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King's Pre-War S&W Model 38 M&P DA Revolver

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
King's Pre-War S&W Model 38 M&P DA Revolver
Auction Location:

16600 Aston Street
Irvine, CA
King's Pre-War Full Treatment Smith & Wesson Model 38 M&P Double Action Revolver, #51801, .38 Spec. cal., 6'' barrel, blue finish, wraparound checkered walnut grips. Pistol features King's full-matted vent rib with reflector, micrometer clip adjusting windage and elevation rear sights, hand-honed action, adjusted trigger pull, balance mainspring, and offset target hammer; enlarged triggerguard and modified grip frame. Custom hammers were known in the King's Catalog as ''Cockeyed'' hammers with ''Never Slip'' checkering, which effectively eliminated the habit of rolling the gun to allow the thumb to follow diagonally across the hammer. Front blade is a King's No. 137 beadless target insert. Pistol dates from the late 1920s to early 1930s. This revolver was the property of Capt. J.J. Haag of the Seattle Police Dept., who set many range and department records from the late 1920s to early 1940s with successes in slow fire, timed fire, rapid fire, and National Match courses. Lot includes approx. 18 shooting medals, copies of newspaper articles most notable of which announces the fact that ''Police Team Crackshot Leaves for Camp Perry''. Capt. John J. Haag was known in shooting circles as the pistol expert of the Seattle Police Dept. Also included is a nice period framed photograph showing Capt. Haag behind his 1937 Pontiac cleaning this very pistol, and a nicely framed portrait of him in his uniform. Condition is very good to fine as modified, mechanically excellent, retaining approx. 92% original factory blue. Enlarged triggerguard has been modified in a utilitarian manner as has the lower portion of the grip frame, with early wraparound oil-finished Herrett type checkered walnut grips. Action is smooth and crisp as modified, bore is fine to excellent. A unique ensemble from the Golden Age of competitive shooting. Est.: $2,000-$3,000. (C&R)