<<S/N K 190>>HOW EARLY IS THE SHIP DATE OF THIS K 22??

[COYOTEHUNTER]

Hello wise Smith and Wesson guru's,

I am needing a little help on the ship date on this very nice K 22. I am pretty sure i am going to get a letter on this one. All numbers match on barrel, cylinder, grip frame, and stocks and also the box has the serial number in the black wax pencil of K 190. Lets hear what you think the value would be on a K 22 that is within the first one hundred made.

I have been looking for a low serial numbered K 22 for some time. Still hoping to get this ones brother or sister to keep it company.

Lets see how many K 22's are out there. Show off one of, if not the best 22 pistol in history.

Thanks,
Mitch

[dacoontz]

Mitch, that should get some peoples attention. Wow, what a great find. That's gotta be a 1947 or 1948 gun but not certain. Value on these is not my specialty but very, very easily above $1000 to start.

[COYOTEHUNTER]

Here are my other K 22's, in front is the K 190 the behind it is 2 1948', then a 1950, a 1952, and a 1954. All five screw. I am shooting for one from each year the 5 screw were made.

Mitch

[Walter Rego]

Coyotehunter, have you considered joining the Smith & Wesson Collector's Association ? One of the privileges is asking Mr. Roy Jinks for the ship date, although I would still letter that K-22. But one of the most exciting things recently is that Mr. Jinks posted a copy of the shipping records page for the first 300 K-22's. This information is for the eyes of members only and not to be shared. I'm sure you would be welcomed warmly should you decide to join.

[COYOTEHUNTER]

Originally Posted by Walter Rego

Coyotehunter, have you considered joining the Smith & Wesson Collector's Association ? One of the privileges is asking Mr. Roy Jinks for the ship date, although I would still letter that K-22. But one of the most exciting things recently is that Mr. Jinks posted a copy of the shipping records page for the first 300 K-22's. This information is for the eyes of members only and not to be shared. I'm sure you would be welcomed warmly should you decide to join.

I would love to join the Smith & Wesson Collector's Association, how would i go about joining.

Mitch

[crsides]

Originally Posted by COYOTEHUNTER

Here are my other K 22's, in front is the K 109 the behind it is 2 1948', then a 1950, a 1952, and a 1954. All five screw. I am shooting for one from each year the 5 screw were made.

Mitch

better fix that K 109 typo there. We could lose some of us older guys over K 109.


Charlie

[murphydog]

Originally Posted by COYOTEHUNTER

I would love to join the Smith & Wesson Collector's Association, how would i go about joining.

Mitch

Hi, see this page and click on the links:

Information about the SWCA

[rburg]

Originally Posted by crsides

better fix that K 109 typo there. We could lose some of us older guys over K 109.


Charlie

Yeah, I was already starting to hate him! Even Drew would join the posse to hunt him down. Maybe especially Drew.

[Dennis S]

Originally Posted by Walter Rego

Coyotehunter, have you considered joining the Smith & Wesson Collector's Association ? One of the privileges is asking Mr. Roy Jinks for the ship date, although I would still letter that K-22. But one of the most exciting things recently is that Mr. Jinks posted a copy of the shipping records page for the first 300 K-22's. This information is for the eyes of members only and not to be shared. I'm sure you would be welcomed warmly should you decide to join.

Am I reading this right in that it says the SWCA will not allow members to share any information with me, a person who appreciates S&W handguns, but maybe cannot afford to join the organization?

[DCWilson]

Originally Posted by Dennis S

Am I reading this right in that it says the SWCA will not allow members to share any information with me, a person who appreciates S&W handguns, but maybe cannot afford to join the organization?

Not exactly. There is broadly available S&W information and there is recently developed proprietary information. S&W collectors, whether SWCA members or not, are a talky group, and information will sooner or later flow into the realm of general availability. As a specific example, association members who are able to get a shipment date for a particular revolver will often post information about their specific guns in the public forum. It would be a little less defensible to post specific info about somebody else's revolver when that was developed through an association membership.

Sometimes a S&W researcher who has worked from the S&W data base will post analyses and hypotheses that are restricted to member use only while the ideas are explored and refined by those collectors who have seen fit to join the association.

Here's an answering question: If all information about the history of S&W products was instantaneously available to everyone at no cost, why would anyone bother to join the Collectors Association?

[Dennis S]

Originally Posted by DCWilson

Here's an answering question: If all information about the history of S&W products was instantaneously available to everyone at no cost, why would anyone bother to join the Collectors Association?

