I recently saw a thread where a member converted his K-22 to 5". I think Hamilton Bowen did the work for him. I am thinking of having the same thing done to my 1948 gun. I would like to find a second barrel for it so as not to screw up the collector value of the gun but may do it anyway. I think that a 5" K-22 would be just right. Am I crazy????

Tom

"Am I crazy????"

No, 5" revolvers are the best balanced.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

You will "screw up" the collector value of it either way....if you cut the original barrel that is easy to understand why. If you swap the barrel, it will show evidence that the barrel was changed. There is usually a mark around the pin, and the pin is rarely in the factory position.

My advice, if you so desire, find a project/basketcase K-22 that has been reblued or has an 80% finish. I would not alter your original gun.

I own 5" guns, and the term "best balanced" gets pretty heavily used. For example, I think my 4" pre-29 FEELS more balanced than my 5" pre-29. The 5" LOOKS more balanced because it seems that the gun's PROPORTIONS are more balanced in appearance but not necessarily in weight.

I do just fine with a 6" K-series gun and so have thousands of bullseye shooters better than myself before me.

Hope that helps and good luck with your decision.

Tom,
I think that's a crackerjack of an idea.

Makes me want to cut one to a handy five inches as well...maybe cobble up a fancy holster fur it as well.


Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Five inch barrels go in and out of favor. Sometimes S&W made them for a particular model and sometimes not. I suspect that fashion outscored function when S&W changed barrel lengths. They made the guns they could sell.

I like five-inch barrels on N-frames and tolerate them on prewar M&Ps, where I think barrels either longer or shorter than five inches are best. But I'm not wild about the idea of five-inch barrels on K-frame target models. Seems to me that a Combat Masterpiece would give you all the advantages of a five-inch barrel without the expense of modifying a six-incher.

But it is completely your right to do what you want to with your gun. If a five-inch barrel is what you want, go for it. I would have the work done at a really good shop so that a serious gunsmith's name is associated with the modification.

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David Wilson

Well, if it was me I would take my four inch gun and my six inch gun and see where the balance actually lies.
If it winds up in between the two then I would take the six inch barrelled gun and a hack saw and remove a quarter inch at a time monitoring ever so closely that ultimate balance position.
You will eventually find the ultimate 'balanced' revolver or you will wind up with a four inch barrel.
Oh, and when you are finished, have it nickeled. I'm just saying...

bdGreen

And, place tongue in cheek if you respond...

Most liked it, one said I should be kept away from fine guns like these,

another said I was a cross between a mad scientist & a crazy blacksmith.
Here it is. It started wearin' these

Then went to round butt, 6"

Then to round butt, M19,2-1/2", 22lr clone.





It shoots great & makes ME happy
Ned

Ned

You didn't cut off the balance, did ya ?


Charlie

I think that before you go and do anything to a 1948 K-22, you should see how much fun you can have with a 4" 22A. You'll spend less money and you'll get what you are after in terms of weight, balance, and accuracy. No, I'm not kidding. I shot my daughter's so much that I went and bought one for myself. It's light and points very well.

Seeing that 5" K22 made me lose sleep too but after seeing Neds K22 snub Magnum look alike I finally got the final inspiration I needed to start getting the parts together to build my own dream K22 ASAP.

Life is short make your dream happen !

A 6" 1948 K-22 won't break the bank, one way or another. There are a
lot of them out there, so maybe its $600 to $800, depending on
condition. Cut the barrel to 5", and do it right, and its still a $400 to
$600 gun, plus/minus $100 on all the prices. The fun of planning it,
getting it done, and then using it is easily worth $200. Easily.

Removing a barrel, and ultimately replacing it, is not that big a deal.
The pin may not look exactly right, but as long as you document what
you have done, and who did it, I doubt its going to make more than
$100 difference.

I have several projects going on right now, that will cost me a whole
lot more than that, but, if its what you want to do, you've got to do it.

Pure collecting is all about factory-original, but gun ownership is all
about something else. Look at some of the stuff Ed McGivern did !

