1951 K38 Masterpiece by shear luck

[alwaysoutdoors]

...I've been looking for one...makes them hard to find if the seller doesn't know what it is...which is doubly puzzling if he read the box...

Turn your pm's on

 

[Big E3]

Very nice, I would love to find another in that condition with a box.
By the way mine is a five-digit serial numbered gun from 1949 and it has the wide barrel rib. So it appears that the wide rib was offered in the first year of manufacture.

 

[shouldazagged]

The Combat Masterpiece, and its descendant the Model 15, are about as good as revolvers get.

Ya done good, kid.

 

[aardq]

Rib width

Looking at the pic, it appears to me that the ribs were different widths only because the barrels were different widths. Shouldn't they be called narrow bbl and bull barrel?
Thanks

 

[Engine49guy]

Looking at the pic, it appears to me that the ribs were different widths only because the barrels were different widths. Shouldn't they be called narrow bbl and bull barrel?
Thanks

Some refer to the older narrow rib as the "Tapered barrel" but narrow rib probably describes it better,

Incidentally when the Combat Masterpiece was introduced in 1950 it used the same narrow rib barrel and notched frame, although the 6" version was supplanted by the wide rib version by 1955 the Combat Magnum continued on with the older narrow barrel rib barrel with matching frame notch until the Model 15-5 revision.

There was a heavier barrel profile in the 4" Model 14-2 Hanen special that appears around 1965 but the "Heaviest Model 14's came later in the 14-5 series that had a full underlug barrel.

 

[Buck13]

Wow. Just wow.

I have a K22 my dad bought new a couple of years after your gun was made. I'd love a larger-caliber companion. I'm intensely jealous!

 

[L Pete]

I recently bought an Outdoorsman from a local shop, it was marked on the tag as an Officer's Model! I don't recall Smith & Wesson ever offering an Officer's Model.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I bought a pre-war Outdoorsman in a pawn shop that was marked
"K-38 Masterpiece". They really didn't have any idea what it was....

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Some lucky bidder won a flat latch Terrier today. The seller -- ffl -- listed it as a "Chief's" in .38 Special.

 

[eddiewhiteshoes]

Oh brother! I was too busy shooting the new Masterpiece to notice that one. Probably the smoothest trigger I have ever owned. Not to side track the thread but is Winchester white box filthy dirty stuff or is it just my imagination?

 

[arjay]

19leben. Not to long ago I bought a model 10? from an FFL, at an online auction. The sellers description said something to the effect of, "Nice condition model 10 that somebody has case colored the frame. I have no idea who did it but it looks good." The pictures were for **** and the seller botched one digit of the serial number. Through some heavy detective work I discover it's a model 10-7 or -9 Heritage that belonged to a forum member. The case coloring was done by Turnbull of course. They only made like 80 of them and it arrived in near mint condition. The seller was selling it as part of an estate so sadly I assume this forum member is no longer with us. His handle here on the forum is or was "medxam".

That's a shame,he had some great posts.

 

[eddiewhiteshoes]

I tried to look up his posts near or after I bought the gun but there were none. Of those I read, he came across as a great, low key, kind of guy. Here is most of his 2 posts that led me to identifying the gun in the auction.

"I have a Model 10-7 that has a case hardened frame, Ser# CRS0062. It is beautiful. Someone fired a few rounds through it, but no damage. It is a square butt. Were all of these marked by Turnbell? If they were, where is the mark?"

"Many thanks, Ladder 13! I will have to clean it up and put in in a special bore store. I bought it on a lark, many years ago from Simpson's, just because i liked it's looks!"

So it sounds like he never fired it after buying it on a "lark". I am very pleased to have it and it will be equally taken care of.

 

[iskra]

Combat Magnum???

Some refer to the older narrow rib as the "Tapered barrel" but narrow rib probably describes it better,

Incidentally when the Combat Magnum was introduced in 1950 it used the same narrow rib barrel and notched frame, although the 6" version was supplanted by the wide rib version by 1955 the Combat Magnum continued on with the older narrow barrel rib barrel with matching frame notch until the Model 15-5 revision.

There was a heavier barrel profile in the 4" Model 14-2 Hanen special that appears around 1965 but the "Heaviest Model 14's came later in the 14-5 series that had a full underlug barrel.

First to say thanks for the excellent photos reflecting the graphic difference between the Masterpiece and the 'wide body' model' Heavy. Excellent illustrations!!!
But... in the quoted post perhaps working late? Smith "Combat Magnum"... previewed in 1955 and intro'd in 1957. Can't be Combat Masterpiece, w/intro predates 1950. Perhaps to mean the Heavy Masterpiece? Below my Heavy Masterpiece, SN 1856xx from about 1953. With perhaps era box. Not original to the gun for sure! Note the interesting barrel length reflected!
Just the comment: In career era, often working at home late into the night and errors aplenty. Happily with secretary more editor/critic than ordinary duties as assigned!
Just my take

 

[raljr1]

a little local shop had a very nice 10-6 in the case last week. was from the owners personal collection. price was under $500 as i recall. if any of you model 10 guys has any interest, pm me and i'll pass along the infor.

nice score on the K38.

 

[Engine49guy]

First to say thanks for the excellent photos reflecting the graphic difference between the Masterpiece and the 'wide body' model' Heavy. Excellent illustrations!!!
But... in the quoted post perhaps working late? Smith "Combat Magnum"... previewed in 1955 and intro'd in 1957. Can't be Combat Masterpiece, w/intro predates 1950. Perhaps to mean the Heavy Masterpiece? Below my Heavy Masterpiece, SN 1856xx from about 1953. With perhaps era box. Not original to the gun for sure! Note the interesting barrel length reflected!
Just the comment: In career era, often working at home late into the night and errors aplenty. Happily with secretary more editor/critic than ordinary duties as assigned!
Just my take

Yes meant to say Combat Masterpiece was introduced in 1950, the Combat Magnum appears in late 1955 shipping in 1956.

 

[glowe]

. . . By the way mine is a five-digit serial numbered gun from 1949 and it has the wide barrel rib. So it appears that the wide rib was offered in the first year of manufacture.

Could you post a picture or two? The information I have on these guns is that the narrow rib barrels were stocked until 1952 (K140XXX sn range)?????

 

[Photoguy991]

Just thought I would throw this in. I have a Coltr Dective Special in 38 cal that I bought 50 years ago for $50.00. My wifes brother was home on leave from the Navy and ran out of drinking money. I have no idea how much those sold for in mid 60s. I also have not been able to find the ser # on it. Any suggestions would be appreciated,

 

[ls5160]

K-38

Nice going eddiewhiteshoes. I have one my dad bought new in 1952. I started shooting it soon thereafter. He gave it to me for my 18th birthday in 1961 and it has been my constant companion ever since. Can't tell you have many rounds I've put thru it and it is still a tack driver. Sometime in the 50's a friend of my dad's, who was a super Smith mechanic, did some action work on it. Single action about 2#, double action about 6 1/2#. After all these years and 15 S&W revolvers it is still my favorite hand gun to shoot.

 

[Big E3]

Could you post a picture or two? The information I have on these guns is that the narrow rib barrels were stocked until 1952 (K140XXX sn range)?????

I haven't been checking this post, sorry for the delay. I don't have time to dig my K38 out of the safe for a new pic, so I went through the pics I have. This pic shows the top of the barrel front and rear so you can see the width of the rib. The serial is K817xx and all numbers match in all places so the barrel is original.