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Old 07-11-2018, 07:57 AM
Green Frog Green Frog is online now
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The knowledge you seek, Grasshopper, is scattered in the wind... or at least through a large number of threads, with a snippet here and a whisper there. In the ten+ years I've been poring over this forum, I don't recall ever seeing a single, comprehensive thread.

OTOH, if you can get hold of a copy of the Standard Catalog of S&W by Supica and Nahas, they treat it pretty well, especially in the newest (4th) edition.

Briefly, the pre-War version lacked the barrel rib and had the old style, non-micrometer rear sight. Essentially it was a 22 M&P with rudimentary adjustable sights and 6" barrel. After WW II when civilian production resumed, the true target versions of the K-22 and K-38 ("Masterpiece") began to appear rather quickly. Over the years the barrel weight and rib width increased and variations occurred in the action (including wider hammer spurs and trigger shoes) and eventually in grip style.

This is the very condensed, "Reader's Digest" version of the history you seek. Now you can go forth and spend the rest of your life learning more and correcting my mistakes!

Froggie
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