The First Combat Magnum

I'm curious as to why it wasn't presented. Someone change their mind? Did JFK not live long enough?

Does it seem odd to take a 6 year old revolver out the collection and embellish it for presentation rather than simply use a new gun? Was there some significance to using the first one made?
 
Kavinsky said:
combat magnum? so this was one of the first model 19's made?
Click to expand...
This is the first Model 19 (but they didn't have model numbers yet) made.
Kavinsky said:
then wouldnt it make more sense if this was presented to Bill Jordan instead?
Click to expand...
Bill Jordan was presented the lowest serial number, K260001.

Fantastic, Bill!!
 
Sorry I didnt actually pick up on that when I saw the thread title, that's kind of weird that of all the people they wanted to present this to it was him as his family had a reputation for being really anti gun.

on the other hand wasnt the model 19 actually addopted by the secret service and used by them for a number of years?

maybe they were trying to make a sales pitch to him?
 
Last edited:
W. O. W. !!!!!

Bill:

That has to be the nicest combat magnum that I have ever seen. Would love to see it in person. Are you bringing it to Boise?:D

Thanks for sharing!
 
I am speculating here, But I would have to guess that the gun probably sat in the inventory for a few years, in some form. Regular production of partially engraved maybe...since JFK wasn't elected until 1960 and didn't take office until 1961. Or was it with White all that time, waiting for the right guy to give it to. I wonder how Eisenhower "lost" out on it and that it wasn't presented to him, after all he was another very distinguished WW2 veteran.
There must be an interesting story behind this revolver Bill. And as always, spectacular! Thanks for sharing!
 
Unless I misunderstood him, Bill Jordan told me that he received the first Combat Magnum. I thought it was the gun that he displayed on a TV show?

He may have been misinformed about which gun was earlier.

Eisenhower was in the White House when the gun was made, but JFK, like S&W, was from MA and was then (I think) the senator from that state. So, perhaps S&W saw some advantage in giving it to him. Colt gave Sir Winston Churchill a .45 Commander in about 1950, probably to thank him for carrying their Govt. Model in two world wars and for getting it adopted as the standard handgun for the commando units, which he conceived and had raised.

Bill-

Is it okay to Save these pics to put in our S&W reference books? No commercial use is intended. I saw where one member is using one now for his desktop image.

These are among the best of all the superb images of S&W's that you have posted here over the years. Thanks for sharing them.
 
What a beauty, glad Teddy was never President, it would have been very hard to do all that engraving on a bottle of scotch.
 
Texas Star... Please feel free to use the photos for your reference books. Bill Jordan was given the Combat Magnum with the lowest serial number, K260001. It was the first gun out of the factory and S&W wanted him to have the one with the lowest serial number, but K260003 was the first gun completed on November 15, 1955.

Bill
 
We have rules around here --- .

Bill

We have rules around here, you know ! They are not just ours,
but the BATF, as well. Guns are made on their shipping date, not
some intermediate date from which they subsequently receive
further work, as was the case with this gun.

So - when was this gun shipped ?

More importantly, when was this gun finally completed ?

I find it curious that the gun was engraved as a presentation for
President Kennedy, but never delivered. The man was President for
over two and one-half years. I would have thought that was
enough time to get the engraving completed. My records show
several shipping dates, one being Nov 18 1960. Was this when it was
sent to Alvin White, for engraving ? If so, I would have thought that
it would have been completed , and presented, before President
Kennedy's death. Or did some other event, or change of thinking,
prevent the gun from being presented ?

Regards, Mike Priwer
 
Stupendous "First". Intriguing that the gorgeous complexity of its final form is mirrored by the multi-layered complexity of its creation, numerology and going public.

Thanks for sharing,

Dyson
 
Bill, another amazing find added to the collection. Would it be possible to get the story behind the story? Would love to know the answers to questions posed about how it came to be and yet never presented. Also a trace of its life from then to now.

If I read you correctly, it was never presented, went into the factory collection, was probably auctioned off when the factory collection was broken up, went through two private collections and ended up in yours. Curious how you learned about it or it found its way to you.

This is the kind of information that makes the rest of us hold out hope that there is still gold in them there hills.:D

As Lee asked, can we see a photo of the initials???
 
Bill-

Thanks for permission to print the pics to stick into my books by Roy Jinks and others. This is simply a magnificent gun.

The Presidential seal on the sideplate and the naval anchor on the left and the initials on the trigger guard almost compel one to conclude that the gun was meant for Kennedy. What happened to keep it from him would be very interesting to learn.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Doc44
The First .357 Combat Magnum
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
Doc44
Doc44
Doc44
Two Early Combat Magnums
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
Hondo1892
H
Doc44
Early 8 3/8-inch 44 Magnum, Engraved by Alvin White
Replies
9
Views
1K
YeshuaIsa53
YeshuaIsa53
Hoosier45
Smith & Wesson N Frame Stocks / Grips - A Reference Guide
4 5 6
Replies
107
Views
45K
bruce5781
bruce5781
Göring's S&W
The Engraved Smith and Wessons of the Young family
Replies
6
Views
7K
GF
GF

Latest posts

Back
Top