Hard to find Smiths, in shooter grade...

[SmithNut]

Probably one of the "last" guns I'll ever own (as if that is possible ) is this 1959ish M14 K38 Masterpiece, bought at a pawn shop in downtown Seattle a couple dozen years ago, this old friend was my league gun for many years and has several thousand rounds through it. I still remember paying the princely sum of ~$175 for it, it was cheap as it was "only a 38 Special" as told by the clerk behind the counter, causing me to just shrug and say I needed a beater gun to go to the range with . Grips are original and the gun still shoots better than me.

Enjoy

 

[tops]

this one is my all time favorite revolver: a 1950 Military & Police .44 4". shown with a Bucheimer concealer holster it resides in time to time. the grip adapter is solid brass and unmarked. shoots great and has a butter smooth double action and crisp single action. lee

If I had a gun like that I would be the happiest kid in the neighborhood and it would be my carry gun. Larry

 

[410bore]

Probably one of the "last" guns I'll ever own (as if that is possible ) is this 1959ish M14 K38 Masterpiece, bought at a pawn shop in downtown Seattle a couple dozen years ago, this old friend was my league gun for many years and has several thousand rounds through it. I still remember paying the princely sum of ~$175 for it, it was cheap as it was "only a 38 Special" as told by the clerk behind the counter, causing me to just shrug and say I needed a beater gun to go to the range with . Grips are original and the gun still shoots better than me.

Enjoy

Cool stocks, I take it you modified the relief? Or a previous owner?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tjpopkin]

My most accurate .357 to-date...My go-To shooter....a redone RM

 

[Targets Guy]

Model 34-1

 

[SmithNut]

Cool stocks, I take it you modified the relief? Or a previous owner?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The stocks are the way I got them. I've had them looked at by several knowledgeable collectors and they overwhelmingly indicate these look original. Frankly I've not seen any others like these, but the work looks original, no sign of home-grown or after-market modifications. Unfortunately they are not numbered, so no potential linkage back to any special order possibility.

Who knows? I like them the way they are....

 

[hkcavalier]

Early K22 in shooter grade. Uncommon but not quite "rare". I don't shoot it in bad weather though.

Far newer Smiths, also in the uncommon-but-not-rare category. 686-4 Plus 6" and 629-3 Classic 5". The 629 is my mountain hiking companion.

 

[Leatherhead23]

 

[Art Doc]

Everyone knows that all my guns are shooters regardless of condition. I like them all...or I wouldn't own them. Can I pick a couple that I have a particular fondness for? Maybe...

I think everyone knows the story on this one. A 38 Special VM found in a local pawn shop with a bulged barrel for $60. A $5, 5" barrel ($1 an inch) off ebay and an hour at the workbench created a 5" VM in 38 Special. Serial on barrel seems about 1939 and gun is 1942 so close. Post war Magnas and the gun just feels good.

About 16 years ago living in rural Utah the only gunshop had about 30 M19s from the Sheriff's Department when they bought autos. Sticking up amongst (amongst isn't a word?) all the K frames was this lone N frame. Same $275 price. Should have bought one of the 19s as well.

For some reason I got the 32-20 bug about 3-4 years ago. Internet dealer had this one with a 6.5" barrel and round butt for $159. Go ahead and tell me you wouldn't have bought it.

Found this at a show a few years back. I had a Colt to sell or trade and the owner wanted the Colt badly. He traded me this 357 (shipped 1950) with the original stocks and a set of genuine pearls plus $150 cash for my gun. I had $400 in the Colt so I figure I got this for $250. Wait, I sold the pearls for $150 so I have a C note in this revolver. I did better than I thought.

Oh, let me add one more. An original nickel (letters as shipped in nickel) 1926 shipped to W&K in 1928. Picked up the ivories off Gunbroker recently for $225. Seller thought they were K frame but turned out they are for a pre-war N frame and they fit this 44 perfectly. I may not be cool but a nickel plated 1926 with ivories sure is...

