Smith & Wesson 38/44 King sights

[Cattledog48]

I just came back from the range and this one shoots as well as it looks ! It's a 1946 post war transitional long action with King mirror front sight, King round white outline rear sight and I can only assume that King also tuned the amazing trigger with gauges at 2 1/4 pounds
I can't put into words how happy I am with this purchase. I was looking for a 38/44 and I have been searching for a King modified pistol with the mirror front sight, but to find them both in one pistol was more than I could have hoped for.
Next to my K38 this pistol is massive in comparison and shooting 148 grain wadcutters feels like 22's LOL
The grips are borrowed from my early 50's model 27 but I need to find forever grips for this one. I tried a set of the vintage FITZ wood grips but the long cocking action bottomed out so no go there...they would have been perfect.
Five photos attached. Comments welcome.

 

[boykinlp]

I just came back from the range and this one shoots as well as it looks ! It's a 1946 post war transitional long action with King mirror front sight, King round white outline rear sight and I can only assume that King also tuned the amazing trigger with gauges at 2 1/4 pounds
I can't put into words how happy I am with this purchase. I was looking for a 38/44 and I have been searching for a King modified pistol with the mirror front sight, but to find them both in one pistol was more than I could have hoped for.
Next to my K38 this pistol is massive in comparison and shooting 148 grain wadcutters feels like 22's LOL
The grips are borrowed from my early 50's model 27 but I need to find forever grips for this one. I tried a set of the vintage FITZ wood grips but the long cocking action bottomed out so no go there...they would have been perfect.
Five photos attached. Comments welcome.

Great Find! Love the 38/44, love the King sights ( I have a K22 Outdoorsman with the King Target Rib), and love the grips. I would leave them on this revolver. Who added the ivory diamond?
Larry

 

[lestert357]

Nice find! What grips were on the 38/44 when you got it?

 

[paplinker]

I was wondering if someone on the forum won that gun!!

It's a very cool gun,I was a bit tempted to bid myself. King modified guns are my favorite.

I have a prewar OD with a King setup close to yours.

 

[Cattledog48]

Nice find! What grips were on the 38/44 when you got it?

Period correct black washer magnas not serial numbered to pistol came on this 38/44
On a 6 1/2" N frame they look and feel like a twigs on a live oak !
The grips in the photo feel really good but my model 27 deserves more than magnas too
Two children only one good pair of shoes
I have seen exactly the same ivory diamond on photos of engraved pistols of the same vintage
Anyone have a set of Cokes for sale let me know!

 

[Cattledog48]

I was wondering if someone on the forum won that gun!!

It's a very cool gun,I was a bit tempted to bid myself. King modified guns are my favorite. Is your gun still long action? I have run across a couple trans guns that were converted to short.

I have a prewar OD with a King setup close to yours.

Yours looks awesome too !!!
Glad you didn't bid on it too …one other bidder drove the price up $500 but I was committed (or maybe should be committed) to taking this one home no matter what
Yes original looooong action…it feels really good to me but I let a guy at the range shoot it and he couldn't seem to get the hang of it
As I posted the hammer comes back so far that the FITZ target grips prevented the hammer from cocking

 

[DCWilson]

A super score: congratulations.

I, too, am a big fan of the .38/44 target models and have over the years picked up more of them than would be strictly speaking necessary for a type collection. But I don't regret the outlay for a single one of them. A couple have King reflector sights, including a postwar transitional like the one that started this thread.

I don't have immediate access to a photo of one with the King sight, so here's a placeholder image of an early one -- in fact, the first one that joined my collection -- that sports a McGivern bead front sight. It also has ivory stocks and a contemporary grip adapter, but those were after-sale additions by a Tennessee target shooter in the 1930s.

 

[SAFireman]

Nice find!

I have 3 in the 5" flavor....

One HD, one OD, and one Model of 1950 Military 44.

They are all great shooters.

 

[Cattledog48]

Nice find! What grips were on the 38/44 when you got it?

