K-38 Masterpiece with 5" barrel

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edl

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I bought what was listed as a K-38 with a 6" barrel. When I got home I looked at the side of the box and I noticed that for barrel length it had the number 6 over written by the number 5. So I got out a ruler and measured the gun, and sure enough, it has a 5" barrel. The serial number is 156XXX. I looked on this forum and found some mentions of 5-inch barreled revolvers made for the Missouri highway patrol in 1952. Is this what I have? thanks

Here is a picture of the gun and the box, the gun next to a ruler, and the side of the box.

1-K38-Gun-Box-as-it-appeard-on-Auction-site.jpg


3-k-38-left-side.jpg


4-Side-of-box-K-38-box-2.jpg
 
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I am absolutely no help to your question, so I defer to the forum experts. The Combat Masterpiece (Model 15-4 for me) is my favorite S&W revolver. Congratulations on a really unique find. I have never seen one with a 5" barrel, but it has to be made for some special purpose. Awesome!
 
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Oh man that is awesome. It's too bad that they're rare/hard to come by because that would make an awesome handgun for carry. HEAVY Masterpiece sounds awesome. Alas, I'd rather carry an already well used standard Model 15 than beat up something rare like that
 
edl said:
The serial number is 156XXX.
Click to expand...
edl
Your serial number is in the serial right range for the MSHP revolvers. Give me the full serial number (post it here or send me a PM) and I can tell you if it is one of those shipped to the MSHP. I can also tell you which of the four shipments it was in.

Incidentally, the K is part of the serial number.

Here's a picture of mine. It shipped on October 3, 1952.
jp-ak-albums-k-frame-target-revolvers-picture11787-mshp-left-2-800x565.jpg
 
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Thanks everyone.

And Thanks Jack. PM sent with serial number.
 
Agree, it appears to be one of the early 1950s 5" MSHP guns. Note these have the tapered barrel similar to a 4" .38 Combat Masterpiece. Yours probably was shipped in a K-38 Masterpiece box because a 5" gun won't fit in a box made for a 4" CM.

The late 1950s 5" ISP guns are very similar to a K-38 Masterpiece, with the heavy barrel and wide rib, minus the 1" of barrel.

This one definitely rates a letter!
 
There were also special orders occasionally. Here is my 14-2 5" that shipped 11/7/1962 to Darley & Co. It also shows open on the factory books.

Stu
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stu1ritter said:
There were also special orders occasionally. Here is my 14-2 5" that shipped 11/7/1962 to Darley & Co.
Click to expand...
Yes, but there is a significant difference between yours and the MSHP revolver that is the subject of this thread. Yours has the straight side barrel that was normal for the K-38 Masterpiece (including the Model 14) after about 1951-52, when the tapered barrel version was dropped from the lineup. The Combat Masterpiece continued to have the older barrel profile well into the 1980s.
 
Since this is a bit out of my realm, but really interesting, I'm a bit uneducated. I always thought that the pre model 14's were considered the masterpiece, with a straight barrel, and the pre 15's were combat masterpieces, with a tapered barrel. Now I'm seeing MP's with a tapered barrel. Did some of the pre-14's MP's come with a tapered barrel like the CM's? If so, why were they not just regular CM's? Just trying to get a little more educated on these, thanks.
 
toad67 said:
Since this is a bit out of my realm, but really interesting, I'm a bit uneducated. I always thought that the pre model 14's were considered the masterpiece, with a straight barrel, and the pre 15's were combat masterpieces, with a tapered barrel. Now I'm seeing MP's with a tapered barrel. Did some of the pre-14's MP's come with a tapered barrel like the CM's? If so, why were they not just regular CM's? Just trying to get a little more educated on these, thanks.
Click to expand...

Roy Jinks has called the tapered barrel 5" MSHP guns Combat Masterpieces or pre-model 15s, and the heavy barrel 5" ISP guns K-38 Masterpieces or pre-model 14s.

As noted above, I think the only reason the 5" MSHP gun (a Combat Masterpiece) came in the K-38 box is that it fit into it.
 
It might be interesting to make a list of all the variations, starting with that first known group in 1952 with tapered barrels, and noting which ones are Model-marked. Should not be too difficult, the first group is well documented, and there are many threads about them here, and copies of factory letters, especially about the 1957 and later heavy barrel versions like this one.

20230714-113546.jpg


edit: From what I read here, S&W made them on the tapered version K-38 Masterpiece frame first, and later, after that was discontinued, on the frame of the K-38 Heavy Masterpiece. (terminology from S&W catalogs of the time)

Links to other threads:

2020: Model 14 no-dash 4 in. barrel
2020: Pre Model 14 4" K38
2018: 5 inch barrel combat masterpiece (??)
2018: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/547377illinois-state-police-pre-model-14-a.html
2017: K-38 5" ?
 
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toad67
I don't know if this will completely answer your questions, but I think it will help.

The earliest K-38 Masterpiece revolvers had the tapered barrel and a narrow rib. The first unit was assembled on June 6, 1947.

The first K-38 Heavy Masterpiece shipped on February 4, 1949. It bore serial number K66222. It has a straight sided barrel and a wider rib.

By about 1952, the narrow rib version was being phased out of the lineup, leaving only the Heavy Masterpiece. All of the K-38 Masterpiece revolvers had the 6" barrel, aside from any special orders.

The .38 Combat Masterpiece is a different story. It started with the tapered barrel and did not give that up until the 1980s. So, it includes all the Model 15 revolvers up to that time.

It should be noted that the front frame bridge on the Combat Masterpiece retained the original taper to match it up with the tapered barrel. This configuruation was used on the early narrow rib K-38 Masterpiece as well. When the Heavy Materpiece appeared, it had a different shape to that part, to match up with the barrel that didn't have a flare where it entered the frame.

The following photos should help:

This is a K-38 Masterpiece from 1949. Note the tapered barrel, narrow rib and the side-slanting taper at the front of the frame.
jp-ak-albums-k-frame-target-revolvers-picture19781-1949-k-38-a.jpg


This shows the frame taper on a Model 15-2. It is the same as the one on the previous photo of an early K-38 Masterpiece.
jp-ak-albums-k-frame-target-revolvers-picture8779-frame-cut-combat-masterpiece.jpg


This shows the different (flat) taper on a Heavy Masterpiece (actually a Model 14).
jp-ak-albums-k-frame-target-revolvers-picture8778-frame-cut-k-38-a.jpg


I hope this helps.
 
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