 

[JSW]

I posted this one before; it’s one of my favorites. This .357 Magnum shipped from S&W in January of 1939 with blue finish, 8 ¾ inch barrel and a gold bead front sight. In October of 1946 it was returned to the factory and the barrel was shortened to 3 ½ inches. The gold bead sight was replaced with a Baughman ramp on a King ramp base. I do enjoy shooting it regularly and have even carried it a few times.

 

[mrcvs]

..........from any era, just ones that are scarce or hard to find that you enjoy shooting in spite of their collectability.

Here is a Triple Lock Target model dating from June of 1910. Scarce or hard to find? Well, I purchased my first Triple Lock in the late 1990's, and I have spent the better part of that time searching for a decent Triple Lock Target Model...at the right price. Purchased from a fine gentleman off of this forum a few weeks ago (THANK YOU oldmacdonald!).

Do I enjoy shooting it? Took it to the range for the first time last Tuesday...and we both had a blast!

 

[Muley Gil]

mrcvs,

Sent you a PM.

 

[Backlighting]

Looks like a neat shooter Tony.
The ivory and that holster just make me weak at the knees

Getting a thrill up your leg are ya? lol

 

[mrcvs]

mrcvs,

Sent you a PM.

Received and responded...

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I must caveat my entry with this: they're all shooter grade. I live in my home, and it's not a museum.

Here are my post-war K22, LERK, sn K27XX, and my 90+ Model 31.

I've had the K22 less than a month. It was the dullest blue and the most scratched up gun I've ever owned. I knew those two things (and about the chunk out of the left stock) when I bought it, but the seller didn't mention the rust spots under the stocks or the "fake blue" applied over the pits in the cylinder. On initial cleaning my first thought was "sell it" because I can't have this Cinderella in among my pretty ones.

I read several threads here on cleaning guns so, thanks to them, I picked up a tube of Flitz polish at a nearby gun shop, ordered a package of bronze wool from my local hardware store and ordered a small tub of Ren wax online (only because none of the gun or auto shops had it).

Here's a LOUD shout out to HONDO44 and so many others of you who shared your "how to clean a dirty gun" experiences.

First, just a good cleaning/oiling. Then a couple weeks later the Flitz. Wow, it truly has some shiny blue under those decades of grime and neglect. The best news: I arrested the rust (not a sign remains).

Friday the bronze wool and Ren wax arrived. So, ever so gently, I wore out one small segment of one of the bronze wool pads. Most of the spots on the cylinder where somebody had done a mighty poor job of applying the fake blue came clean, exposing some tiny pits (I'll take them over the off-colored, built-up blue goo). Then another light polishing with the Flitz. Finally, yesterday, out came the Ren wax (really glad I listened to you all and bought the small jar--a lifetime supply).

The Flitz, bronze wool, and Ren wax offered the perfectly fitting glass slippers. Now I have a shooter K22 that I'm proud to take to the ball. And, yes, it's a dream to shoot.

 

[bruce5781]

Way to go Two-bit. I find few things in life more enjoyable than making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

 

[GunarSailors]

Everything I own is a shooter. But my 5 inch Performance
Center Lew Horton model 27-8 (#132 of 258 made) would
be the hardest to replace.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Way to go Two-bit. I find few things in life more enjoyable than making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Thanks, Bruce5781. Generally speaking I enjoy that transformation, too.

I accept the need to do work on vehicles, especially utility vehicles like my beat up and abused '48 Willys CJ2A. That's been fun, but for me it's different with guns. I'll never understand why gun owners turn silk purses into sow's ears.

I get the "it's a tool" argument to an extent, but I've got every tool I've every bought, and they're all in great shape.

 

[bruce5781]

Ha, mines a '51 Willys Wagon, with a '54 Ford Y-block....more time spent wrenching than driving it seems.

 

[sodacan]

..........from any era, just ones that are scarce or hard to find that you enjoy shooting in spite of their collectability.

I have had more fun with this one than the time the hogs ate my little Brother.

M & P in .32 long


Thanks Bruce.

I don't necessarily agree with you. Finding a specific model may be more difficult, or you may not find something at a price you're willing to pay, but the internet has pretty much eliminated a lot of the difficulties of the hunt by making geography a non-factor. Unless you'll only buy hands on, there are plenty of reliable sellers, including members of this forum.