Again

[Calaveras Slim]

I asked this question a million years ago when I first joined this forum but I forget the answer.

When I was about 10 or so, in the early to mid 50's, I lived with my grandparents while my dad was in Korea. He went over for the duration and when he came home we moved on.

While I was living with them, my grandfather brought out a single action S&W 38. Looked like a double action but you had to cock it.

What model was it?

Thanks

 

[Cooter Brown]

The Model 14 (six inch .38 Special) was available as a single action only gun. It was intended as a target gun.

 

[Calaveras Slim]

The Model 14 (six inch .38 Special) was available as a single action only gun. It was intended as a target gun.

Thank you sir. Do you know if very many were made? That one was the only one I remember seeing.

 

[DWalt]

Deleted - see following

 

[DWalt]

If in fact from the early 1950s, it would not have been a Model 14, as model numbers were not adopted until the late 1950s. It would have been called a Masterpiece or Target Masterpiece at that time. I do not know if there were single-action only pre-14s or not. In any event, the SAO Model 14s are not too common. Maybe someone can address the existence of SAO pre-Model 14s.

 

[Muley Gil]

According to the SCSW 3rd, the single action only K-38 was produced from 1961 to 1982.

 

[DWalt]

If that's so, then your grandfather's revolver (a) was not an M&P; (b) was an M&P modified to SAO (not difficult to do, but not really necessary); or (c) something was wrong with the M&P's DA lockwork. Other than some of the much older top break S&W revolvers and the SAO Model 14, S&W did not make any SAO revolvers that I know of.

 

[Hondo44]

Obviously the gun is no longer 'in the family'. Too bad. Those have to be great memories. It might have been a Colt DA too. And maybe he just made you cock it for safety and/or accurate shooting.

I'm tickeled to have my grandfather's gun with the box that I shot with him in the early '50s.

Top left: .32 HE Mod 1903-5th change, #205628, mid 1914, 3 1/4", 'I' frame, factory pearl grips with gold medallions. It wasn't my 1st Smith many years later when he gave it to me before he passed away, but it started a very expensive and fun addiction.

 

[Calaveras Slim]

Some beauties Hondo. They are sweet.


I been thinking and I have come up with a close time frame when I saw this pistol. I lived with my grandparents until spring of 1954, as a guess, May when Dad came home.

My grandfather showed us that pistol at that time. Very shortly after that we moved and my grandfather passed in Nov. 1955.

Someone mentioned maybe it was a modification. Not sure. Lotta water under the bridge since then