My shooting buddy woke me up last week with an early morning email, and a link to a Gunbroker listing, and said, "You should buy this gun." So I did, and went back to sleep. It's here today, a K-38 Masterpiece, born in 1959. Doesn't look like it was ever shot much, but somewhere along the way it got some moisture damage, possibly from being stored in a holster. Except for that, it's pretty nice. Hope it shoots as good as it looks:

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That gun will most likely surprise you at how well you shoot. Is that a Model 14 or a 14-1? Great purchase. Thank your friend.

Very nice!! Grips look great too. Let us know how many bullets you can put through one hole with it. Many is my guess.

It appears to be a Model 14, since it has right hand threads on the extractor rod. The dash 1 had left hand threads.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Yes, it's a 14.

It's a Model 14. If I can't shoot straight with it, I will have to be creative with excuses other than the gun. Humidity? Barometric pressure?

My friend who "made" me buy it is an astoundingly good shooter, and he has made some shots with his 14-3 that I would not believe had I not been there to see him do it. If I can even do a tenth as good as he does, I will have accomplished something.

My 1959 model 14 no dash is so accurate that I have since bought 2 more in the 14-3 model. Guys at the range mention "dang your good" I immediately reply "no its the gun!" True story has happened twice but nobody with me to verify. Lol

looks very nice, I do not see much damage, maybe go over with some Flitz first and then a good coat of Renaissance Wax should take care of it. I bought the same exact gun and waiting for transfer

Gotta love a K-38 / 14! Mine impresses me! It is a -3. So now, bought a 17-2. (1964) Most accurate .22 I have ever shot. Bob

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Nice looking gun. The purchasing story was better than most! Have you bought a lot of wealth-building seminars, or how to flip houses DVDs?

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TEAM DNF

Nice gun thanks for posting and most definitely come back with a great range report.

OK, I'll play the stupid one here. How can you tell the thread direction from a photo?????

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James Redfield
LM #497

Darn, that's a beautiful revolver..Good Job!

Me too? I was trying to figure out how to tell thread direction from the photo? Supposedly, if memory serves correct, an extractor rod with a particular thread direction (left hand versus right hand threaded) has a groove behind the knurling but I cannot remember which direction has the groove and cannot remember how distinct the groove is?

Hopefully JP@AK chimes back in and gives us a lesson.

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Scoundrel & Ne'er-Do-Well

Hope so too. The popcorn is ready.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Great snag! Who doesn't love the M14?!?!?!

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Pass it on.
Mark

relief cut behind end of rod denotes left thread.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I believe there should also be an L stamp on the face of the cylinder.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Doesn't look very damaged to me. Is the damage on the left side frame just below the cylinder?

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

There's a little freckling there, and more on the bottom of the trigger guard. The right side, around the Smith & Wesson trademark has some sort of an issue, too. The seller believes someone put the gun in a holster without wiping it down and left it there for too long.

Went to the range today, and worked on getting the sogjts adjusted. I shot some five shot groups at about 7 yards:

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When S&W changed the thread direction on the K frame extractor rods, the rod got a smooth groove between the knurled end and the rest of the rod. If that smooth space does not appear, then the gun still has the right hand threads. It is pretty easy to spot if you are looking for it.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

As I recall, this showed up on some -1 revolvers, maybe all of them. But it isn't the best test, since all of the revolvers with a left hand thread don't have it. The gap behind the knurled end stayed in play all the way to the dash 4 (at least) in the Masterpiece series.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

WOW, you just don't know what you don't know with Smith and Wesson's. Thanks Jack.


PS: Well I just went back and looked at the photo, sorry I still don't see it.

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James Redfield
LM #497

How could you tell that from two pics? What are the clues?

Have to agree with you...I'm not seeing it.

According to Supica & Nahas, the engineering change from 14 no dash to 14-1 happened during 1959 and consisted of changing the direction of the threads.

So, presumably my 14 no dash would have the "old" thread direction.

And mh51 wrote:
That's exactly the point. You don't see it because it isn't there. That is how we know it is still the right hand thread! If it were left hand, we'd see the gap.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Jack is correct, (my photobucket is down or could post some comparisons pics), A Model 14-1 would have a small channel or groove cut right behind the knurling of the extractor rod, this was done to identify the two different rods in case parts got mixed up , The 14-1 and early 14-2 cylinders have the "L" stamp and that is also to help distinguish the two different cylinders at the factory....the L stamp is gone by the mid 60's and Jack is also correct that the channel behind the knurled ejector rod end disappears by the 14-4 revision.

Thank you so much!! The same question crossed my mind. Actually, it came screaming in like a comet!!

Ralph Tremaine

Thanks guys for the clarification. Now I have it. Before it was as clear as mud.....

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James Redfield
LM #497

If it isn't there, it must be right! Sounds like something out of Congress!

Ralph, I could hear your mind whirring all the way down here.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Well, I have an excuse---sort of. It certainly doesn't qualify as a reason----such as failure to pay attention to what was going on around me. I have no affinity with/for Model Number revolvers. I have exactly three. I bought one on purpose---a short action-single action K-38 (14-3). I have two others accepted as partial payment of a debt. Not being much of a seller or trader, I still have those two taking up space. They are a pretty much matched pair ("3 T's")---a 17 and a 14. They're still four screws, and they're like new, so there's no adverse impact on my mental health---at least not a significant impact.

Right about now, I sense more than a few of the obsessively sharp eyed among you are having an epiphany that goes something like this: What the hell?!! He doesn't even have an excuse---never mind that "sort of" an excuse business!! One of those K-38's has a right hand thingy, and the other one doesn't. He should have known about this gap/channel business right along----what a DUMMY!!

Oh the shame of it all!!

Ralph Tremaine

Ralph
You are a hoot!

Thanks for the good laugh.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Ralph, one of my dad's favorite expressions was, "Ignorance is bliss." Put another way, what you don't know can't hurt you.

I had no idea about the distinction, either. But now we all know.

Wow you guys are something. I had to get my model 14 and put it side by side with a 14-3 to see what you were talking about! Talk about being astute. Very good eyes there!