k22 year this beauty was made please

docryan61 · #1 09-17-2021, 12:06 PM

hello everyone i am new to the forum, I just purchase a mint condition s&w k22 revolver from an old friend of mine he cant remember when he purchase the revolver, here is what i know its a 22lr,6 inch barrel adjustable sight, case harden trigger and hammer,serial on bottom of butt is 462xx no letter or anything else,can any body help with a year that this revolver was made thank you for your help

weatherby · #2 09-17-2021, 12:19 PM

Hi and Welcome.
Look way over to the left for that K
1948 when you find it.

JP@AK · #3 09-17-2021, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weatherby

Look way over to the left for that K. 1948 when you find it.

Paul is correct. A K-22 Masterpiece with those 5 digits in the serial number would definitely have a K prefix. Because the jigs were set up in those days to accommodate a swivel hole, the K is separated from the digits by a space.

As a reference point, K-22 Masterpiece number K45131 shipped in October, 1948.

Targets Guy · #4 09-17-2021, 03:59 PM

K455xx shipped Nov 1948, K475xx shipped Oct 48. Yours would have shipped one of those two months - probably

NavySCPO · #5 09-17-2021, 08:56 PM

docryan61..Congratulations on a great acquisition, we love pictures here. Takes a little effort to post, but we promise to applaud your efforts!

So grab the old Brownie Camera and get busy. 😜

JH1951 · #6 09-17-2021, 09:58 PM

Welcome to the Forum from Pennsylvania!
K-22's are wonderful in many ways. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of yours.

jeffrefrig · #7 09-17-2021, 10:48 PM

The K22 is a nice gun. I have my dad's. I guess it was made in 1950. Great shooter. He kept it in the holster with his old Navy belt as long as I can remember. I wasn't born till '57; it's in better shape than me!
Welcome to the Forum from Pittsburgh!
Jeff T.

All the scratches on the holster were from rabbit hunting. If they were sitting, or not in full trot, he'd use that .22 so as not to fill it with BBs.
For anyone's info, this is Serial #K 91609.

Targets Guy · #8 09-18-2021, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffrefrig

The K22 is a nice gun. I have my dad's. I guess it was made in 1950. Great shooter. He kept it in the holster with his old Navy belt as long as I can remember. I wasn't born till '57; it's in better shape than me!
Welcome to the Forum from Pittsburgh!
Jeff T.

All the scratches on the holster were from rabbit hunting. If they were sitting, or not in full trot, he'd use that .22 so as not to fill it with BBs.

That must have been a popular combo back in the day. My dad bought his K-22 in 1947 and always carried in the Brau brothers holster. He was a rural mail carrier and took it with him on his route. Came home many a day with rabbit and pheasant for the meal of the day.

jeffrefrig · #9 09-19-2021, 01:24 AM

T Guy, Those holsters look like they were run through the same woods & jagger bushes! What really gets me is that Navy belt my dad used. He always used it for this gun; no big deal. BUT, he was 6' 3" tall and used it forever, but I tried to put it on. I wear 36 waist pants and I can't come close to fastening it around myself! I'm 5' 11". I guess I can't remember how well-cut he was!
docryan61, we'd probably like to see pics of your gun if you can find the time. .22LR or .44 Magnum, blue steel & walnut sure make for a nice late-night or early AM eye snack!

cmansguns · #10 09-19-2021, 08:38 AM

Welcome docryan61 from good ol Virginia! Those K22 Masterpieces made right after the War (and military contracts) ended are some real treasures and examples of mechanical art. I've got two..one is K 905 and Letters as shipping in 1947 to a hardware store in PA, the other pictured here is a 1948 (s/n K 42372) per serial number date ranges, but I haven't Factory Lettered it yet so don't know the actual date shipped or where to.

Another tell-tale is my 1947 has a "one line address" on the right side of frame, whereas the 1948 has the "4 line address".
Which does yours have?

They are both real treats to shoot and both of mine accept about any brand ammo you can find. I know some guns are "persnickity" about brand and type 22LR ammo...but these two just eat it all.

Currently there is a moratorium on getting Factory Letters until January of 2022, so we all need to wait a bit and give the Historians a little breathing room to catch up on backlog. Those folks really do invest a lot of time doing the research and records to get you decent info on your specific gun.

Enjoy that gun of yours and please post some pics when you can. That "missing" K might be faint, but still should be there. If someone used the gun butt as a hammer for wanted posters, the K may be surrounded by dings and such, but still something should be legible.

Targets Guy · #11 09-19-2021, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffrefrig

T Guy, Those holsters look like they were run through the same woods & jagger bushes! What really gets me is that Navy belt my dad used. He always used it for this gun; no big deal. BUT, he was 6' 3" tall and used it forever, but I tried to put it on. I wear 36 waist pants and I can't come close to fastening it around myself! I'm 5' 11". I guess I can't remember how well-cut he was!
docryan61, we'd probably like to see pics of your gun if you can find the time. .22LR or .44 Magnum, blue steel & walnut sure make for a nice late-night or early AM eye snack!

My dad used the same type web belt. He was in the Navy in WWII from '43 to '45. I shot his gun from the time I was old enough to point it down range. When I joined the Air Force I discovered they used the K22 (prob a Model 17) to get us use to the Model 15. Needless to say I shot expert with both.

Dad's K-22 is one of my prized possessions.

docryan61 · #12 09-20-2021, 12:55 PM

I don't have the revolver yet I have to be approve by my cfo but as soon has I get it I will post lots of pictures, thank you all for the great help in dating my revolver.