To share the cameraderie and feeling of brotherhood between people who share the same interests. I would hope people don't join an organization such as the SWCA only for secret information that they can't readily get somewhere else.

[crsides]

Originally Posted by Dennis S

To share the cameraderie and feeling of brotherhood between people who share the same interests. I would hope people don't join an organization such as the SWCA only for secret information that they can't readily get somewhere else.

Dennis,

I think David addressed this well in his posts. I don't know anyone who has asked information on his particular gun to go away empty handed. HOWEVER, "to share the cameraderie and feeling of brotherhood between people who share the same interests" usually means they join a common organization. The message board and the SWCA are two different entities, serving different purposes. Presently the message board is free, all it costs is for you to look away when Barack pops up. But it is just that, a message board. The SWCA is a dues paying membership organization, and you get data, analysis, annual meetings, newsletters, and much much more. The cameraderie, brotherhood and shared interests are there in both.


Charlie

[Walter Rego]

To further expound on being a member of the SWCA, there is some information that Mr. Jinks posts on the open to members only part of this site that he requests be kept private for members only. We have to respect that request.

[dacoontz]

Hey, how about that K22 Mitch shared with us? Ain't that a dandy?

[Dennis S]

Yes, that K-22 certainly is a dandy. I'll search for a three digit K-22 for a long time and no doubt will never find a package of gun, grips, and box like Mitch's. Very nice.

[gjamison]

great find also outstanding condition!!

i had thought that the early k22's came in a different box. learn something new every day.

[COYOTEHUNTER]

I was really hoping to see everyone's K 22, in my opinion the best 22 revolver ever made.

Mitch

[DCWilson]

Well since you asked...

Here's K4267, a September 1947 gun with the large ejector rod knob.





And I agree about the inherent excellence of the S&W K-22 revolvers. I have occasionally found other makers' .22s that I liked as much, but never one I liked better.

[bdGreen]

Originally Posted by COYOTEHUNTER

I was really hoping to see everyone's K 22, in my opinion the best 22 revolver ever made.

Mitch

The 'Original' K22 Masterpiece.

Enjoy,
bdGreen

[Dennis S]

Here is mine from 1948.

Dennis

[COYOTEHUNTER]

Here is the newest addition to the family at my house.

Mitch

[gunlovingirl]

Here's my 1948 one liner...

[bdGreen]

This is my 1955 gun.

enjoy,
bdGreen

[wetdog]

This is K 14xx

[DCWilson]

Originally Posted by COYOTEHUNTER

Here is the newest addition to the family at my house.

Mitch

Nice one. Is that one of the guns in your group photo above, or is it a "missing year" gun that you just acquired in addition to K190?

I don't think you have caught up with Bruce yet, but you are definitely on your way to having an eye-catching string of K-22 Masterpieces.

[ogilvyspecial]

Here's an ad from a 1946 Sporting Magazine that might be responsible,
in part, for some of the guns being purchased originally that we search for today.

[GF]

Burg tried to get me to by K 997 at NGD in Louisville a coupla' years ago, I passed and that still haunts me.
The 3 digit K-22 is a subset of Masterpiece collecting all to it's own.

I can throw in a late one line address and an early four liner...



GF

[rburg]

Originally Posted by GF

Burg tried to get me to by K 997 at NGD in Louisville a coupla' years ago, I passed and that still haunts me.

You just don't listen. Well, not very often, anyway. Sooner or later you'll pay more attention. It shocks me you even looked at the Mellon head gun, much less bought it. But alas, you've let it slip through your fingers. You should have scored Coffee's Outdoorsman and kept both. Had you done that, you've have had a cornerstone of a great collection. Pay attention next time.

[COYOTEHUNTER]

Originally Posted by DCWilson

Nice one. Is that one of the guns in your group photo above, or is it a "missing year" gun that you just acquired in addition to K190?

I don't think you have caught up with Bruce yet, but you are definitely on your way to having an eye-catching string of K-22 Masterpieces.

DCWilson
I just recieved that in the mail Thursday and it was not in the picture. It is a "missing year" gun. I think i still lack 1955 and 1951 to complete the collection of each year the 5 screws were made. This one dates to 1953 and had everything with it other than the swab, which it is hard to find this era K 22 with all the goodies that came with it.

Thanks to everyone for the pictures, I love looking at these fine pieces workmanship.

Thanks again,
Mitch

[fat tom]

Barely made the 3-digit club with K 983.



f.t.

[COYOTEHUNTER]

Thanks guys for the pictures, But i know there are more out there..

