mistersmith
Member
The K38 is the nicest shooting gun I have. Can even make a blind man a marksman. Congrats.
1951 K38 Masterpiece by shear luck
- Thread starter eddiewhiteshoes
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Gryff
Member
Very nice! I inherited my grandfather's K-38, which was born in 1952. I love shooting that gun.
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eddiewhiteshoes
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A fine looking example at that. Very cool it has a family history. Honestly I've never shot one, but I will be this weekend. Woohoo!
TiroFijo
Member
That's a beautiful revolver, Eddie, congrats!
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eddiewhiteshoes
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19leben. Not to long ago I bought a model 10? from an FFL, at an online auction. The sellers description said something to the effect of, "Nice condition model 10 that somebody has case colored the frame. I have no idea who did it but it looks good." The pictures were for **** and the seller botched one digit of the serial number. Through some heavy detective work I discover it's a model 10-7 or -9 Heritage that belonged to a forum member. The case coloring was done by Turnbull of course. They only made like 80 of them and it arrived in near mint condition. The seller was selling it as part of an estate so sadly I assume this forum member is no longer with us. His handle here on the forum is or was "medxam".
Obviously you are going to return the gun and explain to the seller that it was listed incorrectly. Naaaahhhhh!!!
What we S&W nuts sometimes fail to realize is that not all FFL's can be as knowledgeable about S&W's as this body. They market possibly a hundred or two different guns every year and just can't be up on them all.
I once purchased what was offered to me as a model 14 that turned out to be a 1951 Trophy Gun awarded by the Springfield Revolver Club.
What we S&W nuts sometimes fail to realize is that not all FFL's can be as knowledgeable about S&W's as this body. They market possibly a hundred or two different guns every year and just can't be up on them all.
I once purchased what was offered to me as a model 14 that turned out to be a 1951 Trophy Gun awarded by the Springfield Revolver Club.
TheHobbyist
Member
On the subject of misidentifying guns......:
About 10 years ago, I was pretty new into collecting and firearms in general...outside of hunting guns and plinkers.
Well I'm at a show in Oshkosh, WI and this guy has a .357 S&W for sale. Great! I had been considering buying my first .357 at the time.
I'm looking over the mechanics of it and craftsmanship and very interested in the revolver. He tells me something about it being a registered magnum and he won't take less than $ 1,500.00 for it. It was in good condition.
I think the guy is just crazy, because other S&W's are going for about $700 in a similar configuration, kinda laugh to myself and go, wow. Ok. Ya, I will have to pass on that revolver at that price. If I only knew...
Reminds me of the time I bought my first Python and it was about 10 years ago also, and someone offered me about $200 more than I paid for it after owning it about 6 months or a year. I thought I was a genius. This is an education my friends......
About 10 years ago, I was pretty new into collecting and firearms in general...outside of hunting guns and plinkers.
Well I'm at a show in Oshkosh, WI and this guy has a .357 S&W for sale. Great! I had been considering buying my first .357 at the time.
I'm looking over the mechanics of it and craftsmanship and very interested in the revolver. He tells me something about it being a registered magnum and he won't take less than $ 1,500.00 for it. It was in good condition.
I think the guy is just crazy, because other S&W's are going for about $700 in a similar configuration, kinda laugh to myself and go, wow. Ok. Ya, I will have to pass on that revolver at that price. If I only knew...
Reminds me of the time I bought my first Python and it was about 10 years ago also, and someone offered me about $200 more than I paid for it after owning it about 6 months or a year. I thought I was a genius. This is an education my friends......
sbowenjr
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Good fortune favors the prepared!!!! Way to go.
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eddiewhiteshoes
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JSR III, My feeling of guilt was surprisingly fleeting. 1951 Trophy Gun? Wow!
TheHobbyist, I feel your pain. Not to rub salt in the wound but there is a very empty box for that 357 on Ebay right now. The current bid is $723.
Somebody needs to start a new thread labeled "Shoulda, woulda, coulda". Lord knows what pain and suffering might be brought to light.
Not to get sappy on you guys but the first major decision I ever made without hesitation was marrying my wife of 31 years. I was 21 years old and dumb as a box of hammers but something in me said, "do not let that girl go".
TheHobbyist, I feel your pain. Not to rub salt in the wound but there is a very empty box for that 357 on Ebay right now. The current bid is $723.
Somebody needs to start a new thread labeled "Shoulda, woulda, coulda". Lord knows what pain and suffering might be brought to light.
Not to get sappy on you guys but the first major decision I ever made without hesitation was marrying my wife of 31 years. I was 21 years old and dumb as a box of hammers but something in me said, "do not let that girl go".
ParadiseRoad
Member
...I've been looking for one...makes them hard to find if the seller doesn't know what it is...which is doubly puzzling if he read the box...
alwaysoutdoors
Member
Turn your pm's on
Very nice, I would love to find another in that condition with a box.
By the way mine is a five-digit serial numbered gun from 1949 and it has the wide barrel rib. So it appears that the wide rib was offered in the first year of manufacture.
By the way mine is a five-digit serial numbered gun from 1949 and it has the wide barrel rib. So it appears that the wide rib was offered in the first year of manufacture.
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
The Combat Masterpiece, and its descendant the Model 15, are about as good as revolvers get.
Ya done good, kid.
Ya done good, kid.
Engine49guy
Member
Some refer to the older narrow rib as the "Tapered barrel" but narrow rib probably describes it better,
Incidentally when the Combat Masterpiece was introduced in 1950 it used the same narrow rib barrel and notched frame, although the 6" version was supplanted by the wide rib version by 1955 the Combat Magnum continued on with the older narrow barrel rib barrel with matching frame notch until the Model 15-5 revision.
There was a heavier barrel profile in the 4" Model 14-2 Hanen special that appears around 1965 but the "Heaviest Model 14's came later in the 14-5 series that had a full underlug barrel.
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I bought a pre-war Outdoorsman in a pawn shop that was marked
"K-38 Masterpiece". They really didn't have any idea what it was....
Some lucky bidder won a flat latch Terrier today. The seller -- ffl -- listed it as a "Chief's" in .38 Special.
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eddiewhiteshoes
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Oh brother! I was too busy shooting the new Masterpiece to notice that one. Probably the smoothest trigger I have ever owned. Not to side track the thread but is Winchester white box filthy dirty stuff or is it just my imagination?
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