Serial number K138893 is a 5 screw .38 made in 1952, correct?

Yes, I would say so. It's a Pre Model 15 Combat masterpiece if it has a 4 in. barrel. Ed.

With a 6" bbl it would be a Target Masterpiece?

"Target" was never an official part of the name. Simply K38 Masterpiece.

I have K123970 shipped 10/23/51 and K155836 shipped Nov. 5, 1952 if that helps pin yours down. Both are Combat Masterpieces.

__________________
No life story has happy end.

I show on my list a SN K135xxx which shipped in 4/52.

Wasn't it a masterpiece target as we were told here or is that wrong too?

It is a "K-38 Masterpiece" target revolver if it has the 6" barrel. That was what S&W called it. The 4" version is the "K-38 Combat Masterpiece."

I'm going to quote one of my favorite authors (from post #4):

""Target" was never an official part of the name. Simply K38 Masterpiece."

Doesn't matter where in the name you put the word "target," it was still never part of the official name.

__________________
No life story has happy end.

FUNNY - SP, I like your dry sense of humor.

There is a recent thread (or an old thread that came up to the top) with two points:

K-38 Target Masterpiece was mentioned in the SCSW, which is a typo I think.
Boxes of K-38 Masterpieces with wide hammers and triggers were (at least sometime) stamped Target after the name.

It's a little confusing because of these, but I agree the factory never called them a Target Masterpiece.

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

page 144 of SCSW refers to this revolver as the "K-38 Target Masterpiece - Pre-Model 14". I am hoping to have it in my hands by the end of the week. Seller is getting squirrelly because he got some misinformation that it is a pre-war Outdoorsman.