Hammer on K22 Combat Masterpiece

[Retired W4]

I have this 1951 vintage (K135728) K22 CM. It has all matching numbers and is in really good condition. The one thing that has me puzzled is the "frame stop notch" hammer like on the 2nd model K-22 Masterpiece (pre-war). Is this normal? It seems that the difference is my gun does not have the flat face hammer but does have the frame stop notch. My disadvantage is I have not seen any of these early post war Combat Masterpieces before.

 

[Muley Gil]

Could you post a picture please?

 

[walter o]

If you meen the stop at the baseof the hammer spur ,yes they are on 3RD mod k22 and on a couple others like my 38 special target mage in 1948.It has the hispeed hammer

 

[PeteC]

Does this help? Pre-WWII K-22 on top, post WWII, ~1955 on the bottom.

 

[walter o]

My mistakethought you ment bump on back of hemmer below the spur.Not shown in your pictures

 

[bdGreen]

Is this what you are talking about?

2nd model K-22 Masterpiece (pre-war)

bdGreen

 

[bdGreen]

My .22 Combat Masterpiece.

Same as yours?

bdGreen

Tap on image to enlarge.

 

[Retired W4]

Is this what you are talking about?

2nd model K-22 Masterpiece (pre-war)

bdGreen

That is it. I guess my question is, is this a pre-war hammer on a post war gun. Other than the notch everything looks post war, including the 4 line address and non polished finish. You can see the notch better in the second photo and it is the same as yours.

Also, it came in a Masterpiece box embossed 6" on one end of box with the Combat Masterpiece (4") label on the other end but that is a separate issue from the hammer.

 

[Retired W4]

Here is a close up. It appears that my spur has a slightly different profile than yours.

 

[Retired W4]

Well, I think I answered my own question. I took a look at My K-22 Masterpiece, K152685, which shipped Aug 25, 1952 and it has the same hammer. I think there is a moral to this story, but I can't think of what it might be.

 

[Retired W4]

It has come to my attention that some people/person did not appreciate the way I presented my question. My question was posted at 8:43 last night and I went to bed shortly there after. Early this morning, about 6:30, I realized folks were needing pictures to fully evaluate the gun in order to formulate a proper response. While working on my second cup of expresso, I got some pictures up and took a close up picture of the hammer.

I would like to thank every one who replied to my thread And I can report that I am now completely enlightened on the subject. I think I learn something every time I open this forum.

If there is a moral to this story you will just have to use your imagination.

 

[Alk8944]

Here is a link to an earlier post on the same subject. Lots of detail and photos.

Basically the pre-war guns are "Long Action, and post war are "Short Action. Hammers are not interchangeable!

Long vs. Short Action

 

[Retired W4]

Thanks. It looks like the same discussion (long/short) has been revisited here lately. Included are some of the same photos. I'll remember that the search feature is my friend.

 

[Hondo44]

Post war short action hammer is named the speed hammer by S&W and used thru 1955. Also known as the "fish hook" hammer.

 

[Engine49guy]

Another interesting tidbit is your stock medallions are probably steel instead of nickel coated brass.

 

[sceva]

Another interesting tidbit is your stock medallions are probably steel instead of nickel coated brass.

I believe some were plated Plastic??

 

[Hondo44]

Yes plastic but not plated, and some were stainless steel, because of the brass shortage due to the Korean War.

 

[JP@AK]

some were stainless steel, because of the brass shortage due to the Korean War.

I've always found this to be interesting. Brass, or at least the copper component of brass, was considered a strategic metal during the Korean Conflict. As was nickel, which is what the medallions were made of after WWII, I believe. Hence, civilian use of those metals was limited.

On the other hand, steel was not considered to be in short supply and was therefore readily available to the civilian market. I suppose this was a testimony to American industry's huge capacity to produce steel in the early 1950s.

 

[Retired W4]

All this got me wondering. I put a magnet to it and it was not attracted to the medallion, just to the insert. I think these are plastic but they could be plated brass. They sure look good.

 

[Engine49guy]

I made a mistake ,
your k135xxx serial range would definately be plastic medallion era.
Iirc the steel medallions appear a year or so later .