Now that I am jumping in to the deep end with these K22s, I notice that there is a difference in front sights? Could someone help me with the front sight differences?
Here is a 5 screw shipped in 1948.

This one is the Pre 18 5 screw shipped in 1953

Here is a 5 screw that was shipped in January of 1954

and here is 4 screw that was shipped in January of 1958

The top two have a ramp front sight and the bottom two have a Patridge front sight.

The postwar Masterpieces with six-inch barrels generally had Patridge front sights. The "combat" varieties with four-inch barrels generally had the ramp sights; what makes them combat models is that the ramp front sight will clear leather smoothly without hooking or dragging on the holster interior.

Eventually, with the introduction of ramp sights with red inserts, you would find the ramp sights on longer barrel revolvers as well.

I think the sight on the gun in the top photo is a replacement. I would bet that gun shipped with a Patridge sight installed.

__________________
David Wilson

You can tell the revolver from 1948 has been accessorized at a later date. It appears to have a target trigger made long after 1948. The patridge front sight was also available in 1/10" and 1/8" widths. I am not sure about the Baughman ramp, but only a letter will tell you if it is factory. It is also only held on with one pin. Ramps generally have two. Nice guns too. Big Larry

I bet that if you lettered the 1948 gun that you would find that it shipped with a Patridge blade. Most Postwar 6" guns did.



1946:



1947:



1948:



1951:



1960:



Ramps were standard on 4" guns.

1952 & 1957 respectively:



1953:

Drew some people can find a K-22 in a chicken house, others havta' look harder!

I'm gonna' get me one of those rimfires someday...

GF

Gale,

I've learned that old sawmills are a great place to look too!

That's where I located the 1948 gun...

Was so packed with dried grease that I had to soak it for two days and go after it with a brass brush to read the serial number!

You just gotta sniff 'em out!

Drew

Drew I do have a coupla' kinda' stashed away...



GF

GF-nice Outdoorsman. Original Grips?

__________________
Jim
Many K and N Frames

FIBBER!...

Got one like in the middle ...



Hint...



... It's the top one....

Yep, numbered to the gun...


An engraved example of an Outdoorsman made for Andrew Melon in the 1930's.

K-22's are a favorite of mine, and Sebago Son too.
We can't miss out on a Masterpiece thread to crow!



GF

Now Where's Brother Bill?....

Darn...I feel bad posting my guns next to ya'lls...crow all you want, those are SWEET! Here are a few more pics of my 1948 gun. Some close-ups of the front sight. I am going to letter this to see if the front sight is original. It is a well-done replacement if it had been replaced.

That's actually a ramp and blade for a later wide rib barrel. My guess is a field replacement.

Brother Drew.
Brother Bill has been out in the desert looking in old mining shafts and out houses for old K22's. An old Desert Rat miner told he once saw K101 hanging on a nail just inside the doors to a mine. He just didn't remember which mine it was. It was right next to a pot of gold.
I bought an old map at the flea market and it shows K111 was last seen at an out house in the Dragoon Mountains of Cochise County. ARIZONA.
Injunbro has probably seen it and just had no need for it.
One of these days, Rooster!!
Brother Bill@Yuma

May I live that long!...

Brother Drew@Sebago...

You guys take buying K22's to a whole new level and you have some wonderful examples in your collection of the early ones. The last two model 17's that I bought had 6 inch barrels and I sold them. I don't regret selling them because I sold one was to a very close friend and the other to Brenda's grandson. So I have one K22 a 6 inch made in 1955, Model 17-4 with 8 3/8 barrel, Model 617 no dash with 6 inch barrel, and two Model 18's. That's probably where my collection of S&W 22's will sit for a very long time.

Amigo!

Looks like you have successfully broken the "cycle of addition"...

Something I have yet to do... One of my more obsessive collector pals here on the forum from long ago put it best; he said... "K-22's are like Crack"...

Drew

When was the pinned front sight eliminated on the K-22? I have a 1955 5 screw that does not have the pinned sight. I just purchased this gun and have been here researching for several hours and really appreciate all the information.