After a weekend of two Pre17s, I received a pm from a local member with an offer to buy his Pre 18 Combat Masterpiece. Not being one to pass up a 4" 5-screw .22, we arranged a meeting and he even ran by my house for delivery. Inside that original gold box was this nice little example. I have a feeling that I am gonna like this one too. He has some diamond targets on the gun. I think that this gun was a little early for those stocks, so I dressed her up in a set of magnas that I had. I am notincing that some of these guns have a 'bright shiny finish' and some have a duller one. Is there a name for the difference other than shiny or dull? This gun was shipped in June of 1953.

The dull K-frames were on all of them from 1948 'til about 1954. Then they went back to the more high polish. Perfectly normal for the period.

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Dick

Very nice Pre-18. Interesting that it has PC stocks.

Excellent acquisition!

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David Wilson

Very nice looking gun. S&W did offer these early guns in a bright finish as opposed to the normal brushed blue finish. You should look on the bottom of the box to see if there is any indication of this. I have a 1948 K-22 in bright and the box was marked as such on the bottom in grease pencil.

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John. SWCA #1586

Looks like that one went to a nice home

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Kevin Cowherd
SWCA #2271

Congratulations on the purchase of that beautiful pre 18

I just bought one of those with a serial # within 800 of yours. It came with diamond targets, target trigger & target hammer. It currently is in the 10 day jail here in Ca. Pictures when it is sprung!

Thanks to you

PC stocks, I don't understand ? I had these loose and put them on. What should be there?

I have a K-22 6 inch with a serial number close to that.
Your Masterpiece has the proud pins and is in high condition, they're a tough find in any condition.

Your photography and set-up is as good as your revolver.

GF

Round on the bottom = PC.

GF

Performance Center? What years were the PC correct for? Which models?

Sorry, I was too concise. Diamond magnas with rounded edges at the bottom are referred to as plainclothes (PC) stocks. The design theory is that if you belt carry a revolver under your jacket, the gun won't be as obvious as it would if it had sharp edges. These stocks first showed up in the early 1950s, I believe.

There is nothing wrong with those stocks, but they probably came off (or if sold separately, were intended for) a .38. I imagine very few K-22s were ever equipped with "concealment" stocks. It is very likely that your 1953 gun came with standard diamond magnas on it, though there is the possibility that it might have been ordered with diamond target stocks.

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David Wilson

Thanks so much...I was trying to figure that out last night. I have several pair of magna stocks and have replaced them with target stocks on many of my newer .22s. I bought these PC stocks from a dealer at a show Sunday when he took a model 10 in on trade. He thought the gun was too new for them. So he sold them to me I was looking for some diamonds for my 1958 pre 17, but realized that the ones that I had on my pre17 that were correct, had the flat bottom. Thanks for the excellent explanation. I'll put the diamond targets back on her tonight and see what ya'll think.

I own K186325, it is a five screw gun. No box or tools or papers, but it only cost me $21.43 + tax.




I cleaned it up a bit. I am trying to decide if I want to send it back to the factory for a refurb job, as I am not into this one so deep.

You got a good one. Congratulations.

I got this one last month with gold box and original tools.

According to SCSW the PC stocks (also called Police Carry) started in 1952 - I have a 5" M&P (pre-M10) with numbered PCs from 4/54. PC stocks were made in K & N frame sizes. I've had a pair of N-frame PC stocks which originally came on the M58.

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Peter #2091

I've looked through my catalogs of the 1950's, 60's and 70's and can find no reference to PC stocks being mentioned or offered.

As far as finish is concerned, the guns were offered in "blue" or "nickel" and later in "bright blue" other than the Highway Patrolman (M28) that was offered in "satin blue".

Based on the above, I would feel that the factory referred to them as "blue", "satin blue" and "bright blue".

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James Redfield
LM #497

You two folks are dangerous to EACH OTHER

Great looking gun..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Is there any chance that the sideplate has been refinished? It doesn't seem to quite match the rest of the gun, and the fit to the frame is much more visible than it is on my K22.

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Mark

For some of us, one is just not enough...



Tim

Maybe I can help sort this out for you fellas...

The correct, first used factory nomenclature for round edged service stocks is "modified Magna". This description is from the 1952 Centennial Catalog, First Printing, Pg. 16 & 17 where this stock pattern was announced.



Illustration from Pg. 16 shows both stock patterns.



Text on Pg. 17 explains.



Here's another tidbit of information... The illustration in the "All Model Circular" of 1950 shows the "New Military and Police; Square Butt, Short Action" with standard, square bottom magnas and does not offer the "modifieds".