Mitch

[Art Doc]

Well, I'm not an expert or anything, but I would imagine that the 190th gun made in the serial series would have to be in the first month of production. I would guess they made at least a couple hundred per month, no? Hell, it might be in the first couple days. I don't know exactly when they started make K22s with the K serial prefix but I suppose that whenever it was this gun would be right near the beginning of the production run.

That's what I think, anyway.

[Engine49guy]

Rather than collecting every year my focus has been to collect every revision or change.

The earliest post war examples had a large ejector knob and a one line address,
Except for a handful that went out in December 46 to fill the Xmas stockings of a few big wigs ,
1947 seems to be the year that Post Victory Model K22 production really ramped back up .


The first thing to dissappear was the large ejector knob in about 1948,


Next little change was the one line address became a 4 line address,
AS I recall the 1950 all model circular offered both the tapered barrel version as well as the new "Heavy Masterpiece"
that would eventually become the modern Model 17 with the advent of Model numbers in 1957.
The "High Speed" hammer, the 5th screw, grip and finish styles all would have subtle changes through the years....
But IMO its each little revision that makes these revolvers so darn interesting.

[bdGreen]

Originally Posted by SaxonPig

Well, I'm not an expert or anything, but I would imagine that the 190th gun made in the serial series would have to be in the first month of production. I would guess they made at least a couple hundred per month, no? Hell, it might be in the first couple days. I don't know exactly when they started make K22s with the K serial prefix but I suppose that whenever it was this gun would be right near the beginning of the production run.

That's what I think, anyway.

A K22 with the serial number K190 would be the 89th gun manufactured in that series. The series began with K101. Without a letter or a list one wouldn't know about ship dates as we have seen that many lower numbered guns were shipped well into 1947. Some four digit guns were shipped ahead of some three digit guns in 1947. There are a few known 1946 ship date guns. Very few. I believe that many guns were manufactured in 1946. But, what we get is ship dates.

bdGreen

[Art Doc]

Well, there you go. The 89th gun likely came off the line the first day or two, no?

[rburg]

No.

Guns weren't like cartons of milk. There are many operations done in order, and its kind of time consuming. If you look at the old photos, you'll see racks of guns. Each needs all its parts fitted. Then of course finishing. Its fair to assume that at some point early in the production they were numbered sequentially. But after that the workmen just picked up the next gun off a rack (not in order) and performed their work on it. Because so many higher guns were shipped early, it is fair to also assume the guns in the first few thousand were all in the process together.

Some ink has been devoted to the idea that S&W didn't ship in order to keep the competition guessing as to how many they were producing. As if there was real competition.

[COYOTEHUNTER]

Good day at the gun show today. Picked up a K 22 combat masterpiece K 1981XX and a K 22 K 305XX. I have been diagnosed with the illness call SMITH & WESSON ADDICTION...
I'm still looking for a 1949 K 22.

[bullmack]

There is no cure for the illness. You will now be quarantined to this site and allowed occasional trips to gun shows.

[COYOTEHUNTER]

I got the ship date on my K190 from Roy and he said it shipped in Feburary 1947. The gent i bought it from sent me the rest of the tools that he found.

[GF]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now put it all together and take more pics!

Great revo!

GF

[Hammerdown]

Hello

Here is another Post-War Transitional K-22. I Picked this one up a few years ago at a Local gun show in my area. it shipped in November 1947 and is serial number K-366X. I almost Passed on buying it as it had a series of what looked to be squib load raised donut portions on it's outer barrel. An Inspection of the Internal bore showed it to be smooth as glass with no rings in the bore so I knew they were not squib loads showing on the outside of the barrel. In a conversation with MR. Jinks he shared with me that a few like mine with this cosmetic flaw slipped under the wire in 1947 time span as S&W was running wide open on three shift's to get gun's out to a hungry public. It shoots Lazer straight so the raised round lump's in it's barrel do not bother me in the least and make for good conversation... Hammerdown

[COYOTEHUNTER]

Here is the picture of all the goodies the gent sent me to go with the K22 S/N K190 I adopted from him.


K22 190 & GOODIES.JPG

[RKmesa]

Originally Posted by COYOTEHUNTER

Here is the picture of all the goodies the gent sent me to go with the K22 S/N K190 I adopted from him.

Mitch:

What a great package!!! Glad that the seller sent you the goodies to go with a great K-22.

I have several 4-digit SN K-22's, but no 3-digit ones and obviously not a 3-digit one that starts with a "1". However, I know where one is and someday I'm hopeful that the seller will exchange the gun for some cold hard cash...

Thanks for sharing,