My LGS got in a used Performance Center 19-7 K Comp. Looking at it I decided to pass since it was well used. Doing some research most I could find came with a dovetailed Trijicon front sight. This one however had the standard S&W pinned front sight making me wonder if this was a variation or a special run. The previous owner painted both sights which looked awful. My question is were the pinned front sights an option on these?

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I'm not an expert on S&W revolvers by any stretch of the imagination. I do own one of the first 100 K-Comps built in 1994, and have seen a few more over the years.

The ones I have seen have the dovetailed front sight.
Something that looks unusual on the gun you posted is that the barrel has roll marked letters while the frame has laser etched letters.

Purely a guess, but maybe the gun has been re-barrel at some time?

edit: I just looked at the pics again, there is a distinct difference between the barrel's finish vs the frame's finish. Re-barrel is highly likely.

I'm seeing the biggest difference in the cylinder/crane finish,compared to the rest of the gun.

Photo #2: The barrel almost has a brown/purple cast, while the frame is a flat graphite shade. (this view only shows the actual frame, not the crane or cylinder)

Photo #3: If you look at the frame where the barrel screws in, it has the same finish as the crane and the top strap. The crane also matches the threaded frame section above it.

The serial number would tell a lot. in any case, the two different types of marking (stamped barrel vs lasered frame) suggests that it didn't leave the factory in that configuration.

I don't have one of these and agree the finish match between parts is pretty sorry, but I suspect this is an original gun with the front sight replaced. It is possible the barrel was replaced, but my guess is it was made from a combination of older and newer parts. The cylinders on these were recessed (older), the barrel may have been cut down from an earlier rollmarked part, and the frame is a later one with the new-style rear sight leaf.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Just my opinion but it looks like a model 19 K-Comp to me. It has all of the features and the performance center stamp under the cylinder release latch.

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M.J.Hanna

I have a 66-5 which has roll marked barrel and laser etched S&W logo on the frame. They were doing it like that for a while. I assume using up roll marked parts on hand. I would not assume it's been re-barreled.

Although I must say that the front sight looks odd, and perhaps done secondhand. I am by no means a PC expert though.

That front sight looks like it was used as a hammer. Was that thing dropped on it's head a few times or what???

It looks like a 3" pre-model 15 I saw on Friday, which was a chopped 4" barrel with the front sight brazed back on. Looked very similar, but actually better than that believe it or not.

Almost looks like someone "cut in" a 586 barrel and did the rest after. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

Here is my 19-7 k-comp. Everything on mine is laser etched, no roll marks at all. Along with the difference in the front sight, the front of the lower lug has a different profile. Mine is cut at much more of an angle.

If it was an original barrel with a replacement sight, wouldn't the dovetail cut still be visible? The gun being made from assorted parts makes sense, but seems kind of odd for such a small run.

Mine is serial number SDA00XX, that's pretty early in the run. It doesn't have a recessed cylinder or a roll stamped barrel. Someone once posted a period S&W advertisement for the K-Comp that stated they had recessed cylinders. Whenever a K-Comp pops up, I check it out, still haven't seen one with a recessed cylinder. I wonder if the recessed cylinder version ever existed, or was that ad a classic example of marketing and production departments not being on the same page.

I understand how models that have been made for a long time would have mixing of parts as newer changes take place throughout the production life. Maybe that is indeed what is going on here. But don't you think the finish difference increases the possibility of parts being replaced after the fact even if the factory did mix lasered and stamped parts on some guns?

This is very interesting to me. A guy can learn a lot hanging out in here.

Maybe its some kind of transitional, or sent back in for a rebarrel. Ive been trying to land on of the 19-5s that were put out by Horton with the 3" barrel and magnaporting. Just not into the big front port and dovetailed sight. Although thought about getting one and having the port machined off.
Havent got that desperate yet. Plus not sure what barrel length would be after and would want 3" or 2.75 at least. Had never seen this combo, might be a good candidate.

The serial number of this 19-7 is SDA14XX. The price was right but as I said it was just a little to rough for my taste. If the condition was better I would have bought it for a shooter since I love 3" K frames. The dealer was asking $575.
I wish this one looked like Qballwills'.

That gun is 100 percent original. I have one I bought Brand new and was one of the ealier and rarer runs of them that had the serial prefix KCP not SDA. My barrel is roll marked with laser etched PC logo. I have seen come with laser etched and roll marked. Plus the gun's serial number is correct. For 575.00 you better hurry up and get back there, that is a steal for that gun. That sight was added, it originally came with the front night site trijicon, and so what if it is not mint, for 575.00 its a steal and a heeck of a shooter.
Eric

Post a pic of your K-Comp with the roll marked barrel, I would be very interested in seeing how it compares to the one pictured above.

Here's mine, same configuration as Qballwill's and every other K-Comp I have ever seen...

bad picture, but here is a Lou Horton 19-7 (bottom) and a LadySmith.

