Great price on a nice looking gun. It appears to have been professionally refinished but it's a very nice job. Enjoy, they are addictive.
Found a nice K-22 UPDATED - Got the K-38 too
- Thread starter sigp220.45
- Start date
Green Frog
Member
I paid $425 for a K22 of the same vintage at an auction ten years ago and felt like I got a good price back then. Finish was not quite as nice as yours but still pretty good, and grip numbers matched. Did I mention that the one I got was ten years ago? I'd say you did extremely well for yourself.
Froggie
PS As long as the chambers are clean, I don't have problems with sticking of fired cases. I've had good luck with the bulk packed Federal Auto Match as my go-to ammo for general use in it.
Froggie
PS As long as the chambers are clean, I don't have problems with sticking of fired cases. I've had good luck with the bulk packed Federal Auto Match as my go-to ammo for general use in it.
peterdeb
Member
You really scored!! Paid way north for the few I have and not in as nice a condition and I thought I had done pretty well. Lucky for you the gunshop doesn't keep up with current vintage wheel guns.
The range I use is in a gunshop that mostly deals in Tactical Timmy stuff, but every once in a while someone will bring in older guns to trade for newer ones. Yesterday there were two nice vintage S&W's - a K-22 and a K-38.
I didn't hold out much hope for price - the only other S&W in the wall case was a well-worn ex-police Model 15 for $900. Imagine my surprise when they handed me the K-22 and I saw the tag.
The K-38 was marked the same, but it was in my shooting buddy's hand and he wasn't letting go.
So, here it is:
The grips are very nice and are numbered to the gun.
I think it is from around 1948
.
I don't think it has been shot all that much in the past 73 years. I'm gonna change that starting Monday when I can hit the range.
I've had terrible luck with K frame .22s having very sticky extraction. I hope this one is different.
The K-38 was just as nice, and had beautiful diamond target grips. It now lives next door.
That's a November 1948 gun. Nice score!
Well done .......... Congrats on a great find. 
& thanks for the pics.
Don
& thanks for the pics.Don
Looks like a refinish to me, too, based on the side-plate seam, logo, barrel roll marks, etc.
Nice gun, however.
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Congrats, whether refinished or not. Your find is encouraging to me.
Also an eye-opener in that unless educated to some degree as to their worth, our heirs may be missing out on lotsa money...
My kids/gkids have no intention of selling "poppy's" guns.
Also an eye-opener in that unless educated to some degree as to their worth, our heirs may be missing out on lotsa money...
My kids/gkids have no intention of selling "poppy's" guns.
kobsw
Member
I would agree that it's been refinished, but I like it and would have bought it for that price.
Congrats,
kobsw
OP
sigp220.45
US Veteran
Well, glory be! I took it to the range today and not only did it shoot fine, the empties actually came out with a mere push on the ejector rod!
I put about 100 rounds downrange - cheapo Thunderbolts, American Eagles, and Winchester Silvertips. No change from the first to the last.
I am delighted with this gun.
It looks like I may be able to trade my buddy out of the K-38 brother to this one. More to follow.
I put about 100 rounds downrange - cheapo Thunderbolts, American Eagles, and Winchester Silvertips. No change from the first to the last.
I am delighted with this gun.
It looks like I may be able to trade my buddy out of the K-38 brother to this one. More to follow.
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sigp220.45
US Veteran
My buddy decided the K-38 was too pretty to shoot, so I traded him a Heavy Duty he had been lusting after for a while. I only had $350 in the HD so I came out OK.
Serial number puts it at 1954. I think the target hammer and target stocks were available as options. The stocks aren't numbered.
The logo, seams, screws, and other markings all look good.
I'm happy with it, and I like having the two guns back together again. I have an old silverware case I've been saving, so I think I'll fix it up for them. It should look nice with a couple of vintage ammo boxes inside. It'll be a nice winter project.
Range report to follow.
Serial number puts it at 1954. I think the target hammer and target stocks were available as options. The stocks aren't numbered.
The logo, seams, screws, and other markings all look good.
I'm happy with it, and I like having the two guns back together again. I have an old silverware case I've been saving, so I think I'll fix it up for them. It should look nice with a couple of vintage ammo boxes inside. It'll be a nice winter project.
Range report to follow.
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You did very well. That is quite a nice 5 screw K-38 Heavy Masterpiece.
Target stocks weren't numbered. Those, with the football cut, are right on the cusp of appearance in 1954. They might be original. I can't remember for sure when they arrived. In any case, they look nice.
Good luck with reconfiguring the case.
Target stocks weren't numbered. Those, with the football cut, are right on the cusp of appearance in 1954. They might be original. I can't remember for sure when they arrived. In any case, they look nice.
Good luck with reconfiguring the case.
Those are beauties! Enjoy and shoot the heck out of em!
Zarr
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I am happy see that you were able to keep them together. They are beautiful! Nice score.
OP
sigp220.45
US Veteran
My SCSW3 says target stocks were offered starting in 1951. I bet they're original to the gun.
I may letter this one once the embargo is lifted. I'm feeling lucky.
Target stocks, yes. But up until about 1955, the target stocks did not have the extractor relief cut in the left panel (so-called "football" cut). Yours are not the non-relieved type. It is possible, I suppose, that they came with the gun, depending on when it actually shipped. But I'd bet against it. The vast majority of the K-38s at that time shipped with Magna stocks. Those that came with targets were of the non-relieved style.
Thunderbolt84
Member
Beautiful looking revolvers. The display box is a great idea. I for one would love to see pics of the finished project when completed.
My buddy decided the K-38 was too pretty to shoot, so I traded him a Heavy Duty he had been lusting after for a while. I only had $350 in the HD so I came out OK.
Serial number puts it at 1954. I think the target hammer and target stocks were available as options. The stocks aren't numbered.
The logo, seams, screws, and other markings all look good.
I'm happy with it, and I like having the two guns back together again. I have an old silverware case I've been saving, so I think I'll fix it up for them. It should look nice with a couple of vintage ammo boxes inside. It'll be a nice winter project.
Range report to follow.
OP
sigp220.45
US Veteran
Took the K twins to the range today and they performed as expected. I put 50 rounds of old Hornady wadcutters and 50 rounds of 158 grain reloads through the K-38. I used a 6 o'clock hold at 20 yards and that is exactly where the bullets landed - 6 o'clock!
I put another 50 rounds through the K-22, uncleaned since the last outing, and it continued to eject empties with no undue effort.
I put another 50 rounds through the K-22, uncleaned since the last outing, and it continued to eject empties with no undue effort.
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