K38 Masterpiece all Gussied up

Gregmk · #1 03-09-2020, 04:15 PM

Hello group,
Well as promised, I wanted to post some photos of my recently acquired 1956 K38 Masterpiece after a good disassembly, clean and polish. A safe Queen she ain't, but not too bad in my opinion for 6-1/2 semolians. Please enjoy and feel free to comment and share your own beauties.

Green Frog · #2 03-09-2020, 04:35 PM

Looks good to me. Every firearms enthusiast should have and shoot a nice example of the K-38. It was designed to be a fine shooting revolver right out of the box, and from the resumption of production right after WW II until quality went down during the toilet manufacturer era, they were hard to beat. I actually prefer them to both the Model 27 and the Python, but I may be prejudiced!

Froggie

g-dad · #3 03-09-2020, 04:44 PM

Looking good OP!

See if this helps.

Waveski · #4 03-09-2020, 05:59 PM

Thank you. I was feeling a twinge of motion sickness.

Roberto Renauld · #5 03-09-2020, 06:14 PM

I sighted in one for a friend of mine when I lived in Cordoba, at the local range (1980), adjusting sights at 25yds, he used it with S&W 158gr SJSP ammo, the gun had a 6" barrel, the bullet exited this barrel at arround advertised value of 1050fps. it was a +P factory load not the most accurate in this gun but all shots were in the 9 zone, we could not make the 10 restd in sandbags with this powerfull factory load!!!...
Beautiful gun, at that time I shot my Model 19-2 also a beautiful gun!!!..
He used this gun and load for fox hunting!!!...
Best Regards
Roberto Renauld

lestert357 · #6 03-10-2020, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregmk

Please enjoy and feel free to comment and share your own beauties.

OK, my K-38 is also from 1956 and it’s my only K frame. It started out life looking very similar to your beauty, but then took a trip to Germany and it too got “all Gussied up” by Claus and Emil Willig.

Babysitr · #7 03-10-2020, 07:43 AM

Man, I need a K-38 bad. I can see it

Gregmk · #8 03-10-2020, 07:54 AM

I'm Speechless! That is utterly Gorgeous!

H Richard · #9 03-10-2020, 09:05 AM

Yes, they are made to be shot.

Green Frog · #10 03-10-2020, 09:33 AM

Terry,
Once again I was limited to pushing the “Like” button because there is no button for “Love” or “Adore” or even “Lust After!” That classic German scroll work is simply gorgeous from every angle. The only slightly off-putting detail is the Buffalo. The Willigs were apparently modeling a European rather than an an American Bison with that relatively small head. Does that detract from the beauty of the gun? Of course not! I’d be proud to carry it to the next Bar-B-Que and I guarantee all my friends would be slobbering all over it.

How about some info on the Ivory grips and that awesome carved leather holster? That’s the whole package there, so many more details are certainly in order. Your gun certainly qualifies as the title says as being “ALL Gussied Up.”

Regards,
Froggie

lestert357 · #11 03-10-2020, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green Frog

How about some info on the Ivory grips and that awesome carved leather holster? That’s the whole package there, so many more details are certainly in order.

Appreciate the glowing words Froggie and Gregmk, and I apologize for hijacking this thread. I’m delinquent in doing a separate thread on my K-38 - mostly because I don’t even pretend to know much about engraving, but also because I have no information on the history of this gun after it was engraved, and I don’t have any really good pictures of it yet.

I was able to verify via email directly with Claus Willig that he and his father Emil engraved this gun for the Kurt Jaeger shop in Mainz in the late 1950’s. Emil did the scenes and Claus did the English scroll and gold lines inlay. The relief engraving background is lined rather than punch dot and shows great contrast with the scroll at certain angles. Also the scenes appear almost 3 dimensional at certain angles and lighting. The ivory grips are two piece held on with screws from the bottom through a lateral arm cut through and attached to the butt strap. Also the cut where the frame meets the top of the straps is more sharply angled than normal to retain the grips at the top. With the engraved butt cap installed the grips are held firmly against the frame and straps. I attached a few more pictures below to show this grip configuration, and a few more of my substandard pictures of the engraving.

The S. D. Myres holster is the jockstrap design with forward cant, goatskin lined, and fully laced. It has “OM - 6” scratched on it to signify Colt Officers Model I believe; the 6” K-38 fits perfectly.

Bumpus13 · #12 03-10-2020, 04:25 PM

Great firearms. Mine (1949 vintage) always makes me look like a better shot than I am.

lestert357 · #13 03-10-2020, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bumpus13

Great firearms. Mine (1949 vintage) always makes me look like a better shot than I am.

Beautiful gun and very interesting stocks.

Are those stocks 3-piece and are they original to the gun?

Could we possibly see the inside of those beauties?

NavySCPO · #14 03-10-2020, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babysitr

Man, I need a K-38 bad. I can see it

No...you need a set, K’s grow in batches. ;-)

38SPL HV · #15 03-10-2020, 08:13 PM

Thank you all for sharing those magnificent K38s. Absolutely classics.

They’re just begging for 148 gr HBWC’s over 2.7 grs Bullseye!

Bumpus13 · #16 03-11-2020, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lestert357

Beautiful gun and very interesting stocks.

