I have been collecting the K-38 since about 1980. When I read the article about the Missouri State HP guns, written by Shawn and Russ, published in the
Journal, I decided I had to have one in my collection. After looking for some months, I found a guy here on the Forum who owned two. One had been his father's duty gun (that trooper now deceased), the other had also been purchased from the MSHP by the father. After some negotiations with the owner and some consultations with Russ and Shawn, I was able to purchase the one that had been carried by the owner's father. I was more than pleased.
Not only did I get the gun, it came with the Model 66 box that the MSHP armorer had packaged it with when it was sold to the trooper through a local FFL. It also came with some documentation, which is now safely stored in my small safe (the gun lives in my large safe with its fellows). Later, I obtained a letter from Roy on the revolver, which is also in the safe. The gun left the factory on October 3, 1952.
As Shawn points out above, the Missouri guns are much less common than the ISP revolvers. I am very pleased to own one of them. Eventually, I hope to add an ISP example to my K-38 collection. Anyone who owns one they want to sell can feel free to contact me!
Here are a couple photos of my Missouri 5" K-38.
One interesting aspect of this discussion is whether the frame is a Masterpiece or a CM. Shawn and Russ can address this, but as I recall their tentative conclusion in the article was that these were considered special 5" Combat Masterpiece revolvers. But the letter refers to them as "Pre-Model 14" revolvers. Since, in 1952, the tapered barrel Masterpiece was still available, the two frames would be indistinguishable - that is, the tapered barrel K-38 Masterpiece would have the same shape on the forward edge of the frame boss as the CM. Only the heavy barrel version would lack the side-taper. So, in one sense, the argument is moot. The frame is what it is - a K-38 frame meant for the tapered barrel. I continue to refer to the gun as a 5" Combat Masterpiece. Model numbers were five years in the future when my gun left the factory anyway.
