1952 and 1960 proper K38 grips

[pittpa]

I have a 1952 K38 6" and a 1960 14-no dash 4". (EDIT- This is a 15-no dash) One came with wood grips, one with plastic. The wood grips were shown below came on the (EDIT)>15 and are not numbered. Can someone describe or provide an image of the
period-correct grips. Thank you.

 

[Jingles]

On the K38 it's hard to say. Diamond, checkered Magnas were standard, but in 1951 they offered target grips, so your '52 could have either and be correct. Same thing with he model 14 but I don't recall ever seeing a 14 sporting anything but targets.

 

[quinn]

The grips show above are called "non-releived target" stocks. They were offered as options between about 1952 and 1958. There were versions for both K and N frame models. By 1960, the target stocks had the "football" cut out. The football cut out was offered on magnum revolvers (pre 19, pre 29 etc.) somewhat earlier in 1954 or so. The magna shaped service stocks would have had a diamond shaped area around the grip screw hole (escutcheion plate). This disappeared about 1960.

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello pittpa, great gun from the pic. Grips even better. Leave those grips right where they are. They are perfect era , no cut Target grips. Really nice find. Best

 

[pittpa]

I'd say the 2 k38's have been used a whole lot more than these grips. Are no-cut and non relieved synonymous?

 

[JP@AK]

First of all, the gun in your picture is a .38 Combat Masterpiece. It has a 4" barrel and the Baughman ramp front sight. If it is from 1960, it should be marked as a Model 15.

Perhaps I'm not seeing the picture correctly, but it looks to me like there is a football cut on this pair of stocks. In any case, they don't appear to be the non-relieved type. However, if they are non-relieved, then they are correct for a 1952 Combat Masterpiece. If original, they might have been numbered to the gun, since some of the very early examples were. But, according to your post, they aren't numbered and you didn't get them with the 1952 gun. You say they came on the "Model 14." If I really am seeing an extractor relief cut, they would be period-correct for a Model 14 or 15 of 1960.

As for the correct stocks on the Model 14 generally, they came with either Magna or Target stocks. Up until about 1968, either style would have the diamond center and would have squared off edges at the butt. Up until c. 1953, Magna stocks would have had the sharp shoulder. From 1953 until c. 1968, they would have had the diamond, the more beveled shoulder and square edges on the butt. Target stocks would have had the football relief and the diamond until about 1968. Only very late Model 14-3 revolvers equipped with Target stocks would have come with the speed loader relief. About the time the 14-4 was released, this style Target stocks would have become standard.

As for what is more common on the K-38 Masterpiece, my experience tells me that on the Model 14, 14-1, 14-2 and 14-3, the Magna option was more common. I've been collecting the K-38 for decades and I've seen (and owned) a lot more of them that had numbered Magna stocks than I've seen that came from the factory with Target stocks. I believe this started to change in the mid-1970s when the Target stocks seem to have become more prevalent, and the 14-4 seems to have shipped more frequently with the Target style. Interestingly, it seems that they were mostly walnut on the Model 14, even into that period. By that time, GA was more common on other models (this is based only on my observations - others may think differently).
Here is a sampling from my collection. Only the second gun from the top (a Model 14-2) is not wearing its original stocks.

 

[glowe]

Relieved stocks they are. No cut equals no relief. Also, the factory started offering target stocks in 1948, not 1951.

Here are my notes for K frame revolvers. I have used several sources to fine tune the years plus information from the experts on this Forum. There is not much factory documentation out there, but from lettered guns and guns with matching serial numbered stocks, these dates should be pretty accurate. Hope they help.

Pre-War magna Stocks 1935-1942

Post-WarMagna Stocks 1946-1967
• Magna Diamond Stocks – Early Post WWII
• Square bottom diamond magna k frame.
• Early stocks have a sharp shoulder while the later ones are rounded tops.
• The rounded top started in 1952-1953.
• Diamonds were eliminated around 1967.

K frame Targets
• Early non relieved late-1948 to 1955
• Small relief cut sharp checkering turn 1955 to 1961
• Small relief rounded checkering turn 1961 to 1965
• Larger football relief in walnut or GA 1965 to 1967
• Diamonds were eliminated around 1969.

 

[pittpa]

Yes indeed, it is a 15 no dash. Sorry for the confusion and glad you were astute enough to catch it and tell me what gun I actually had! I grabbed the picture from on of my previous posts and there was a typo in there. The numbers make my head spin sometimes. Anyway, i do appreciate it and I hope you Jack are warm up in Alaska.
Thanks to Gary as well. You two deserve a PhD in Smith&Wesson. This info will help many other people, I'm sure.

 

[DWFAN]

Sorry guys. I blew up that pic and those are 50's vintage non relieved targets. There is no cutout. They are just a little flat in that area.

DW

 

[glowe]

Sorry guys. I blew up that pic and those are 50's vintage non relieved targets. There is no cutout. They are just a little flat in that area.DW

You are absolutely right! I could not open the picture on my PC, so was looking at a very blurry enlargement. The image opens up on my IPad and shows the stocks clearly.

 

[JP@AK]

Glad to hear they are non-relieved targets. A nice find.

They just looked a bit odd near the top, so I could not tell for sure. Old eyes, I guess.

 

[Waveski]

How does the "black washer" detail fit into the equation?