How old is this k22?

[William54]

I had to go back and look at your pictures twice because Im seeing a correct post war SW "High Speed hammer",
I Agree your gun likely shipped in 1947 and that the wide target trigger doesnt appear until around 1950.
The stocks on your gun are known as diamond "Plain Clothes Magnas" Or PC Magnas by the rounded heel, usually found on later snubs and some 4"ers but definately wrong style and era, correct style for your K22 would be "High Shoulder" Magnas with nickel coated brass medallions used from 1946 to 1950.
An interesting feature on your gun is it was one of the last "One Liners" in reference to the large MADE IN USA as that changed to the 4 line address style shortly after. Your revolver exhibits the first change made in post war K22's because it has a straight ejector rod with knurled end, the earliest post war ones had a barrel style "Large Ejector Rod Knob" or LERK that required the barrel to be cut to clear the rod end, some have been observed with the barrel cut but straight rod and speculation was that they ran out of the barrel end rods before they ran out of the cut barrels.

On a side note I dont think the serial number chart in post #14 is accurate solely because IIRC only a couple snuck out of the factory in 1946 before the holiday shutdown, As evidence I have 3 digit serial number
K 345 , 6" Blue shipped Feb 1947.
Here are a couple of others from my notes:
K22, 6" , Blue, LERK , One liner
Serial K 2684 shipped Aug 1947

OP's serial is here

K22, Blue, One liner, straight rod,
Serial K 18529 Shipped Feb 1948
( same features as OPs gun)

 

[William54]

Just some photos in better light

 

[William54]

I had to go back and look at your pictures twice because Im seeing a correct post war SW "High Speed hammer",
I Agree your gun likely shipped in 1947 and that the wide target trigger doesnt appear until around 1950.
The stocks on your gun are known as diamond "Plain Clothes Magnas" Or PC Magnas by the rounded heel, usually found on later snubs and some 4"ers but definately wrong style and era, correct style for your K22 would be "High Shoulder" Magnas with nickel coated brass medallions used from 1946 to 1950.
An interesting feature on your gun is it was one of the last "One Liners" in reference to the large MADE IN USA as that changed to the 4 line address style shortly after. Your revolver exhibits the first change made in post war K22's because it has a straight ejector rod with knurled end, the earliest post war ones had a barrel style "Large Ejector Rod Knob" or LERK that required the barrel to be cut to clear the rod end, some have been observed with the barrel cut but straight rod and speculation was that they ran out of the barrel end rods before they ran out of the cut barrels.

On a side note I dont think the serial number chart in post #14 is accurate solely because IIRC only a couple snuck out of the factory in 1946 before the holiday shutdown, As evidence I have 3 digit serial number
K 345 , 6" Blue shipped Feb 1947.
Here are a couple of others from my notes:
K22, 6" , Blue, LERK , One liner
Serial K 2684 shipped Aug 1947

OP's serial is here

K22, Blue, One liner, straight rod,
Serial K 18529 Shipped Feb 1948
( same features as OPs gun)

Thank you for the info I’m just getting started .

 

[Engine49guy]

Btw I made a small mistake in my post as the while the wide target "hammer" option did first appear in 1950, The wide target "trigger" didnt appear until sometime after ( cant recall how long after).
I corrected it so as not to cause any confusion later.

 

[JP@AK]

The first postwar K-22 Masterpiece was assembled on August 19, 1946. Full production started on December 24, 1946. Not more than one or two actually shipped in 1946. However, somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 units were produced in 1947.

 

[JP@AK]

The stocks on your gun are known as diamond "Plain Clothes Magnas" Or PC Magnas by the rounded heel, usually found on later snubs and some 4"ers

The K frame PC Magna stocks were primarily used on fixed sight guns (i.e., the Military & Police models) starting in about 1954. On the M&P (later the Model 10), they were standard, regardless of barrel length.

So far as I know, the only K target units that shipped standard with PC Magna stocks were the 2" Model 15s, starting in 1964.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Welcome to the Forum! You picked up a nice K-22 for a pretty good price. As others have told you, yours dates to 1947. I have one (K40403) that is just a little younger (1948), and it has the 4-line address on the right side of the frame. The finish shows that it was used and well loved, and it's still a fun and accurate shooter. Enjoy!

