Hello alltogether,

this is Timo from Germany writing - so i hope you can understand what i type in here. My english is not as bad as it could be and not as good as it sould be. I dont want to harm or offend anyone here

A few days ago i bought my first handgun. It is a 17-2 revolver.
6" barrel. The markings show, that it was tested by the gouvernment in Germany in 1962.
The grips were allready fitted.
It cost me 370 Euro (about 400 US$)
The serialnumber is K4821XX
The model clearly visible as 17-2

I do have a few questions:

Were all 17-2 fitted with adjustable sights, big/wide/broad trigger/hammer ?
Are these grips original by S&W ?
Can you give an exact (better: Even more exact) year of manufacture, using the serialnumber ?

I shot it yesterday on 25m (about 27 yards) - but its way to early to tell anything about accuracy. But i am shure, i like the trigger. Its fantastic. Nor creep, no nothing, just "peng !".

I dont know if it has been redone sometime ago.

Now, here are the pictures. If you need more/better ones: Let me know !

That is a beautiful K38 Timo. The Target Trigger and Target Hammer were likely factory originals. The custom stocks show that some previous owner was a very serious target shooter. The gun probably was fitted with Target Stocks with the diamond center checkering pattern from the factory, and your guns shipped with what is referred to as the "3 T's" (Target Trigger, Target Hammer and Target Stocks). A Model 14-2 like that would sell for at least $600 here in the US, maybe even more.

Well, your English is better than my Deutsche!

Nice K-22 you have there. Interesting stocks, but not from S&W.

Your Model 17-2 dates from 1962, based on the serial number.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Hello Timo. You have a very fine K-22 Masterpiece, also known as a Model 17 after Smith and Wesson began assigning model numbers in 1957. The -2 after the model number just indicates a minor engineering change to the production method(s) or to the gun as a product improvement. You should find it wonderfully accurate with a variety of .22 caliber ammunition, however, you may find that your revolver shoots some manufacturer's ammunition better than others. Experimentation will be kind of fun. In any case you have purchased a very fine, wonderful revolver which should provide many years of enjoyment for you and friends who may get a chance to shoot it!

As a quick note, I had an opportunity to travel to Germany many years ago when my daughter was in the U.S. Air Force assigned to the Spandahlem base near Bitburg. She lived in Bitburg. Wonderful country! I got to see Trier and the surrounding countryside as well as Cologne/Koln. Lovely scenery and people. Reminds me of the region that I live in in western Oregon. Lots of stands of trees mixed with farmland! Would very much like to return to visit!

Thank you very much for your answers.
You answered even the questions which i did not ask (and held back for a later reply).

Nevertheless two are left:

Does the "K" in the serialnumber also refer to the type of frame ?

Walter, you called it a "K38" - why ? I know K-22 or 17-2, but what does the "K38" mean ?

@aircrewman:
I have also been visiting Trier about 20 years ago
And i appreciate you liked the country - i like it also very much and can not imagine ever leaving it (but this leads to a political discussion...). I have never been to the USA, but my wife travel(e?)d with a mobile home in the western part (also 20 years ago) of the US. A (female) friend of mine married to the US an now lives in Michigan.

If you ever visit Germany again - give me a note: We make some wine on ourselfs. But leave your guns in the US - the laws in Germany are a little little bit more restrictive than in the USA

Take a look here: DL4SU - Callsign Lookup by QRZ.COM

TIMO

Welcome to the Smith & Wesson Forum.

Yes. K is part of the serial number and also is the frame size of your revolver. Without going too far back in S&W history for more modern revolvers, i.e. 1950's to the present, here are the frame sizes:
J frame - small frame
K frame - medium frame
L frame - medium-large frame
N frame - large frame
X frame - extra large frame

Your revolver is NOT a K-38. The K-38 is .38 Special caliber.

Prior to 1957 Smith & Wesson revolvers were named and not given a model number. After 1957 revolvers were given model numbers.

Prior to 1957 your revolver was properly referred to as a K-22 Masterpiece. After 1957 the designation was changed to the Model 17 but it is still appropriate to refer to it as a K-22 Masterpiece.

K-38 Masterpiece (6" barrel) = Model 14 after 1957
K-22 Masterpiece (6" barrel)= Model 17 after 1957

K-38 Combat Masterpiece (4" barrel) = Model 15 after 1957
K-22 Combat Masterpiece (4" barrel) = Model 18 after 1957

"Combat" refers to a 4" barrel.

The reference to Trier reminded me of one of my favorite vacations when we drove along the Mosel valley in October from Koblenz to Trier. The small towns along the river, the people, and the wines were all fantastic. If you get a chance to try Wine #9 in a bar in which the second floor was twice as wide as the main floor in Bernkastel-Kues I would highly recommend it.

I almost forgot. That's a beautiful revolver and the stocks (grips) are extraordinarily nice.

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Scoundrel & Ne'er-Do-Well

I would just add one fact to g8rb8's fine explanation. After WWII when S&W began to add letter prefixes to various serial sequences, the target sight K frame models were put into the K prefix series. So yes, the K is related to the fact that your gun has the K size frame. But all K frame models in the postwar period don't have the K prefix serial numbers. Only those with adjustable rear sights as standard equipment.

The postwar fixed sight K frame models initially got the S prefix, followed in 1948 with the C prefix and in 1968, the D prefix.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Nice revolver. I have a 17-2 also, but with S&W Target grips. Your grips sort of remind me of the grips on my Walther OSP.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Welcome to the S&W Forum. Very nice piece, and those grips are extremely nice custom target grips. If you were having a set of grips made like that today you would probably have to pay over $250. I would guess that gun has a very nice tuned action also.

Spent a week cruising on the Rhine a couple years ago, and plan to do the same on the Danube next year. Beautiful country (land of my ancestors).

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Are those Nill custom target grips?

Thank you VERY MUCH for your help. I would say: Every single question i had - and even much more - is answered.

I am looking forward shooting my 17-2 in the next few days/weeks, testing different ammunition and get familiar with it. I will let you know the results of my shooting.
I am excited like a little kid......yipie !

Regards from Germany

TIMO