The Round Butt K-Frame .38 Special Thread

[mikepriwer]

Here is my next contribution. The next two pictures are two 8" 1899 .38 target revolvers. One is blue, and the other nickel. The blue one was shipped to Dr Reginald Sayre. He was a very competitive shooter, and was USA Olympic Team captain for the 1908, 1912, and 1916 Olympics.

The next two pictures are 6.5" .38 1899 target revovlers, one blue and one nickel.

Next are two 6" 1899 targets, one blue and one nickel.

Next are two 5" 1899 targets, one blue and one nickel.

Finally, for this group of guns, are two 4" 1899 targets, one nickel and one blue.

The next two pictures are 1902 1st chg blue revolvers. One is an M&P, and the other a target.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[larryofcc]

Larryofcc;

The KSM (US Army Ordnance Inspector, Kelly S Morse) is on the left frame (above the grip) and also on the right stock panel. The left stock panel is JTT (John T. Thompson of Tommy gun fame) also a US Army Inspector and the number 1901.

Still trying to find out what the "02" stamped on lower left grip panel stands for.

Do not know about the "02", but I am privileged to own one of Mr. Thompsons inventions. Thanks, Big Larry

 

[bmcgilvray]

Y'all are making me all weak in the knees with these neato photographs.

Have we got at least one example from every decade of the 20th century featured here, as well as an example from 2008? I'm not seeing one from the 1920s or 1970s yet.

 

[beagleye]

You greedy sons of guns are hogging em all up, no wonder I never see any.

 

[cmansguns]

I don't have a lot of these, and not sure where the photos all are, but here's one to get started...shipped in April, 1945:

Best Regards, Les

Les,

That one's a beaut! EXACTLY the perfect amount of "character" for my taste. "respectable" turn line, muzzle wear and finish indicative of lots of carry probably in the line of duty somewhere, vintage Pachy grip adapter, grips show daily handling maybe by a LEO as he loaded/unloaded at the start/end of a shift...... When I was growing up, 8 years old in 1953, our next door neighbor was a Vice Dick and I played with his son same age. I still recall him getting ready to go to work around 3 or 4 pm and just before donning his blazer, a 38 just like yours would come off a shelf above the frig, get loaded, slipped into a shoulder rig...kiss the wife, tousle the sons hair, wink at me...and off to whatever vice cops do during the late night hours.

I would be inclined to trade any of my ANIB 38 snubbies if I ever run across one like yours.

Do you know of, or have the backstory on yours?

 

[CptCurl]

Here's my 1902 Navy:

I show it in more detail at this thread: .38 M&P Model 1902 U.S. Navy No. 25188

Curl

 

[bwdilli]

How about this 3" Model 547 but that's 9mm not 38 special.

or maybe this Target 1899, but you wanted fixed sights.

These 3 38 M&P Model of 1905, 4th change might do the trick.

Or maybe this 38 M&P Model of 1905, 4th change with a 4" barrel and HBH. Also shipped to Shaker Heights PD in Ohio.

 

[mikepriwer]

This is my third posting to this thread. It has three guns, all of which are important, at least to me, in one way or another.

The first gun is a 6 1/2" .38 semi-target, meaning a target front sight blade, and a fixed rear sight notch. It was special ordered with a Lyman Ivory Bead front sight blade, an augmented rear sight notch, checkered trigger, and checkered walnut stocks.

This next picture is a close-up of the front sight blade. Its marked "Lyman Pat Oct 6 85", meaning 1885, not 1985!

The last picture looks directly down on the re sight notch. There is a tube-like piece pressed into the notch. It looks like a rainbow, but its been temper-colored in such a way that its bluish end is what one sights through.

The next gun is a 4" .38 M&P, shipped 1/27/1913. This is the highest serial-number 4" I have seen with the patent date roll markings on the side. Sometime after this, a new roll marking die was used for the 4" barrels, made up so that the markings once again fit on top of the barrel. They had to be moved to the side at the introduction of the 1902 1st change. This change added a shoulder to the barrel where it meets the frame, which interfered with the roll marking die.

The last gun of this posting is one of Ed McGivern's special order guns. It a 2 7/8" round-butt .38 target, shipped about 1936, with fixed sights. He sent it back to the factory in 1936, telling Doug Wesson that for the purpose of this gun, fixed sights were as useful as "the average wart on a pickle". The gun was shortly returned to him, with target sights. I think that McGivern made the hammer alteration.

The gun letters as open on the shipping records, which did not surprise the historian, in the letter that he wrote. Many years later, he told me that the serial number is in the middle of a block of Outdoorsman 22's. The grips were too long, as though the original serial number had been milled off, and replaced with its current serial number.

I've always thought that the factory simply replaced his original frame with another one
that was made up for adjustable sights. They may have re-serial-numbered it to his original serial number. All in all, a bit confusing.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[bruce5781]

Military & Police .38 Spl. Target. Factory checkered backstrap, forestrap & trigger.

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

 

[les.b]

Y'all are making me all weak in the knees with these neato photographs.

Have we got at least one example from every decade of the 20th century featured here, as well as an example from 2008? I'm not seeing one from the 1920s or 1970s yet.

I have one from the seventies, a blued.38 Special 2" RB model 10, but am having trouble finding a picture right now... As soon as I can, I'll post it!!

Edit...boy I'm slipping tonight. Found a pic of the gun I was thinking about, very poor picture, I'll try to take a better one soon. Anyway, I was wrong. Roy says this one shipped in October, 1987. My bad. It's a 10-7. The GF has appropriated it, so I don't see it all that often!!

Here's a temporary pic until I can get a better....at least it's a RB and a 38 K frame!!



Best Regards, Les

 

[moralem]

I am going to assume that this model 10 is a round butt by virtue of its combats.....I recently acquired this one and have not taken the stocks off to confirm though, so I may be wrong......

 

[Donald Paul]

… my model 547, 9mm, round butt, three inch.
{NIB}
-Don
~~~
Sorry, not a .38
but same bore.

 

[mikepriwer]

Here is my fourth contribution to this thread. These are two very nice 5" round-butt K-frame target revolvers. The 32-20 has the walnut grips. It was special ordered with an extra pair of pearl stocks, which I have. The .38 was shipped with the pearl grips.

The 32-20 was shipped April 1908, so it is a 5-screw frame with the trigger rebound slide. The .38 was shipped Feb 1905; it is a 4-screw frame, with all the early lockwork.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[Moo Moo]

My Snubbie Model 10.

 

[FifthWheel]

M&P 4th change, 5 screw from around 1917. 38 S&W Spl.
Just got it this week.

 

[bruce5781]

1902 Navy

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[Bullet Bob]

Early 2000's Heritage model 15 with Roy Fishpaw sambar stag grips:

 

[chiefdave]

1902 Navy

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Great revolver. The only thing that I see wrong with it is that it is owned by an Air Force rather than a Navy vet. Thanks for sharing.

 

[vytoland]

two round butt K frames..........

S&W model 64-3...three inch
S&W model 64-4...two inch