Post war 38/44, possible King Conversion?? (picture heavy)

[MKT]

All,

I stumbled into a Post War, possible transitional, 38/44 Heavy Duty today. It has a 5" barrel and has also been converted to a target model, I am thinking possibly by King. Any thoughts on the conversion are welcomed.

It was wearing a butt ugly set of Pachs, fortunately I had a set of thumbrest targets for a N frame just laying around. The serial number, S67625 puts it in the 1946-47 range. It sure does feel like it has the older long action. I haven't pulled the side plate, but looking in the hammer window the double action sear looks similar to the long action sears in my pre-war K frames.

I thought it a steal for $325. You never see any N frames in California for that price! Best part is now with my C&R plus the CA Certificate of Eligibility I don't have to wait 10 days to show off my find.

Now for some pictures.

Front sight

Adjustable rear sight and glimpse of the cockeyed hammer

The cockeyed hammer

 

[MKT]

All,

I stumbled into a Post War, possible transitional, 38/44 Heavy Duty today. It has a 5" barrel and has also been converted to a target model, I am thinking possibly by King. Any thoughts on the conversion are welcomed.

It was wearing a butt ugly set of Pachs, fortunately I had a set of thumbrest targets for a N frame just laying around. The serial number, S67625 puts it in the 1946-47 range. It sure does feel like it has the older long action. I haven't pulled the side plate, but looking in the hammer window the double action sear looks similar to the long action sears in my pre-war K frames.

I thought it a steal for $325. You never see any N frames in California for that price! Best part is now with my C&R plus the CA Certificate of Eligibility I don't have to wait 10 days to show off my find.

Now for some pictures.

Front sight

Adjustable rear sight and glimpse of the cockeyed hammer

The cockeyed hammer

 

[pbslinger]

Nice find! It wouldn't be out of place to find a King converted gun in California. It appears to be a transitional since it has the knob on the ejector rod, and I think I can see a one line "Made in USA" on the right side.

I don't know anything about the quality of King's work, but I would think the hammer spur welding and checkering would be better quality if done by them. It would have been a pretty difficult job with period equipment, probably an acetylene torch. Much easier with a TIG today.

It is also possible that gun has been converted to short action by King.

Do a search on this forum for "King" and "cockeye" and compare your hammer with them.

How does she shoot?

 

[cxm]

The front sight doesn't look like a King sight to me... in addition, most of his sights had the King brand stamped on them...

It is however a very nice find and a fine looking gun.

FWIW

Chuck

 

[mikepriwer]

The sights are not the typical pre-WW2 King. I don't think they are post-WW2
King either. The hammer does not look like King - at least all the ones I have seen.

Maybe his nephew Jim will offer some comments.

Later, Mike Priwer

 

[MKT]

After posting the pictures I started searching the forum. I am now sure the hammer and sights are not King. There are no markings on the sights or sight base and the checkering on the hammer does not resemble any of those previously posted. Hopefully someone here has an idea of who may have done this conversion.

 

[MKT]

I just realized I posted this to the wrong forum...it is a year or two too new

.

 

[moosedog]

I think you did quite well. That is one interesting revolver and is a great example of 1950's state of the art.
If you ever want to sell it, you can bump me up.

 

[A10ACN]

That one's a bit of a strange duck! The work doesn't look anything like King's. I think the front sight may be a Micro and maybe the rear. The Micro Sight company sort of picked up after King's went out of business. I know they offered the sights to gunsmiths but I don't know if they did work themselves. I know that all the guns I've examined that had Micro sights were nowhere near as nice as a King built gun.

 

[DHENRY]

The 'rear windage-front elevation' combination was quite popular on Colt's prewar target revolvers.
As regards the possible conversion to a 'short action', the gun does not appear to have been so-modified...the hammer stud is in the original position, and there's no firing-pin cutout at the rear of the frame.
Neat-looking gun, from a time when people actually USED their guns!
Don

 

[MKT]

Originally posted by pbslinger:
It appears to be a transitional since it has the knob on the ejector rod, and I think I can see a one line "Made in USA" on the right side.

How does she shoot?

Good eye, even with the compressed pictures. It does have the single line "Made in USA" and the large ejector rod knob. The barrel also has three patent dates I can read, the rest are covered by the front sight base. Those dates are Feb 6, 06, Sept 14, 09 and Dec 29, 14. I'm pretty sure it is the long action version as it has the same feel as my pre-war K frames.

Haven't had an opportunity to shoot it yet, but I have the next week and a half off. Hoping to get some range time in. I'll let you know how it shoots.

I did figure out how to adjust the sights though, it that helps anyone in identifying them. The front sight has two screws, one on the side and one in the tang of the blade. Loosen the side screw then back off the tang screw to raise, or tighten the screw to lower the front blade. The rear sight has an adjustment screw on each side. To adjust, loosen one side while tightening the other. The rear blade moves to the side you are tightening.