Are those stocks 3-piece and are they original to the gun?

Could we possibly see the inside of those beauties?

Thank you.

They are 3-piece (unfortunately the center portion was already cracked in two when I acquired it. Doesn’t affect feel, just looks) ... Don’t know if they’re original or not, but until I find out for sure - they will definitely stay with it.

Not home at the moment, but here’s another angle (front strap) of them that I have in my phone:

lestert357 · #17 03-11-2020, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bumpus13

Thank you.

They are 3-piece (unfortunately the center portion was already cracked in two when I acquired it. Doesn’t affect feel, just looks) ... Don’t know if they’re original or not, but until I find out for sure - they will definitely stay with it.

Not home at the moment, but here’s another angle (front strap) of them that I have in my phone:

Yes, you definitely want to hang on to those stocks. If you haven’t lettered the gun you might want to. I believe those stocks are very early experimental S&W target stocks, and your gun is the correct vintage to be wearing them. See post 12 by bullmack in this thread I did last year:

Mr. E. F. Warner’s 8.5 Inch Post War .357 Magnum Transitional Revolver

model3sw · #18 03-11-2020, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lestert357

OK, my K-38 is also from 1956 and it’s my only K frame. It started out life looking very similar to your beauty, but then took a trip to Germany and it too got “all Gussied up” by Claus and Emil Willig.

Lester, Gorgeous. I have a 1951 .38-44 Outdoorsman, profusely engraved and gold inlaid by Claus Willig in 1969. Claus is still alive but had a stroke a few years back. He replied to my emails to confirm it is his work.

Best Regards, Sal Raimondi, Sr.

lestert357 · #19 03-11-2020, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by model3sw

I have a 1951 .38-44 Outdoorsman, profusely engraved and gold inlaid by Claus Willig in 1969.

Sal, I know it’s not a K-38, but I’ll bet everyone reading your post would sure like to see your “Masterpiece”!

model3sw · #20 03-12-2020, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lestert357

Sal, I know it’s not a K-38 Masterpiece, but I’ll bet everyone reading your post would sure like to see it!

Terry, Here's the thread on my Claus Willig, 38-44 Outdoorsman.

See here: UPDATED Another old scratched up N Frame ...

Richard Garner (RKMesa) was instrumental in connecting me to Claus Willig a few years back. When I asked Claus if he would undertake an engraving job for me, it was then he informed me he is no longer capable because of his health and medical issues. I would have loved to have Clause engrave a S&W for me.

Back to the subject title of this thread, Starting with K frame target model .38s, I have a 1899 Target, 1902 2nd Target, a 1905 Targets in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5x 4th change revolvers. Then comes my very early post war 1-liner K38 Masterpiece (1 of 10 recorded on the survivors list) special order of 1 gun, to a dealer in NYC in 1946 with only gold inlaid initials MWM (I'll try to find out who that might be, some day).

Moving on to the post-war K-38 masterpieces, about 3 x 5 screw variations (one is a 1948 ship date, the first one I ever purchased, used, back in the 1970s), 4 x SAO (from the early 1970s, one is 8+3/8" barrel), and probably a few more I forgot about.

I always found it a joy shooting the Masterpieces. Of the old ones, I only shoot 1 of the 4th change, none of the others. My "go to" Masterpieces are either the 1948 (that I taught all my sons, daughters, a few nephew and my grandson with after I stepped them up from a K-22 Masterpiece or one of the SAOs. There is one of the SAOs that is a few percentage points in condition, less than the others, so I mainly shoot that one.

I taught all my children and anyone that wants to go to the range with me ... NOBODY leaves (or has a beer) until all the guns are cleaned and put away. Whomever groans about that rule is never invited again.

Naturally, my children don't groan about it, they enjoy it !

Best Regards, Sal Raimondi, Sr.

handejector · #21 03-12-2020, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lestert357

OK, my K-38 is also from 1956 and it’s my only K frame. It started out life looking very similar to your beauty, but then took a trip to Germany and it too got “all Gussied up” by Claus and Emil Willig.

Well, that just makes me wanna eat a bratwurst, drink a beer, and shoot a buffalo.

model3sw · #22 03-13-2020, 01:27 PM

Terry, Here's a few pix of the one-liner K-38. Photography by Mark Calzaretta (COLT_SAA on this forum). 1 of 1 special order 1946 to a S&W Dealer in NYC. Wish I knew who MWM was.

M.W.M. had to be "somebody" of importance to have the clout to get one of these as soon as the war was over.

Survivors list shows only 10 known to exist (including this one).

Best Regards, Sal Raimondi Sr.

lestert357 · #23 03-13-2020, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by model3sw

Terry, Here's a few pix of the one-liner K-38. Photography by Mark Calzaretta (COLT_SAA on this forum). 1 of 1 special order 1946 to a S&W Dealer in NYC. Wish I knew who MWM was.

M.W.M. had to be "somebody" of importance to have the clout to get one of these as soon as the war was over.

Survivors list shows only 10 known to exist (including this one).

Best Regards, Sal Raimondi Sr.

Wow Sal! VERY impressive! That gun deserves way more than thumbnails. If those target stocks are original to the gun, they must be some of the earliest known S&W targets!