Brand new to the forum and have a question on my grandfathers revolver. Trying to understand how old it is and possibly the value. The serial number of K48X is the same on the cylinder, bottom of frame, and inside the stock. Also, why does everyone not include the full serial number when describing their firearm? Any help would be appreciated

Welcome to the Smith & Wesson Forum! You have found the place where there is an encyclopedia of knowledge on all things Smith & Wesson.
First, let me congratulate you on including the K in the serial number. Many new to the S&W field leave it out. Your K frame with a Kand three digits is very early post WWll and is probably 1946. There are a host of folks that will be along that will do better and have a more solid base to give you an estimate on ship date. Smith did not ship in order and some guns with close serial numbers might ship years apart. But, post WWll, guns were in high demand and did not stay on the shelves long. My memory is that a lot of guns shipped then were in .22 LR caliber.
Early guns with those low serial numbers are in high demand by some collectors.
I guess I spaced out and did not see the title was K22 Masterpiece

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

My book shows 1946.

They xx out some of the numbers because of internet legend of people claiming the gun is theirs if they see the whole serial number!

Ed

I'll throw out a few comments to address a couple of your questions.

1. Why don't members show the full SN's of their firearms? We tend to be a suspicious and conspiratorial lot; curmudgeons some would say. Some would argue that it ain't nobody's business but our own. There have been a few reports of ner-do-well antigunners falsely claiming the gun as their own and filing lost or stolen reports to cause trouble and greatly confound the true owners whenever they go to transfer the gun. Fear of the internet database and big brother keeping tabs on us is my rationale.

2. Approximate value? You will have to provide some very good photos for any meaningful responses. Nightowl is correct in that those very early K22's with 3-digit SN's cause a lot of excitement here on this forum. Some even brag about having the lowest SN; somewhere in the low K100's as I recall (certainly wasn't me, but if I was to guess his initials would be rburg). I have a few K22's, but those 3-digit ones are out of my league for disposable income, so I'll leave further comments to those that know more than me.

Anyways, welcome to the forum and please know that a bunch of us like K22's and especially photos of K22's.

Welcome from Illinois...what a wonderful revolver, and a family heirloom to boot! The 5 screws are very well built. The value will depend on condition. if you post pictures, you'll get much closer evaluations...

There's a better reason now - Zuckerberg and Google are "harvesting" serial numbers of guns so that you can do an Internet search by serial number.

What could possibly go wrong??

Adios,

Pizza Bob

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NRA Benefactor Member

I don't believe your gun shipped in 1946.
It is possible it was manufactured in 1946, but, it most probably shipped in 1947.

Documentation shows the first 300 manufactured had only 2 that shipped in 1946.
They went to special people.

Only a letter from our historian can truly verify the ship date on your K-22 Masterpiece.

K-22's in the very low three digit range have fetched north of two thousand. I think I even remember one north of three thousand. But, that one was K1XX.
And, it didn't ship in 1946.

bdGreen

Welcome to the Forum, Butch58

As stated above, a K-22 Masterpiece with only three digits following the K would be of very early production. It, however, is highly unlikely it shipped in 1946. Our best information indicated that probably only two K-22s left the Springfield factory in 1946, and those in December. Shipments began in earnest early in 1947. I suspect yours shipped sometime in that period, but only a letter from the Historical Foundation can tell you that with certainty.

The value will depend heavily on the present condition of the sidearm. It would be very helpful if you could post some photographs.

I will note that it seems very likely your revolver has the old style "knob" on the end of the extractor rod. Early K-22s had this feature and those are sought by collectors. The way you can tell is that the "knob" is larger than the shaft and there is a small notch cut in the bottom of the barrel to accommodate it.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Thank you all for the info, unlike you folks, I'm starting from scratch. In a few hours I will post the pictures so just to make sure all the info I said earlier is accurate.

It would have shipped in Feb or Mar of 1947. K32x shipped in Feb 1947. My fathers (now mine) shipped in Nov of '47; s/n K872x. They shipped a boatload in 1947.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I would appreciate the pictures. Thank you.

If your gun has the original stocks then that serial number will be in 6 places on the gun.

On the butt.
On the right stock panel on the inside.
On the barrel 'flat' underneath where the ejector rod is.
On the cylinder face.
Behind the 'star' when you push the ejector rod forward. Good lighting is usually a must here.
And on the face of the yolk/crane. Good lighting needed here also.

bdGreen

Indeed! Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 units. The K-22 was the first of the K target guns to go into production and start shipping after the war. The K-38 was not available until about a year later.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

It was definitely manufactured in 1946, since records from the company show 614 manufactured in 1946. The earliest in the SWCA database shows that K20X shipped in February, 1947. The latest 1947 shipment was K 83XX, so over 8000 Masterpiece revolvers were shipped that year in both K22 and K38. As stated, the only way to know for sure when the OP's Masterpiece was shipped is to get a letter.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Thanks for all the help. If I did it correctly, there should be pics with this post. Took it out a few days ago and it shot very well. Probably has not been cleaned for 30 years+ so in the process of that now. Does anyone think there is an issue with me using it on occasion? Also, the hand grip is stamped with the same serial number on the inside.

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If you shoot it occasionally the only issue is you may end up buying more of them. Enjoy, they are made to be shot.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Do you mean K83xx was the last K22 shipped in Nov 1947 even though higher K serial numbered K22's where shipped in Nov 1947?

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Condition, or percent of original finish left, is the main determining factor when it comes to value. The pictures a small, not allowing a detailed inspection of the muzzle, butt-frame, recoil shield, evidence of turned screws, and other points of wear, but without taking into account the early serial number and single line frame stamping "MADE IN U.S.A.", I would say between $750 and $1000 if in 95% or higher condition. A hands on assessment would yield a must more accurate valuation.

Lots of collectors would love to have that K22 and some of them would pay a premium for the early serial number and the single line frame stamping, but how much is not easily calculated.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

No, but that is the highest entry in the SWCA database on the first pass. Over 8,000 could mean 10,000 or a little more, it is only an approximation of the numbers shipped that year.

I just checked both K22 and K38 Masterpiece revolvers again in the database and find the earliest 1948 shipped Masterpiece was K105XX, but also found additional numbers above that one that shipped very late 1947, so there is an overlap of 1947 and 1948 numbers for low K10,000 numbered revolvers.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Thanks to all, very helpful information.

I had K136 belongs to another member here now. JIM

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S&WHF # 602

The only reason I asked is your first post (above) confused me in that I own K22 s/n K872x and it shipped in Nov 47 (according to a letter from Roy). You said K83xx was the latest K22 shipped in Nov 47. So do I assume that K83xx shipped after K872x?


I show K8788 shipping in Feb 48 as well as K6888 shipping in Jan 48 so I know S&W didn't following s/n when shipping. K12566 shipped Dec 47 for example.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I had it too for a while but have past it on myself


Just bought my newest three digit,.

I guess I was meant to have one

The OP will love his, especially with the family background

As you may well know, the database is not easy to use, so that is why I re-checked to find later 1947 examples. The fact is that whenever inventory was up, the randomness in shipping dates is large. Just looking over the early examples from1947 and 1948, some examples as far apart as 3000 or more shipped in different years backwards. 13XXX, for example, shipped later than another example with serial number 16XXX?

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Gary
SWCA 2515