Any of you Ladies or Gents ever own, or come across a 3" tapered barrel K frame?

[linde]

Don't know whether to call it a standard, tapered, contoured, slender or all-of-the-above barrel but here is a 3" on a 10-5 square butt that shipped in 1973 . . . note where it shipped in Roy's letter.

Russ

 

[gordonrick]

My 10-5 from c. 1975 (D836171) has the 4" tapered barrel.

 

[ABPOS]

This is my RB 4" standard barreled M10 which served me as a duty and off duty gun in the '80s. It now does HD duty.

That thing is gorgeous! And yeah, would you be willing to show us it's marking on the inside of the yoke?

I am envious. Looks like it has nice character. I bet it's like an old friend. Your 442 has seen some use too looks like.

 

[ABPOS]

Don't know whether to call it a standard, tapered, contoured, slender or all-of-the-above barrel but here is a 3" on a 10-5 square butt that shipped in 1973 . . . note where it shipped in Roy's letter.

Russ

Beautiful beautiful gun!!! But yeah, it's hard to figure out what to call what. Because your gun is... well would you call that a taper? Yeah, I think so. It's just a straight taper. And then it has the non tapered part that extends to the sight. I'm not sure what you call that. Whereas some of these other ones I'm posting are a different kind of taper. Not straight but a curved taper. With the curve being more drastic right in front of the frame and then transitioning to more of a straight taper. Which I find the nicest looking of them all. And it doesn't have the non tapered rib on top.

I know I'm just stating the obvious but it would be nice if we knew what each type of barrel was called. LOL. Someone probably does. I just don't. Old style taper. Newer style taper with rib?

 

[linde]

. . . yeah, it's hard to figure out what to call what. Because your gun is... well would you call that a taper? Yeah, I think so. It's just a straight taper. And then it has the non tapered part that extends to the sight. I'm not sure what you call that. Whereas some of these other ones I'm posting are a different kind of taper. Not straight but a curved taper. With the curve being more drastic right in front of the frame and then transitioning to more of a straight taper. Which I find the nicest looking of them all. And it doesn't have the non tapered rib on top.

I know I'm just stating the obvious but it would be nice if we knew what each type of barrel was called. LOL. Someone probably does. I just don't. Old style taper. Newer style taper with rib?

Here is a link to a very learned discussion of the 3" K-frame barrels and what to call them . . . especially post #18.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...aquired-10-5-3-barrel.html?highlight=3*barrel

In addition Smithnut has provided the link to his outstanding pictorial essay that I believe you will also find most informative.
Informal Pictorial Essay - 3 inch K frames - Part 1 - 38 Special Models

Enjoy those 3" K-frames . . . one of my favorites,

Russ

 

[ABPOS]

Thank you sooooo much. I copy and pasted that post #18 by SmithNut into Word so I can keep it. I think I may have seen it one other time. It is an excellent post to show the differences. And he also confirms that the 3" Standard barrel as he is calling it, is different than the "standard" profile on the 4" and longer versions. Which tapers more aggressively right in front of the frame. You know?

 

[Hondo44]

I still haven't seen a round sight 5 screw 3" slender profile tapering more aggressively right in front of the frame. Must be truly rare.

 

[ABPOS]

I still haven't seen a round sight 5 screw 3" slender profile tapering more aggressively right in front of the frame. Must be truly rare.

Wouldn't that be a super cool gun though? But yeah, I've yet to see one even customized that way.....

 

[Hondo44]

Here's another way to go:

Buy an early non-ribbed 4" slender contour tapered barrel, have it cut and relocate front sight, have it blued and installed in a 3" OR 4" gun replacing the straight taper slender barrel.

You can cut a 4" to 3" and leave all of the roll marks:

If you get a 4" with half moon front sight: See where the 3" barrel would be cut to:

The ramped front sight can be tig welded to make a 1/2 moon sight:

Found all these barrels and more today on eBay by searching for: "smith gun parts kit"

 

[mikepriwer]

This is three 1899 .38 target revolvers, with barrel lengths of 2.5", 3.0", and 3.5". The 1899's all have straight tapered barrels, measuring 0.650 at the frame face, and 0.560 at the muzzle. Ie, they have a 0.090 change in diameter from one end to the other.

Mike Priwer

 

[Eddietruett]

I have a 3" mod 10 no dash ser #c467102 which if I'm correct shipped in 1960. 4 screw. Square Butt. I wouldn't call the barrel tapered, but it's obviously not as heavy as the mod 65 shown with it for comparison. This gun was supposedly special ordered by a sheriff in upstate SC who spent a lot of time in the woods looking for liquor stills. Have no clue if any of that info is close to correct. Could have been owned by a pig farmer and carried in bib overalls. Does have a lot of honest character and wear on grips and barrel does look like it was carried a lot. Tight as a tick and shoots great. Never thought to letter it since the Std Catalog did say 3" was available by special order

 

[ABPOS]

I think a guy could fill up a whole book just about the Model 10 series, M&P and Victory.... Easily. Eh?

 

[bmcgilvray]

A 3-inch from 1970 lives here. Don't really consider this one much of a tapered barrel.

 

[ABPOS]

That is beautiful!!!!!!

It looks like the "intermediate" barrel type.