SDA00xx is indeed an early example.
I don’t think they meant recessed but counter sunk or chamfered charge holes.

That’s the correct prefix for a K-comp and it has the PC trademark but also where I would expect it to have a dovetailed front sight.
Interesting. That would be a very late one.

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I still think this is a gun that has had a barrel swap.
And now have a good idea where the barrel came from.
The photo below shows the same barrel (pinned blade, barrel roll marked not lasered)...on an L- Comp


Read more here:
Really Cool WheelGun....586 L-Comp. Anyone Own One?

desmodue, sir please note the difference between the ejector lug of the revolver in your photo and the ejector lug in the O/P's photos. They appear to be two totally different styles.
The ejector lug in the O/P's photos ends flush with the barrel. The picture you have posted has the classic M-19 beveled (?) end.

I have such Model 19 tunnel vision that the thought never crossed my mind.

Since SDA14xx is a K-comp 19-7, product code 170025, did it leave S&W with that barrel or was it later replaced with a 586 L-comp barrel?
Anyone else have a 19-7 K-comp in the SDA1xxx range?
How does your barrel compare?

Are the dimensions of a K and L frame barrel the same? I'm guessing the L barrel would have a larger barrel shank, and wouldn't line up with the ejector rod of a K frame, but I could be wrong.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

This particular frame has no barrel pin. These barrels are "crush-fit" at the factory and are very difficult to change without the proper equipment and tools. I suspect the gun was put together with the parts on hand.

I have no arguement with that statement.
But, the S&W repair shop changes barrels every day.

I agree, the lug end is more "square" on the barrel of the K-Comp the OP presented.
As I said, I am certainly not a S&W expert, but I have seen a few K-Comps (most posted on line or for sale etc) Every single one looks the same except the one in this thread. I also find it hard to believe that in 1994 the S&W Performance Center would have shipped a gun that the coloring was so obviously different part to part.

So far we know S&W made the K-Comp barrel (laser etched w/ dove-tail cut sight & mono port) and the L-Comp barrel (roll stamped w/pinned sight and mono port) And then we have barrel on the K-Comp in this thread, which appears to be the same as the L-Comp except for the lug end. That's 3 different 3" ported barrels. What else did S&W make w/ a 3" ported barrel?

How about the few Mag-na-port 3" 19-7 made for Lew Horton.

OK, there's another 3", but it has the Magna-port barrel,
What other guns did S&W make with a 3" mono port in front of a dove-tail cut sight?

I will get a picuture of my 19-7 k-comp that has the rarer KCP serial prefix here shortly that has the roll mark barrel.

Eric

I don't know why I didn't see this bit of info before...

If you look at snw19_357's post #18 in this thread he attached a copy of an original S&W ad for the K-Comp.
In that ad it states that the K-Comp is a K frame built using a 3" ported L frame barrel.

It does! I hadn't noticed that before...

I'LL be darned it does say that...You guys with those 3",19-7 Horton guns are killing me !!! That is one good lookin gun.

That's what I get for not reading the fine print...good pick-up there.

Is the bottom of the shank/forcing cone relieved to clear the yoke, like a K frame barrel?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Once again, I must declare that I am not an S&W expert, just a doofus who likes really nice machinery, be it guns, motorcycles, or slightly modified dancers.

The K-Comp is the only K frame I own. When I open the action it is obvious that the lower portion of the barrel/forcing cone has a machined flat surface at 6 o'clock.

Cognitive reasoning would dictate that if the cylinder of a K frame has "X" dimension from ejector rod centerline to centerline of cylinder chambers, the wall thickness of the barrel/forcing cone will only be allowed "Y" dimension.

This is what is messin with me. Even if you flattened the bottom of forcing cone on an L-frame barrel to fit the yoke/cylinder window of a K-frame, wouldn't that move the 'space' for the ejector rod too? Even if it's only 1/100", that's a lot. You could recut the space for a K-frame but then that barrel was made specifically for a K, not an L.


I don't know, but want to. I think I'm going to have to go try and examine the difference in the thickness of the bottom of the shroud on a 58x vs the 3" 19-7's.

I would very much like to see another 3" K-comp in the SDA14-ish range or, in another range with the same front sight, rollstamped, not etched.

OK, now I understand what you guys are saying.

They can fit the barrel to the frame by machining the O.D. of the barrel, as long as the bore lines up with the the threaded hole in the frame and the cylinder bores. That's easy enough.

But - the fixed distance from the cylinder bore to the ejector rod will be the same distance as the center of the barrel's bore and the recess in the underlug for the ejector rod.

I think you are on the right track. Perhaps the difference between the K and L cylinder bore to ejector centerline is only a small difference (i.e. .020"-.030") therefore the built in tolerancing of the underlug recess allows it to fit either barrel. When you look at the flat machined at the 6:00 position of the forcing cone as compared to the thickness at the 3:00, 9:00, or 12:00 positions...it doesn't appear to be more than .020" or so.

An accurate measurement of the actual difference in thickness would probably make things clear.