Tom, I share the concerns expressed by others.

If you want a K-frame .38 Special with a short barrel, you should keep an eye out for a postwar (say 1946-1960) .38 Military & Police with a two-inch barrel; many were manufactured in that configuration, and you should be able to find one in decent shape for $450 or so. S&W says that +P ammo should not be fired in revolvers without a model number, which would restrict use of that ammunition to guns made in 1957 or later. As a practical matter, there is no distinction between the post 1957 M&Ps and the same guns without a model number that were manufactured from 1948 on. So I'd feel safe shooting +P in a 1950 M&P for example.

Sorry to rain on your enthusiasm, but the gun you were considering really is a kind of bad deal -- not special, possibly dangerous, and WAY overpriced.

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David Wilson