Mike Priwer

And if you're really lucky, you might manage to make something like the beautifully butchered Registered Magnum that I ran away from at $2k. The barrel was cut down, the hammer bobbed, and the grip frame cut way down. All very expertly done, with custom inlay grips and a beautiful blue job. You could probably spend $10k making a gun like that.

I almost started sawing away on a beater 32 M&P made in 1919. Then I picked up a Wondersight, and without any sawing I had a target gun. Had an awful lot of money left for ammo.

I'm with Mike all the way, and all for it!
Why not, these guns are only a few hundred dollars? Just make sure you get it done by a pro, spend a couple hundred dollars, you will invest less money than most gun guys spend on great guns like custom rifles, double rifles or shotguns, single shot rifles, Colts...
S&W made tens of thousands of them.
If it were a bit easier, or I had a bit more money I'd have half a dozen 5" guns. Many folks would blanch at the money some of my clients spend on altering collectable guns.
Let's see it when completed!

Tom,

I had Hamilton Bowen do a K22 5" conversion for me and I don't regret it one bit. Here's the thread:

5” K-22 Masterpiece

Here's an updated picture in her "dress-up" Grasshorn-made stocks.



I also considered a donor barrel but discovered the sight blade changed from 1/10" to 1/8" in early 1952 and the barrel rib changed slightly as well. Because I had a late-1948/early-1949 K22 barrel and a 1954 K22 frame, I had Hamilton cut the original.

I still have that very good condition late-1948 barrel (s/n K58450), with lazy ampersand and all. If you decide to go with a donor, send me an email and I'll send pictures.

Good luck . . . whatever you decide

Russ

Hamilton Bowen trimmed to 5 inches, then nickel finished with a ramp front sight blade and base left blue.

You could cut it to 4" and Fitz it like my 1952 vintage K-22.

Just kidding, It really looks like the seconf photo. I would never do this to a nice revolver but a 5" K-22 sounds really nice.

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

I think there are some people here who should have their Smiths swapped out with H&R's in the dead of the night:

"Gosh, it turned into the gun I always wanted!"

Just kidding. Really.

I took a $500. donor gun, a $50. cylinder, a $65. barrel and built a gun
that Smith never made.

Model of 1950 Target, 45 Colt, 'Mountain Revolver' My Best yet.

Some projects turn out killer. Some you learn what not to do again.

But you won't know unless you try.

It's not possible to run with the big dogs if you stay on the porch.

Have the work done professionally and don't look back.

Enjoy life and go shooting.

Allen Frame

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NRA cert.instructor&R.S.O.

I put a brand new set of Keith Brown Prewar magnas with the large medallions on a Pre Model 14 with the fishhook; doesn't fit quite the way I would like them to, but makes that interesting gun in a K-38 I always wanted. Why should the Prewar guns have all the fun? I have been thinking about contacting Keith about making a new set strictly for this revolver. A McGivern front sight with the gold bead would "balance" it perfectly to me, pun intended but seriously stated. Next I would need a red box for it, I suppose............

The 4" and 5" barrels they used(for the most part) on Pre and Model 14 K-38s were thicker. Maybe they thought they were balanced perfectly with the 6" barrels and had to add a little weight to get them back into their balanced state?? Perfectly balanced? Do it just because you want to.

Russ, that is one nice looking K-22. There has to be a certain amount of satisfaction having a gun made the way you personally want to have it made. I own a parkerized A-5 Light Twelve, if you catch my intent.

Life is short and every moment we have left on this earth is precious and counting. My vote is to do what you like and smile at your accomplishments. I needed this thread. Thank you, Tom!

I say go for it. I have a 5" Pre 27 that Hamilton Bowen converted to .44 Special and wanted a companion 5" Pre 29. I found a 90% Pre 29 that came with two barrels, a 4" barrel that is S/N'd to the gun and a 6 1/2" un-numbered barrel. I sent the un-numbered 6 1/2" barrel to Jim Stroh/Alpha Precision to be shortened to 5" with S&W style crown, I did the barrel swap myself. I also have a 5" barreled M/29-2 and a M/624 courtesy of Mr. Stroh.

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