 

[Green Frog]

This is your first S&W revolver? That’s like the kid in NC a couple of hundred years ago that found a big gold nugget when he wasn’t a miner and nobody else knew there was gold there. You struck it rich on your first try! I agree that $700 wasn’t a giveaway price, but you definitely didn’t get hurt. My attitude about the grips is that they’ve definitely been changed, but they’re still old enough to look good and are S&W, not the rubber or plastic grips that show up on so many old revolvers these days.
The only downside is that you will be spoiled by that early Masterpiece. Someone commented on a recent thread that they just couldn’t understand how their early Masterpiece (they had an early ‘50s K38, IIRC) could have such a wonderful action compared to later revolvers. It is likely your new found example will will be as nice a trigger as any you’ll find. Congratulations!

 

[oldcorps76]

I had two and let them go...always regretted it so a few years ago I picked up a pre-war K-22 Outdoorsman, bit different configuration than the post-war guns like yours, but the marketing of the time said Smith would not let them out the door unless they could group I believe 1.5" at 50 yards with match ammo. That sold me.

 

[Fullmetaljacket]

I'm not seeing a target trigger or target hammer on the OP's k-22. The trigger is the standard grooved service trigger, I can tell by the flat sides and narrow width. The hammer is the correct "high-speed" hammer, some refer to it as the "fishhook" hammer. The OP has a very nice, early "one liner" K-22 with later PC magna stocks. Grips aside, it looks all correct, original configuration.

 

[Engine49guy]

Is there some sorta mass hysteria going on here?
Is it April first?
When I first found this thread and looked at the OP I definately saw a one liner and a close up left side angled view of a .500 wide target trigger,
as I read through the comments two other members said it had a wide target hammer that I did not see, but also saw a wide trigger.
I commented what I saw.
I wake up today and the trigger is a correct grooved narrow trigger.
Btw NO I do not drink , use drugs or take any prescription medicine.
Methinks something is rotten in Denmark !

 

[William54]

Is there some sorta mass hysteria going on here?
Is it April first?
When I first found this thread and looked at the OP I definately saw a one liner and a close up left side angled view of a .500 wide target trigger,
as I read through the comments two other members said it had a wide target hammer that I did not see, but also saw a wide trigger.
I commented what I saw.
I wake up today and the trigger is a correct grooved narrow trigger.
Btw NO I do not drink , use drugs or take any prescription medicine.
Methinks something is rotten in Denmark !

The photo of the wide trigger was added by a member to show me a wide trigger . My gun has a regular I guess I’m still learning.

 

[William54]

This is your first S&W revolver? That’s like the kid in NC a couple of hundred years ago that found a big gold nugget when he wasn’t a miner and nobody else knew there was gold there. You struck it rich on your first try! I agree that $700 wasn’t a giveaway price, but you definitely didn’t get hurt. My attitude about the grips is that they’ve definitely been changed, but they’re still old enough to look good and are S&W, not the rubber or plastic grips that show up on so many old revolvers these days.
The only downside is that you will be spoiled by that early Masterpiece. Someone commented on a recent thread that they just couldn’t understand how their early Masterpiece (they had an early ‘50s K38, IIRC) could have such a wonderful action compared to later revolvers. It is likely your new found example will will be as nice a trigger as any you’ll find. Congratulations!

Thank you

 

[William54]

Welcome to the Forum! You picked up a nice K-22 for a pretty good price. As others have told you, yours dates to 1947. I have one (K40403) that is just a little younger (1948), and it has the 4-line address on the right side of the frame. The finish shows that it was used and well loved, and it's still a fun and accurate shooter. Enjoy!
View attachment 776972

I’m really enjoying mine thank you

 

[glowe]

The photo of the wide trigger was added by a member to show me a wide trigger . My gun has a regular I guess I’m still learning.

I am sure your trigger will measure somewhere around .26 - .27" wide. Measure it and let us know.

 

[first-model]

Shipped in December 1947. Nice early postwar example!

 

[Mad Mac]

My grandfather taught me how to shoot with this K-22
when I was a teenager back in the '60s.
He had large hands and added these grips.

 

[KenTheHunter]

Welcome to the Forum! You picked up a nice K-22 for a pretty good price. As others have told you, yours dates to 1947. I have one (K40403) that is just a little younger (1948), and it has the 4-line address on the right side of the frame. The finish shows that it was used and well loved, and it's still a fun and accurate shooter. Enjoy!
View attachment 776972

Congratulations on your find. You’ll have years of fun with that piece

 

[William54]

I’m really enjoying mine thank you

My grandfather taught me how to shoot with this K-22
when I was a teenager back in the '60s.
He had large hands and added these grips.

I like the grips, that’s a sweet pice.

 

[Oldtimer1]

It’s a bit earlier than that. I’d put it at 1947.

Note the serial number is 5 digits.

Right 1947 Good condtion worth 800 to 1,000