This is the earliest pair of "modifieds" I have in my collection of loose stocks.



Note the higher 'horn' above the stock circle, typical of the earliest post-war magna patterns.



I believe these to be from C 326,614 (circa 1954).

The slang term "PC" came much later but has become common parlance.

Drew

Man, I need an 18 to go with my recently acquired M-15.

Whatever the correct nomenclature you have a fine revolver there. I got mine from a local dealer 15 or so years ago for $275. I hadn't been home an hour when he called me back and offered to give me $350 if I brought it back down to the shop.
I declined.
To me the 'pre18' or K22 Combat is a homerun by S&W, a great gun for walking the woods in search of maurding squirrels or just taking out on a nice afternoon and dispatching cans and green apples. Cheap ammo, a fine handling firearm, it just can't get much better.
Enjoy it and report on the range visit, you'll find it extremely accurate and I just about garauntee you'll not get rid of it soon.
RD

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Got a Phd from Hard Knocks U

PC are the "plainclothes" or rounded bottom stocks. Either they or the standard square-bottom Magna stocks may have come on the gun originally, but more likely the latter, therefore David's comment.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Drew, excellent explanation and great photographs. I looked through all of my AMC's for the 50's, 60's and 70's but forgot about the Centennial Catalog that is filed separately.

Just goes to show you the great value of this forum and the collected knowledge that can not be found anywhere else.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Bright Finish Pre-Model 18 5 Screw complete with box marked bright on end label and bottom (in grease pen) with blue knurled screwdriver.

I love the bright finish guns. The bluing is phenomenal. Here are a few more K22s I really need an intervention.

Latest from SigKev...kinda like having a drug dealer down the street.

Haha... drug dealer. That may be true... but... I think you held back on me. I don't remember seeing all of those K22s the other day. Maybe you had one or two that you were hiding from me

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Kevin Cowherd
SWCA #2271

Even though these Modified Magnas (aka PC magnas) were intended for duty, the wood in the early ones is simply beautiful. Here is a pair from April 1953, s/n C226070.





Russ

First,
Love watching your collection grow,
I am also a huge fan of the K22 in all shapes and forms.

Second
There is a very good explanation of Diamond Magna and Diamond Target grip styles in the SCSW 3rd ed. Supica/Nahas.
Section 1, "Grips" on pages 22 & 23 also includes pictures if you are really interested.

The section that really applies here is about Diamond center Walnut square butt grips.
They are divided as "Pre war 1936 to 1946, Post war 1946 to 1952,
Post war 1953 to 1967, and Plain clothes post war 1952 to 1967.

They will all fit,
But certain styles are obviously suited for certain year guns,
Transitional guns and special orders being the exceptions.

A previous poster suggested (and I agree) that if a revolver came with its original numbered grips they should stay with the gun.
If the originals are not available they should at least be the right era or be Target grips from the right era as they are not usually numbered.

Besides many other styles
Diamond center checkered square butt Target stocks are also pictured in the SCSW.
They are divided into three styles .
Non relieved checkered Walnut from early 1950's,
Goncalvo Alves (GA's) "Coke Bottle" with relief cut about 1955 to 1968,
and diamond center relieved GA's mid 50's to 1967.

It took a little while for me to be able to recognize the different styles at a glance ,
But they all have their own features that make them different.
And while all look nice certain styles only look right with certain guns to the trained eye.
This is how some people can look at a gun, Identify its special tell tale features (such as number of screws, hammer style, site style etc)
and recognize if the grips on that gun are correct for that gun.

Good luck collecting!

i bought one a year ago that had target diamonds on it. serial number in the 314000 range. starting to sound like they may have came with these grips?

K 314,000 would be about 1957.
If your gun has target sites it should have the second post war (53 to 57)
style mentioned above with a flat bottom.

My Pre 18 was shipped with diamond target stocks. Serial # 316,3xx. The stocks do not have a serial number stamped in it.
Hope this helps. Ken

Mr IHC,

My apologies for not recognizing you said "Targets".
......."Target grips from the right era ..are not usually numbered"

Without a factory letter there is no way to know if the gun shipped with target stocks or Magnas.

If you have the original box and it has 4 rings on the corner it may have come with Magnas.
If the original box has 5 rings on the end it probably shipped with target stocks.

Again, The Jinks letter is really the best way to find out if you want to know what it was wearing when it left the factory .

Here is the gun as I received it. It has what appear to me to be vintage Target stocks. I am going to letter some of these. I figured it was worth it. I have some questions about that, but I'll post them in the 'members forum' on the other side.

thank you for the info, i don't have the box, and your right the grips don't have a serial # on them. they now look great on my k-22 6inch.