s#55538, 1948 I am told. Absolutely awesome!!! I can't believe the action and the trigger. Is it possible it came from the factory like this. No creep, none, nada, perfectly crisp and an absolutely consistent light break, probably 1.5#. SA and DA like butter. I haven't gotten to shoot paper yet but I can tell you that it is vicious on cans. I don't think my shooting skills are gong to be outgrowing this gun ever. There are a few light surface cosmetic/wear issues that don't even come close to tarnishing the sheer awesomeness of this gun. This beauty is going to be spending a lot of time on my side. I wish I could take a decent picture, but really looks aren't the best part of this gun. I appreciate ya'll turning me onto this great habit.

Pete

That is a beautiful gun.
Great photos as well.





Billl

Welcome to the K-22 club. Those postwar five-screw K-22 Masterpieces are some of the best revolvers any company ever made. I can't say, "You're gonna love it," because you obviously already do. What I can say with certainty is "You're going to keep loving it." These are fine revolvers -- just fine.

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David Wilson

I guess someone should let you know that one will not be enough,so I'm lettin' you know.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

I, for a change, absolutely and positively hate this post and the photos. My wife told me to type this up and post it. I’m gonna go away and cry now.


p.s.

How much should I put away if you don’t mind me asking?

Very Nice!! I have its older brother S#20xxx and I have to agree it makes you a better shooter just trying to keep up with it!

can't beat a K22, very nice.
now you have to find a K22 Outdoorsmen

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George Jamison

Oh they multiply!
You'll need another one in 6 inch and a 4 inch and a really nice one and well worn shooter and a....

Good job beagleye, the older I get the more the rimfires go with me to the shooting bench.

GF

Very nice old gun!
The K-22's are awesome guns.

Can one of the guys here who has one of similar vintage help me out with something? I noticed the front sight on the OP's gun appears to have been filed down in height, at least when comparing it to my 17-3, and to the many others I have seen here. Were they shorter at on time?

truly a classic beauty, congrats for that one

I totally agree . . . K-22's are awesome guns. Congratulations to the OP on picking up one of the very early ones.

The front sight did change . . . I believe at the same time the barrel rib change occurred on the K-38s to create the uniform weight "Masterpiece" series around K75XXX.

Here is a picture of two pre-17s, the one on the right is a December 1947 ship (s/n K10495) and the one on the left is a May 1953 ship (s/n K185890) that shows the difference in the rib, sight base and blade.



Russ

Gun 4 Fun: The front sight on the K-22 in question is similar to the sights I have observed on other 1940's vintage guns. Same as on my 1947 & 1948 models. Leo

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

Russ and Leo-

Thank you both for your replies!
I don't have one that old.......... yet. I will though, and knowing this ahead of time will save me some worrying later.

Great gun, may have had an action job in the past but the workmanship on the older Smiths was very high quality. Someone else mentioned you need a 4" to go with it, don't forget the 8 3/8" gotta have em all.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

If you go visiting the local gun shops, some will sell an RCBS trigger pull gauge. Is very much like the old fish scale some anglers kept in their tackle box. If the gun the OP has really is at 1.5#, its right on the edge of being unsafe. Most shooters don't even like one that light, preferring instead to be up around 3#. By today's standards, that's still pretty light.

But my guess is the pull will register as being higher on a gauge.

And as stated, you will be looking for and buying another. What happens is you go to gun shows or gun shops. Because you've found your treasure, you look at others to compare "how well you've done." And then you see one that offers some feature or is priced well enough you can't resist. Sometimes its just a orphan that calls out to you. So you buy it and your life changes. The road to destruction doesn't seem that unpleasant. You really enjoy yourself. You barely notice as the number under your roof blows past a half dozen, then eventually a dozen.

When I hit 3 dozen (yep, 36 of them) I realized I had a little problem. So I did the unthinkable. I started selling off the excess. Now I'm down to a comfortable dozen again. But I look at every gun I see.

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Dick Burg

What they said! I'm one of many here who absolutely love the K22. All .22s for that matter. But there's something special about an old S&W K-22. They just don't make 'em like that any more! Congratulations! Consider yourself addicted!

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Misty

Pete, now you know why folks lust after the early post-war K-22's. Perhaps the finest 22lr target revolvers ever built. 1948 seems to have been a banner year for K-22 production as I seem to see more 1948 guns than any other single year. Enjoy the gun, you will never regret buying it.

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John. SWCA #1586

Quite right you are. I measured it and it is 55 oz. Seems a lot lighter. Fooled by the the clean break I guess. I would not wish it any lighter.

Thanks, Pete

REALLY NICE K-22

So, where did this beauty come from....? GB?, a forum member?,....? Just curious as it is beautiful and I LOVE the Double-Deuce. What could a buyer expect to pay for something very similar to this one? Thanks............

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Go big or stay home

GB-$499 (buy it now) plus $20 shipping to my door. Seemed to me like the low end of fair after following the auctions for a while. Good luck finding one. Pete

You found your self one of the best! I just picked up one myself here this fall, and I tell you its dam accurate in the right hands! I have started to teach my 11 year old nephew proper shooting techniques with this fine piece of Americana! I saw a friends new model 17 he just ordered, it was finely made ,but near as nice as these old K-22's. i always wondered why Smith never built an enshrouded type barrel for these guns, that would have been a great understudy for the N frame 357 and 44 mag? Anyway hope you have fun rolling cans and shooting small game, cheers Dale in Canada