6" 5-screw M&Ps in .22 LR

[Muley Gil]

It is a K22 Outdoorsman variation know as the Coast Guard model and the 25 consecutively numbered guns were shipped to Curtis Bay, MD in 1935.

I lived with my grandmother in Anne Arundel County, Maryland back in the 1960s and there was an occasional "stink" that would pass through the area. She told me that the "stink" came from Curtis Bay.

 

[mikepriwer]

Massad, Bruce, others

The two Coast Guard 22's that David Carroll had were 650934 and 650948.
I would say that 650930 and 650933 are very likely part of the 25-gun contract.

If the contract started at 650934, and I have no information about that,
then these two would be considered over-runs.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[Massad Ayoob]

Thanks, fellas. Info appreciated!

 

[Rugskipper]

Originally posted by Massad Ayoob:
But, no, the person in charge decided that if the guy who stole the policeman's gun was stupid enough to emasculate himself with it, one of his officers might forget to decock and take his finger off the trigger and "decock" himself, too.......


......Only a few hundred were converted before the department in question said "to heck with it" and bought Glock .40s for their cops, which are still standard issue there...

And if one holsters a Glock with a finger on the trigger?

Never mind, I think too much sometimes.

Anyway, congratulations on the .22's. You struck gold!

 

[Massad Ayoob]

Well, these old Coast Guard guns shoot.

650930 seems the tighter, putting four out of five shots into three quarters of an inch at 25 yards off the bench rest, before I honked a shot and expanded the five-shot group to 1.65". Its fixed sights put the group about two and a half inches low and an inch and three quarters left from the aiming marker. Photo below.

650933 is the one whose sight was filed down and expertly refinished by a long ago armorer (or S&W tech, maybe) and it centered the group for point of aim/point of impact. Groups were somewhat larger, however, running just over two inches.

Of course, that was with an old guy behind a gun with a tiny sight picture, and with plinker-grade Winchester and Remington ammo. Will be interesting to see what these guns do with some match grade standard velocity .22 LR.

Folks, I want to thank you all for the quick and educational response. This place is indeed a treasure trove of knowledge about all things S&W. Thanks to Mike and Lee for making it possible.

 

[bmcgilvray]

Great revolvers and actually pretty practical for holster use for the outdoorsman. It's nice that you can give them occasional "exercise."

 

[RKmesa]

Mas:

Congrats on a wonderful find. The Frankengun story is a great vignette. I have always enjoyed your writing in AHG and would love to see an article on those Coast Guard 22's with a handful of high quality glossy photos! And you are absolutely right about the "collective" and "collector" expertise found on this site - it's second to none. A big thanks to Lee and all of the contributers!

 

[Art Doc]

I've always wanted a Model 45 but I don't know why. I have both 17s and 18s and the pre-model variations and these are certainly more useful with their adjustable sights but dammit I long for a 22 M&P. I just don't want one badly enough to pay what it takes to pry one out an owner's hands.

If I ever found a shooter grade 45 for $400 I'd grab it in a heartbeat. But the last one I saw for sale was priced at $1,100. Can't do that.

 

[kwill1911]

Perhaps this is well known to you guys, and I apologize for a little thread drift but...

There is an interesting book by William R. Wells, _Shots That Hit, A Study of U.S. Coast Guard Marksmanship, 1790-1985_, published by the USCG Historian's Office in 1993. In it, Wells reports that when Henry Morgenthau became Treasury Secretary in late 1933, he sought to improve the professionalism of the eight armed agencies in the department. All of them, except the Coast Guard, were found deficient in firearms training so Morgenthau tasked the Coast Guard with training Customs, Border Patrol, Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service and Post Office personnel.

In 1934 the Coast Guard bought a number of revolvers for this training, including 50 S&W K-22s, 29 S&W M&P .38s and 25 Colt Official Police 38s. They bought a bunch more in 1935 along with 200 Colt Ace 22s. Also in 1935, 36 S&W M&P revolvers with 4" barrels and square butts were shipped to the Secret Service, Room 115, Treasury Dept, Washington DC. These were probably service revolvers.

Regards,
Kevin Williams

 

[Massad Ayoob]

All input much appreciated, Gentlemen!

 

[Tom K]

Originally posted by SaxonPig:
.... but dammit I long for a 22 M&P.

SaxonPig, this is a mild threadjack, but did you see this posting - a Model 10 converted to .22?
http://smith-wessonforum.com/e...530103904/m/95810493

 

[AKtinman]

Originally posted by kwill1911:
Perhaps this is well known to you guys, and I apologize for a little thread drift but...

There is an interesting book by William R. Wells, _Shots That Hit, A Study of U.S. Coast Guard Marksmanship, 1790-1985_, published by the USCG Historian's Office in 1993. In it, Wells reports that when Henry Morgenthau became Treasury Secretary in late 1933, he sought to improve the professionalism of the eight armed agencies in the department. All of them, except the Coast Guard, were found deficient in firearms training so Morgenthau tasked the Coast Guard with training Customs, Border Patrol, Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service and Post Office personnel.

In 1934 the Coast Guard bought a number of revolvers for this training, including 50 S&W K-22s, 29 S&W M&P .38s and 25 Colt Official Police 38s. They bought a bunch more in 1935 along with 200 Colt Ace 22s. Also in 1935, 36 S&W M&P revolvers with 4" barrels and square butts were shipped to the Secret Service, Room 115, Treasury Dept, Washington DC. These were probably service revolvers.

Regards,
Kevin Williams

Thank you for the mention of Wells' book. This was the first I had heard of it and it will be on my "find" list. I was a Coast Guard GM for a few years, but changed rates in 1974, so was out of touch with the Ordnance side of things until I retired in 1989.

Here is an interesting tidbit from Admiral Richmond's obituary:

/In May 1932 he transferred to Coast Guard Headquarters to undertake duties in connection with the small arms training of a Coast Guard Detachment which he helped assemble at Camp Curtis Guild, Wakefield, MA. He then accompanied this detachment to such places as Cascade, MD and Quantico, VA for the National Rifle Association regional shooting matches and the national matches held at Ft. Sheridan, IL. Completing this tour in August, he returned to Headquarters and two months later became executive officer of the Cutter Haida stationed at Cordova, AK. From this base the cutter performed patrol duty in the Bering Sea and Arctic waters./


BTW, the ship I was stationed on in 1968-1970 had a Colt Ace in the armory for recreational use. I used to check it out and take it to the range. Fun shooter.

 

[bdGreen]

This story and these guns should not disappear.

bdGreen

 

[fyimo]

a couple of sweet looking and very Rare 22LR revolvers.