K-22 Outdoorsman 1st Model Question

I picked this K-22 Outdoorsman 1st mode up this morning.

Serial: 639040 so it's an early 1930s example I guess. Matching serials.

Early one screw rear sight....Silver insert "dot" on the face of the front sight blade.

It's nice and tight but a nicely done reblue with improper stocks/Tyler T-Grip. I gave $400.00 for it.

My question is before/after the serial on the butt there is a large S

stamped there. Any significance?

Hard to say. Someone's initials? A property mark for a shooting club? The possibilities are endless.

What specifically leads you to believe it's been reblued? There's nothing obvious to my eye in the photo.

For what it's worth, bracketing serial numbers 638690 and 639459 shipped in December of 1931 and March of 1932 respectively.

Goony said:

Hard to say. Someone's initials? A property mark for a shooting club? The possibilities are endless.

What specifically leads you to believe it's been reblued? There's nothing obvious to my eye in the photo.

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You know you might be right....The shop that sold it to me said it was and given the price I did not really bother looking at it hard other than to check function.

Upon getting out my Magna Visor and looking it over everything does seem pretty crisp sure enough.

A helpful hint for photographing guns: NO direct lighting!!

Ralph Tremaine

You did great! $400 for any K-22 Outdooorsman in any kind of reasonable condition is fantastic. The "S" on either end the serial number is clearly not factory, but so what?

rct269 said:

A helpful hint for photographing guns: NO direct lighting!!

Ralph Tremaine

Click to expand...

Well, I guess I could have taken it out and set it on the snow.

Just to note that the stocks are much later than the gun. K frame Magnas from the 1950s, while the early K22 Outdoorsman's had round top silver medallion service stocks. The first year guns had a gold front bead and after that silver. Your revolver likely shipped in 1932.

Have to agree you scored on that purchase,
The finish looks original from that one picture , should be bright polished blue.
As stated the stocks are post war but no big deal, the pre war long action K22s are butter smooth.
The earliest guns have the single rear elevation screw with no set screw, Agree the earliest fs inserts were gold but this changed to a stainless bead sometime after the first year roughly so likely a 1932 based solely on that.
Congrats on a nice gun and bargain.

Just an afterthought, the medallions in those high shoulder magnas look like they are the plastic ones from 1952 or stainless from 1953, even if they are the nickel brass which were used from 1946-1951 they are worth about $100 and another $25 for the Tyler T so u basicly got the OD for $275...

glowe said:

Just to note that the stocks are much later than the gun. K frame Magnas from the 1950s, while the early K22 Outdoorsman's had round top silver medallion service stocks. The first year guns had a gold front bead and after that silver. Your revolver likely shipped in 1932.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I know....I have a later (mid-30s) Outdoorsman.

To be honest, I forgot I had it.

Engine49guy said:

Have to agree you scored on that purchase,
The finish looks original from that one picture , should be bright polished blue.
As stated the stocks are post war but no big deal, the pre war long action K22s are butter smooth.
The earliest guns have the single rear elevation screw with no set screw, Agree the earliest fs inserts were gold but this changed to a stainless bead sometime after the first year roughly so likely a 1932 based solely on that.
Congrats on a nice gun and bargain.

Just an afterthought, the medallions in those high shoulder magnas look like they are the plastic ones from 1952 or stainless from 1953, even if they are the nickel brass which were used from 1946-1951 they are worth about $100 and another $25 for the Tyler T so u basicly got the OD for $275...

Click to expand...

Thanks!

LOL....Check T-Grip (brand) prices.....Around $100.00 now!

Robinson's Trading Post (eBay) sells a decent clone for around $30.00.

Engine49guy said:

Have to agree you scored on that purchase,
The finish looks original from that one picture , should be bright polished blue.
As stated the stocks are post war but no big deal, the pre war long action K22s are butter smooth.
The earliest guns have the single rear elevation screw with no set screw, Agree the earliest fs inserts were gold but this changed to a stainless bead sometime after the first year roughly so likely a 1932 based solely on that.
Congrats on a nice gun and bargain.

Click to expand...

"-------------------with no set screw----------------------"

There are NO set screws on any sights used on an Outdoorsman with either one of the sights. The "two screw" sights used on the later guns are often thought of as having one---but it ain't so!

What's so is both of the screws at the rear of the "two screw" are used to set elevation AND to lock down the setting. The drill goes like so: Make the initial elevation setting with the aft screw----get close. Make the final elevation setting with the screw immediately in front of the aft screw. Now turn the aft screw counterclockwise as far as it will go. You're done!

Having made the final elevation setting with the screw immediately in front of the aft screw, you have that screw bearing against the frame. Having backed out the aft screw as far as it will go has that screw pulling against the frame by way of a flange nut riding in a slot cut in the frame. This push-pull arrangement has locked the sight in place----the very first sight from S&W that won't "shoot loose"---after a mere 50 some odd years of trying. I suspect the coming of the 357 Magnum can be credited with some urgency for this advancement which was a loooooooooooong time coming---and they got it right!!

All things considered, this is the best sight they ever made in that it's infinitely adjustable AND won't shoot loose. It's successor, the so-called Micrometer sight won't shoot loose either, but it's not infinitely adjustable; in that one "click" of an adjustment screw moves the point of impact something on the order of a half inch at 25 yards---or whatever. The two screw sight moves the point of impact one inch for each 10 yards of range with one full turn of the adjusting screw. That's for the folks who want infinite accuracy instead of merely practical accuracy.

Ralph Tremaine

1srelluc said:

I picked this K-22 Outdoorsman 1st mode up this morning.

Serial: 639040 so it's an early 1930s example I guess. Matching serials.

Early one screw rear sight....Silver insert "dot" on the face of the front sight blade.

It's nice and tight but a nicely done reblue with improper stocks/Tyler T-Grip. I gave $400.00 for it.

My question is before/after the serial on the butt there is a large S

stamped there. Any significance?

Click to expand...

What a great acquisition at $400!!!

However, the first model designation refers to the first 500 produced with the GOLD front bead sight and no K-22 model designation. It was simply just an Outdoorsman. The K-22 model number came later. Yours is definitely early production and a steal at $400. I don't know if it's still an option, but S&W historian Roy Jinks used to research these pistols and provide a letter with his findings on the pistol's origin from S&W archives. I don't know if they still do this, but it's a cool piece of paper to have if they do.

Since it's been reblued and you won't jeopardize value based on what you gave for it, my advice is to go shoot this rascal!! They are a dream to shoot.

I bought a nice one for $400 too....16 years ago...great buy.

Great buy at $400, nice gun, you did good.