A Masterpiece Trifecta

[.38SuperMan]

Those grips are likely from eBay gripmaker "vitoonmaker."

Here's a link:

MOTHER OF PEARL GRIPS FOR S&W K, L FRAME SQUARE/ROUND BUTT BLACK FLOWER NICE | eBay

This is the maker I got my grips from. My wife has a blue set on her 317 and I have a black set on my 317. She’s had them for a few years and they’re holding up very well. The fit and finish are excellent with all 3 sets we bought.

My wife is an artist and the finish on her 317 was rough so she had it Cerakoted red.

 

[glowe]

So Gary name the 6”? Target, & combat?
Another group would be the Outdoorsman. Prewar no rib. How many different guns would that be? Just the N and the 22?

Not sure of what you mean by target?? Post-WWII K frame target revolvers were made in the Military & Police line and were plain barrels with standard target sights. Of course, the K frame Masterpiece line was also introduced post-WWII. Combat word is used with regards to the K frame 4" Combat Masterpiece revolvers in 22LR, 32 Long, and 38 Special, and the K frame Combat Magnums starting in 1955 and continuing as the Model 19. The Outdoorsman's revolvers were the 1930s K frames made from 1930 to 1940 as a K frame 22LR. In 1940, the K frame K-22 Masterpiece was briefly introduced. Outdoorsman revolvers were N frame guns in 38/44 caliber starting in 1931 and named a Model 23 in 1957. All handguns went to numbered models in 1957-1958 with some continuing the names and model numbers, while others were renamed. Confusing, you bet!!

 

[RKmesa]

Great guns, gentlemen and a lot of fun information. Here is another Masterpiece set (the K22 and K38 of which are large knob guns) - not particularly great photos, but you get the picture...

 

[JP@AK]

All handguns went to numbered models in 1957-1958 with some continuing the names and model numbers, while others were renamed.

Gary
I'm curious. Which units were "renamed?" I'm not aware of any. As far as I know, all of them retained their names, with the model numbers added. Some, of course, like the Model 49 weren't introduced until after model numbers appeared, but even those got names (e.g. Model 49 Bodyguard).

 

[22hipower]

And all with their correct sharp shoulder magnas and more "fish hook" hammers. SmithNut is going to like those. . . .as do we all.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[LEO918]

K-22 Masterpiece in .22 Magnum. First offered in 1959.

 

[cbjordan76]

Don't forget that there were 6 Masterpiece revolvers. I am still looking for the perfect Combat Masterpiece guns in the box to fill out the set, but here are my 4 guns. Two of mine were 1948 guns so definitely did not ship with non-relieved targets.

Gary,
I'm intrigued by the K 38 combat box, lower left. Is that a seperate "compartment" for tools? I have never seen anything like that before.

 

[22hipower]

K-22 Masterpiece in .22 Magnum. First offered in 1959.

Those stocks are sure to start the K frame "cokes" discussion again. Are they non-relieved targets as shown on my three above? Some of those non-relieved targets had checkering patterns very much like those on N frame "cokes."

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[RKmesa]

And all with their correct sharp shoulder magnas and more "fish hook" hammers. SmithNut is going to like those. . . .as do we all.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

The middle K-32 has a bit different hammer...









... it is a Micro (one of the King successors) cockeyed hammer. I've always thought it to be a nice touch.

 

[MHF]

Thanks, maybe I should have said “Masterpiece” series but I was thinking about getting postwar, and adding prewar as a comparison. And I was not even thinking about Leo918 22 mag. So the trifecta becomes 4 of a kind?
Or a superfecta?
I guess another thread instead?