Here is a photo of how it arrived at my FFL

 

[Cattledog48]

A super score: congratulations.

I, too, am a big fan of the .38/44 target models and have over the years picked up more of them than would be strictly speaking necessary for a type collection. But I don't regret the outlay for a single one of them. A couple have King reflector sights, including a postwar transitional like the one that started this thread.

I don't have immediate access to a photo of one with the King sight, so here's a placeholder image of an early one -- in fact, the first one that joined my collection -- that sports a McGivern bead front sight. It also has ivory stocks and a contemporary grip adapter, but those were after-sale additions by a Tennessee target shooter in the 1930s.

Awesome pistol…I was thinking prewar but the postwar sights are better and I like to shoot my revolvers
Also amazing photography!
How do you get photos to post full size instead of as thumbnails?

 

[digi-shots]

Very nice.. here's an ad for King sights…I think these are the same as yours (?)

 

[Cattledog48]

Very nice.. here's an ad for King sights…I think these are the same as yours (?)

Yes the ones in your add look like a match
Both my shooting buddy and I really liked the sight picture of the round front bead aligned in the half round rear notch !
Much more natural that trying to get a square front sight even with the top and have equal space on each side

 

[paplinker]

Both are King rear sights on prewar 38/44 ODs

 

[digi-shots]

I have a pre war .34/44 but it's not a target and it has standard sights.

I do have this one in a parts box…. I think it will work on a S&W but not really sure. The only marking is what looks like a number "8" underneath the sight base.

 

[wheelgun610]

... As I posted the hammer comes back so far that the FITZ target grips prevented the hammer from cocking

Probably wouldn't be too hard to remove enough wood from those FITZ grips to allow the hammer to fully cock. Or, just get yourself a set of Keith Brown's 'Roper' stocks like the ones shown on paplinker's gun shown above. Keith can custom make them to fit your hand perfectly. Since you're gonna shoot it, you and the gun deserve to have a set of stocks that fit your hand like they were made for it.

Mark

 

[Cattledog48]

I have a pre war .34/44 but it's not a target and it has standard sights.

I do have this one in a parts box…. I think it will work on a S&W but not really sure. The only marking is what looks like a number "8" underneath the sight base.

Your photo of the bottom of the sight shows the slot that slides over the existing non target sight
Hard to say if yours fits a colt or S&W
You might try purchasing a reproduction copy of a King catalog
Attaching photo

 

[digi-shots]

Thanks… I have blue same blue sheet with King info.

I never thought to try and put it over the top of a regular sight. I'll take a look and see what guns I have that is might fit. The bottom of the sight here in question is curved on the bottom.

I think the .38/.44 I have has a standard sight bus the base is squared off.

 

[DCWilson]

How do you get photos to post full size instead of as thumbnails?

If you become a forum contributor (not necessarily an expensive commitment), you get the right to create photographic albums on the forum server. If you then upload an image to the album, you can copy the link to the album image and paste it into the body of your post. You have to use the BB code option for the link. The pic shows up in the body of the post at the preferred size.

You can also use other on-line image storage providers, then include in your post links to any pics you uploaded to those locations. But sometimes there are authentication problems with that approach.

 

[Truckman]

Or you can expand your thumbnail, copy the image address and repost it like such......Ben

 

[paplinker]

Probably wouldn't be too hard to remove enough wood from those FITZ grips to allow the hammer to fully cock. Or, just get yourself a set of Keith Brown's 'Roper' stocks like the ones shown on paplinker's gun shown above. Keith can custom make them to fit your hand perfectly. Since you're gonna shoot it, you and the gun deserve to have a set of stocks that fit your hand like they were made for it.

Mark

Actually this is a original set of Ropers! Fancy wood is harder to find but its out there. They are my only thumbrest set,but after seeing the wood grain I bought them anyway.

Most long action guns have fit issues with target grips that have a enclosed backstrap. A couple set sets of ropers I have actually have a relief cutout to accommodate the hammer pull.

Below is an I frame set of ropers with the indent.