I recently acquired a very nice 1952 K-17 but some cretin engraved the outside of side-plate with his last 4 of SS. Does anyone out there have or know where is a 4 screw k-17 side-plate for sale ? Will any K frame 4 screw side plate fit ? Any help would be appreciated.

Replacing a sideplate is a problem. The frames are buffed with the sideplate in place. That is how all the seams and corners are made to fit perfectly. A new sideplate can stand proud above the frame, or be below flush with the frame because it was not buffed on that frame. The two corners near the trigger guard and the corner near the hammer won't align properly with the frame.
You'd be better off having the gun refinished, or simply selling it and buying a better gun.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I read on this Forum some time back that a Tig welder can put a light bead on it to fill the engraving, and then polished off level and if done correctly can be re-blued and bot be very noticeable. I don't weld, so I don't know how accurate this statement is.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

How deep is marking? Actually dug into the metal? I would polish the plate and reblue it. No, it won't be perfect. But you can't replace the plate and this is better than refinishing the entire gun.

I've been warned not to say what I think of people who scratch their names or numbers on guns.

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No life story has happy end.

Rifleman188

Without meaning to criticize, we should point out to you that there is no such thing as a "K-17."

What you have is a K-22 Masterpiece (assuming a 6" barrel). In 1958, this became the Model 17 K-22 Masterpiece. I assume that is how people come up with the "K-17" stuff. But they were never called that and the term is meaningless.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Replacing a sideplate is not a trivial job as they require some precision fitting, and it takes experience. I would probably just learn to love it as-is rather than going to the expense of fitting (and possibly refinishing) a clean sideplate - or doing something like TIG welding it.

To the OP, why in the heck did you buy it if it bugs you?
How does it shoot? Its like a girl friend with a scar on her cheek!
Man, she could cook and shoot. I wonder where she is now?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I have a 1951 vintage K-22 as well, but with a California driver's license number electro-pencilled into to side plate. Otherwise perfect. (I bought it because it was $350 - it bugs the fire out of me too)

Engraving the side plate isn't very wise for two reasons. You drastically lower the value and it is a removable part. Someone failed to consider the result of their actions.

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U.S. Coast Guard, retired CPO

Was it actually engraved or was it marked with a electric pencil?

If it was by one o the pencils all the metal is still there. Placing it on a hard heavy surface (anvil) and lightly taping the marks with a small hammer that has the corners of its face rounded will move most of the metal back. Then, with the side plate on gun sand it with 400 grit paper and higher backed by a piece of flat bar. It will need re blued. It will never be original. I have removed the aftermarket stampings on all 3 of the model 10-7 Gunsmith specials I got from J&G similar fashion.

If metal has actually been removed it could be welded, but even a normal tig welder may slightly bow the plate. When you weld your putting molten metal on the parent piece and melting the join areas of it to. Molten metal shrinks as it cools of course, This induces both stress and distortion. Some of it can be alleviated by pre heating the workplace and keeping the weld to a minimum. A guy with a good tig torch can set it up pretty fine. Micro welding keeps this to a very minimum. But, unless you do it yourself your going to spend more than the gun is worth.

The only thing I have ever welded on guns is grip frames. I do have the ejector rod shroud of a triple lock barrel I am going to have welded onto a 45 colt barrel that has hat its shroud removed. The guy who is going to weld it used to work for me and is very very good and a gun guy. My dream is a modern 45 colt triple lock.

That there is some damn good knowledge. Gotta store that away in my memory banks!

WILDPIG

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I ain't from around here.

I once had a tubular steel structure, and one of the tubes which was supposed to be straight was bowed----not a lot, did not compromise the structure in any way; but it bugged me. As luck would have it, the structure became damaged. I took it back to its birthplace to be repaired----I hoped. The Boss Man (and designer of the structure) had it placed in the jig where it was born, but it didn't fit anymore. He walked around it, instructing a helper to "Cut it-----here, here, and here." As the cuts were made, the structure moved---a lot; and came closer to fitting in the jig---fitting perfectly with the last cut. At that point the helper removed each cut tube, fit and welded a replacement, and the deed was done----BIM-BAM-BOOM!!! I was a happy camper! It was obvious all this was going to cost next to nothing instead of the terrifying sum I had imagined.

When it was finished, I asked about that bowed tube------"Is there anything you can do about that?". There was. The Boss Man asked for a torch, and proceeded to heat the inside portion of the bowed tube----the inside of the bow. Then he stepped back. We watched. I watched in amazement---the tube moved as it cooled---and ended up as straight as an arrow. Nobody ever touched it!