 

[Green Frog]

Well, with my 1948 vintage K38 I got over 45 years ago and K22 I’ve had for about close to 15, I’d love to have a a similar vintage K32 with the same “standard taper” barrel type with narrow rib. At current prices, it’s not likely to occur!
Oddly, my K38 came to me with a random set of targets, but the gentleman who traded it to me promised to mail me the original grips he had at home for it…and he did! So both the K22 and K38 have their original matching numbers all over.
I’ve shown these before, where I settled for a faux Model 16-3 I had assembled to fill the third slot. You’ve gotta admit, they do look pretty good together.
FROGGIE

PS It dawned on me how long it’s been since I had my faux 16-3 made, so here’s that tale once again; My Faux K-32 is Here! GF

 

[LEO918]

Jeff:
The grips on the .22 Magnum are modified N frame Cokes. I got them at a very good price because they were "ruined".

 

[22hipower]

Jeff:
The grips on the .22 Magnum are modified N frame Cokes. I got them at a very good price because they were "ruined".

I wondered if that might not be the case. I'd sure like to find a few sets of "ruined" ones like those.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[glowe]

I'm curious. Which units were "renamed?" I'm not aware of any. As far as I know, all of them retained their names, with the model numbers added. Some, of course, like the Model 49 weren't introduced until after model numbers appeared, but even those got names (e.g. Model 49 Bodyguard).

I believe that all models carried their same model name for awhile after model numbers were introduced, but the company gradually changed the literature printed names of some models over time. As far as I can recall, the N frame name "Model 1950" was gone not too long after model numbers came out so not to date the gun. I believe that the heavy Duty and Outdoorsman name also went away fairly early in the Model number years. If you go by the books, they claim the names lasted as long as the model number did, but think the company changed the names of some models in their catalogs and brochures over time.

 

[HuntFish918]

Day late and a dollar short

Why is it that I'm always stumbling onto these great threads a little too late?
Here's my contribution...

 

[FatDogEarl]

Why is it that I'm always stumbling onto these great threads a little too late?
Here's my contribution...

That's my dream collection

 

[jtcarm]

Add a 1950 Target Model .45, and you’re all set for some old-school Bullseye[emoji6]

 

[glowe]

Gary,
I'm intrigued by the K 38 combat box, lower left. Is that a seperate "compartment" for tools? I have never seen anything like that before.

Chris, as far as I have observed, all the post-WWII Masterpiece revolvers either came in a pre-WWII maroon 6" box (very early guns) or a gold box made for 6" guns. Have never seen a short gold Combat Masterpiece box. Some of these boxes observed came with a cardboard compartment and some without. I am thinking that the compartment may have been done in the early production of the 4" guns and later Combat Masterpiece revolvers came in the long box without the compartment. The only thing that identified the short barrel guns was a single glued on label over one end label of the box. The other end still had the original Masterpiece label.

 

[larryofcc]

K-22 Masterpiece in .22 Magnum. First offered in 1959.

Yes, the M48, the stepchild of the S&W line. This one was shipped 2 months after they came out in 1959. Big Larry

 

[Engine49guy]

Very nice trio of post war 6" Masterpiece revolvers !

(My OCD got triggered just a little so forgive the rant lol)

The number of Masterpiece variations really depends on the parameters you set your focus on, if you only focus on post war cataloged 6" Masterpiece revolvers there are four as the narrow rib K38 Masterpiece and the wide rib K38 "Heavy" Masterpiece were (are) two different cataloged names, the " Heavy" Moniker was dropped about the time that the narrow rib version was discontinued.
There were of course three different calibers Combat Masterpiece revolvers as well so that would be Seven, unless you include the two different non cataloged 5" K38 variants then it's nine, unless you include the pre war K22/40 " Masterpiece" in which case it's ten.

Of course the early narrow rib K32 and K22 also had narrower barrels than the weight matched versions so there's two more,
if you include variations that came out after the advent of Model marking you'd have to include the Model 48 Magnum rimfire Masterpiece and the Stainless varients.

If you want to include the different barrel variations you'd have to include the four inch 14-2 HB, the four inch 14-3, the various length 15-5's and full underlug 14-6, the K22 17-5, 17-6 and 617 and 617 Ashland varients etc.

So basicly it never ends.