I work a few blocks from Central, and stop in about once a week to see what's new. I work right across the street from the Seattle Tower, where Detonics was headquatered. If I go to the east side of our building, I can look right into the penthouse offices, probably now populated by attorneys.
I have some old Detonics ads and catalogs, and did a yahoo search of the Bellevue address, and it didn't click with me that it was later the location of WSI. Interesting.
I've met three or four people who worked for Detonics in some capacity. A buddy of mine worked for an engineering firm, and one of his co-workers had some engineering drawings of the Combat Master, from his days there.
Another friend told me his dad bought a Combat Master chambered in .451 Detonics Magnum, serialed 451, and that Sid, or one of the other higher-ups wanted it back, saying it wasn't intended for sale. The guy negotiated a deal for a gun with a custom serial number - his name, or something - along with a fitted case, spare .45 ACP barrel, and all the other goodies available at the time, in exchange for returning #451.
Ever wonder why Storm Lake Machine seemed to be the only company making replacement barrels for the Combat Master? They were making the originals, when they were in the Seattle area.
I remember reading about how the original Combat Master barrel had what looked like an additional barrel lug on the top. Since the CM didn't have a bushing, the lug was supposed to help keep the barrel aligned with the slide and frame during cycling. The feature was dropped prior to production. I'd stored this little tid-bit away, until looking at an old, mid-80's issue of American Hangunner, where I saw an ad for a drop-in compensated barrel. The primary feature was a slide stop with shims that could be installed in the pin, to adjust the lock-up. Then I noticed the extra "lug" on the barrel, about half-way to the muzzle. The company was called Centaur Systems, and located in the Seattle area; the Combat Master's barrel designer, out on his own? Anyone know the story?