrained eye anyway. Which again means nothing since I'm not 100% sure I would recognize them, but I think some would be more obvious than others.

Any thoughts? How else would the sight have been mounted in 1955?

 

[rct269]

I just checked my two "no-pins", and they're both pinned---then polished flat/flush and blued. One of mine is virtually invisible, the other can be seen (just barely) under GOOD light, viewed from a fairly oblique angle------no magnification necessary. (As an aside, both of these are as new/original finish.)

Ralph Tremaine

As another aside, both of these (K-22, K-38) were shipped in the fall (October and November) of 1958 to Rex Firearms----and it wouldn't surprise me to learn Rex specified invisible sight pins.

 

[ameridaddy]

Seems to me older guns like yours have a pin or two holding the ramp or sight base to the barrel, often domed and left proud, then there is another pin holding the sight blade to the sight base which has been filed/machined flush. My 1970's pistols have the sight base integral to the barrel, and appear to also have no pin holding the blade to the base. But I have found with really, really close examination, I could always find the pin thru the blade and base. It's dead center fore and aft to the blade and about a fat 1/16" down from the top of the base. The coarse fore and aft machining marks and flat bluing really make it hard to find the pin.
I might be wrong, maybe be the older guns have sight base and blade as one piece, but I'd suspect all three have a pin thru the sight blade.

 

[6string]

In my limited experience, flush fitted front sight pins can be so perfectly dressed by the factory that their presence is VERY difficult to detect.
Your photos are very nice (beautiful guns, by the way), but a hands-on examination is likely in order to say for sure.
I'm sure that some of our knowledgeable authorities here would be able to state more or less unequivocally how the front sight on that K32 is installed.

By the way, trying to see those flush fitted pins for the intent of removing them is a nightmare (speaking from experience!).

Strictly an aside, but, I lament the transition from pinned to integral front sights. And, I greatly prefer proud fitted pins over the dressed ones.
Thank you for the opportunity to see your nice trio!

Jim

 

[hibbs]

The front sights on S&W revolvers were attached in several different ways. at least two of your guns have the blade intergal with the base and are pinned thru the base.Often two pins are used in this method. Sometimes, the pins are proud, as with your guns.Other times they are sanded flush with the rib before blueing. That may be the case with your K32. Sometimes the base is attached and smoothed to the rib, and any one of many choices of sight blade was pinned to the base with one
proud pin.

Richard

 

[flagman1776]

Back in the days when officers could bring our own guns to the Springfield Service Center, I dropped off my M25-2 to have the patridge front sight changed to a ramp so I could shoot qualification with it which required holstering.
When I picked the gun up with it's new ramp sight, the patridge sight and a tiny piece of sheared pin was in the plastic bag that S&W always returned parts in.
I was astounded the sight was pinned on. The gunsmith working the counter explained they tapped it "just right" to shear the pin. The replacement pin does stand very slightly proud today. During manufacture that barrel was polished with the sight already mounted before blueing.
Just because you can not see a pin, doesn't mean it's not.

 

[bigggbbruce]

The K-32 was prepped for finish better than the other two.