I held the my first ever K-38 Masterpiece. I did not get to take photos. I felt I was pushing my luck to ask this. The serial number was K370**. It has an 8 3/8 inch barrel. On the end of the box in the space for stock was an S. In the space for the serial number an 8 preceded the the K370**. I think in a box marked Pin was a B. And of course it was a 14-3. Now for the rest of the story. The owner said it had a target hammer and trigger. It has never been fired since it left the factory. The original box, papers, tools are all there.

Now for the bad. He had removed the stocks years ago and put them on a Model 29 which he later sold. Now the real bad. Rust. It was laid under the bed on carpet for a period of time and the the cylinder has rust spots on it. It is hard to see but can be felt. He said he thought he might send it back to Smith & Wesson and have it reblued but I told him I didn't think they would do this anymore.

I only have three questions. One is about Smith doing the rebluing or not and two what is the approximate ship date. Third of course is does anyone have a idea on the value.

It made me sick to touch the barrel and feel the rough spots. If I get back up to visit any time soon I will insist on taking photos. This gun is beautiful.

By the way, he mentioned he had just stacks of guns up in the attic in the original boxes. If he will allow I will take my good camera with me and take photos and record serial numbers and post them if he will allow.

Kinda reminds me of one guy at our club who regularly kept a Colt 1911 under the front seat of his truck. The pistol dated to the first world war. You could see the rust bleeding through the parkerization on the pistol. And on the subjest of K38 Combat Masterpieces this same guy also had what was once a beautiful K38 that had been parkerized and again you could see the rust bleeding through the finnish. If it were me and the rust bothered you that much do call S&W about the bluing. You may speak to the owner and ask him to check whatever he has stashed in the attic and check them for rust. I once saw a low numbered Rock Island 1903 that had spent a goodly amount of time in a Louisiana attic. Was not a pretty sight. Spent the better part of almost two weeks taking it apart and removing what rust I could. All by hand and nothing more stronger than kerosene and some oil and 4/0 steel wool. Had to replace the back end of the firing pin as bubba had started working some of his magic back there. Good thing 1903 parts are still available. While I did not get rid of all the rust thankfully most of what I got rid of made the whole rifle look way better that when I first saw it. He asked if it was safe to shoot, I had the info from Hatcher's notebook printed out and it fully explained exactly why you should not shoot the low numbered springfields made by Springfield armory and Rock Island Armory.Frank

You are going to have to re-check the guns serial#. K370xx dates to about 1948 and it could not be a Model 14-3 because that serial# predates Model #s. The -3 production and engineering change occurred in 1967.

Thanks, I was wondering the same thing but the box said 14-3 and the serial number came off of the box. This is why I posted in the forum. After looking this up in the S&W catalog 4th ed. I was confused.
I made these notes myself while holding the box in my hands. The gun had a set of after market grips that covered the serial number. Now I really want to go back and pull the grips off. Here is a little more of the story. He bought this gun years ago from a gun shop going out of business. The guy had two other guns my friend wanted same model different barrel length. Gunshop said you have to buy all three. So my friend did. I don't know if he still has the other guns from the purchase or not. I didn't think to ask. Could the shop owner have added the -3 to the box just to get rid of the gun as a package. Who knows. I'm going to text my friend today and ask him to check the serial number.

I think the sellers memory is faulty..stocks off a K frame don't fit an N frame very well. I'd love to see photos of the 14-3...a little rust and being original would be better than a refinish in my opinion. Something is only original once. Don't forget to take pictures of that attic hoard,if he allows it.

__________________
Remain Viable

From what the OP said I think the serial number is 8K370xx which would put it in the '70s. Too bad about the rust. I have one just like it and the bluing is perfect. Great shooter too.

Yes. 8K370xx is from 1976, hence correctly a 14-3.
8K serial numbers for 1976 run from 8K20763 - 8K80000.

Here's another thing. According to the reported box label, this gun shipped with Magna stocks. How the guy managed to put K frame Magna stocks on an N frame Model 29 is beyond me. Maybe they could be made to go on, but the fit would be pretty lousy.

__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I know what you mean. A friend at my gun club brought me a Mod 36 that his Grandmother had given him (lived in FL). The action was tolerable, but the surface looked like one of those "relic's" that had been dug up on the battlefield. It was encrusted with rust. I took it home and soaked it in Kroil for about a week, then attacked it with a scraper I made from a piece of copper pipe, hammered flat on one end. I worked on this gun off and on a couple hours a day for over a week and got it operating smoothy, it hadn't been shot hardly at all. But, it was the ugliest thing I ever saw. He planned to clod blue and carry in the car.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

He pulled the stocks off of the gun. Serial number is 34K850* 14-4 is on the yoke. That makes this gun 1978-79 era which jives with his memory of purchasing. It was a triple T. Target stocks, target trigger, and target hammer.He is still thinking of getting it reblued just because he doesn't like it in the condition it is in. I told him get rid of the gun as it is and buy something he wants. The box was obviously not the right one when he bought it. A 14-4 stuck in a 14-3 box.

And yes the serial number on the box is 8K37048 which I believe as previously stated is a 14-3. So could the dealer have inadvertantly switched boxes. A 14-4 with an 8 3/8 barrel swapped with a 14-3 with an 8 3/8 barre.

Yes. All of the 34K numbers were issued in 1979.

That is certainly possible.

__________________
Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318