"How'd you DO THAT?!!", I asked. Not being one to give straight answers when the Socratic Method is available, the Boss Man asked, "What happens when you heat a piece of metal?" I answered immediately (My Momma didn't raise no dumb kids!!)------"It expands." He nodded, and asked, "What happens when it cools?" Again, I answered immediately------"It contracts." "Correct----how much does it contract?" "Uh?" (He had me there.) "It contracts more than it expanded." said he-------and there was no charge for the lesson.

And so it is if you start heating up your sideplate by welding on it----maybe yes, maybe no------anything is possible!

Ralph Tremaine

Ya you can bent a big piece of plate with just a torch by running lines of heat down it. Better yet running welding beads down it.

Take say a 12" piece of 2x 1/2 flat bar, lay it flat on a metal welding table and heat it across the middle till the up side just turns red and let it cool. It will bow, Run a weld across it and it will bow even more.

You get some examples of what can occur on Forged in Fire. Going straight into the quench is critical and if you do move the blade in the quench never do it side to side.

I once had to fabricate some huge channels for a big slide gate 20ft long, the backs were a piece 16" wide 1" plate and the side pieces 8" wide pieces of 2". The back was to be welded 100% to the sides. Started by beveling both sides of the 1" piece. Then tack welding it in place to the 2" pieces. Then I welded pieces of 4" wide 3/4" thick flat bar across the opening. Then a bead was laid down in inside corners. The piece flipped over, And with big pieces dogged down with wedges to a huge fab table. the back of the root weld cleaned out and the "V" filled out on both sides, by running about 2' long beads with a 3/32 dual shield gun and skipping around the pieces side to side and end to end, until they were filled out. When I un dogged and cut the stiffener plates of the first one they really popped off and the mouth of the channel opened way up and the whole channel had a bow in its length.

We had a huge bull press and were able to straighten it. The next one I closed up the mouth of the channel some when I tacked it up, then added the stiffeners and when I dogged it down , I forced a arch in it. It came out better. I was learning. The next one I got brave and had them weld the inside root weld with no stiffeners. This really angled in the side pieces. Then I dogged it to the table with the arch loaded in it BUT, no stiffeners across the opening. It came out near perfect as did the rest.

Another time I was fabricating piping to rundown the side of a refinery column and had to joint 2 pieces of 4" pipe 40' long together. Now the procedure is to tack the beveled ends together in 4 places first 2 at 180 degrees and the next two 90 out from those checking for square using 2 squares one on each pipe with the back legs held together. Then the welder runs his root pass from on tack to another for 1/4 on one side of the pipe, then he goes to the opposite side's quarter and runs the other way. Then the top then the bottom. This minimizes welding distortion and the pipe comes out straight. But, after my welder ran the root on the first quarter. The superintendent came and got him. Turns out he was on camera stealing some ones lunch from a fridge. MORTAL SIN, in the work place. Piece of garbage. By the time they sent me another welder the first quarter had cooled, I should have cut it out and started over. I tried to have the new welder pull it back by welding more on the other side. I never got it right. That stupid piece of pipe had a kick in it and I hated it. They said it was OK and to have it installed. I could see it hanging there along that column every time I looked at it. I don't care that it was a junk pile refinery. It was my work that people could see. Wasn't so bad once the insulators covered it up, but, it still bugs me.

Stainless usually moves more than mild carbon. Any time you throw in chrome it gets worse. 5 and 9 chrome are bad about it. (5 and 9% chrome often used in high heat and pressure applications) Change the sizes of the weld or the placement and stuff changes.

There are welders, and there are people who weld.

Steelslaver is a welder.

Ralph Tremaine

Not sure if your question got answered since this thread seemed to go in many directions but I have a couple side plates for a K frame that may be of help. PM and we can discuss.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

I had a friend whose one employee could tig weld two pieces of aluminum foil together. And I had a shop full of guys who were great welders...it's as much art as science.


And I was able to swap out sideplates on one of my 32 targets. So for the price of a sideplate, I would give it a try.

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Thanks for your input. To answer why i got it in the first place was because it was offered up for trade for a Sako vixen single shot action still in the box. It was the best offer i had and other than the sideplate was in very good shape. And i had zero use for the Sako action. Besides inhave problems turning down a older Smith

Not sure which side plate you need, is it for a 5 screw gun with 4 side plate screws or a 4 screw gun with 3 side plate screws?
I have a nearly new side plate for a 5 screw K frame if that's what your looking for.
I'm assuming it's a five screw considering it's from 1952.

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SWHF #595

Your thoughts are same as mine so I posted a pic of two side plates I have and he said that is what he wants... so we worked a deal so hopefully it works out.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

It is difficult for me to see in your photos if the side plate has the notch at the top for the 4th screw in a 5 screw gun.

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SWHF #595

No- mine does not have the notch but we are not sure if OP counts the screws the same way we do...

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S&W factory revolver armorer

I'm going more with the age of the gun if the OP is correct. A 1952 K-22 would be a 5 screw gun.

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SWHF #595