Is the M 14 a sleeper or a forgotten masterpiece?

ladder13 said:
Picked up this 14-2 about 2 years ago, $249 out the door. Touch of muzzle wear, otherwise immaculate.

100_0120.jpg
Click to expand...

The grips alone are worth half that.
You stole that gun...

I have been looking for a Model 14 for a year to go with my Model 17's,

Only found about 4 and they were either too expensive or too beat.

Seeing these awesome examples encourages me to keep looking.
 
If I could find a 4" or 5" one I'd buy it so I don't think I've forgotten them, just kind of picky about the one I want. (smiley face goes here)

Dave
 
Anyone embarrassed about their K38 please feel free to send them to me. One of the finest revolvers ever produced, and, fortunately for those of us on the hunt, terribly underrated. I think it is due to the caliber. Let's face it, a hit with a .38 beats the crap out of a miss with a .44.
 
Reading this thread really makes me feel good. Last Saturday I shot my new 14-2 that I had picked up from my FFL the day before. I bought it on this forum for $450 shipped. Slight muzzle wear with original diamond magnas in excellent shape. It sure is a sweet shooter and looks great next to the 17-2 that I picked up off this forum last year. Someone on this forum has said that his favorite gun is the one he just bought. I think this 14 will continue to be a favorite.
 
Tom K said:
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to be kicking myself in a few years for not having snapped up a handful of 'em."

Yep, need to pick up a couple more, just because.
Click to expand...

You need to take action now so you aren't in this predicament down the road. The M14 is truly the finest 38 special K frame (aside from the M10/M&P and others....:))

I'm glad I started early, these are the most under-rated and ignored variant in the K family. Too many folks overlook them in their search for 357 Magnum guns, for some reason they feel they are inferior in performance, but I can tell you that for whatever performance deficit they have as compared to the 357 magnum, they more than make up with accuracy, pleasure to shoot and just plain beauty - the M14 is truly the K38 Masterpiece that the factory set out to produce.

Besides, with careful selection of the mighty Plus P ammunition choices out there, you can bridge the gap in performance.... just ask around here.... :D

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orig.jpg


Wish I could find some more good examples around here, but the word - unfortunately - has got out about how cool these guns are.

Enjoy.
 
Smithnut.

Wish I could find some more good examples around here, but the word - unfortunately - has got out about how cool these guns are.

Yure plumb breakin' my heart!!!;):D

What a beautiful set of guns!!!:cool:
 
Shooting my 14s is my favorite kind of shooting. In all three barrel lengths, those Model 14s are just sooo sweet. Below is my oddball, a 1962, non-Dayton, non-KCPD 4 incher. It is, bar none, the nicest shooting 4" K-frame I've ever tried. When I have some extra cash, I'll get it lettered.

Excuse the pictures; I've been lazy.
pix1461505031.jpg


pix1461505203.jpg
 
Last edited:
In the Los Angeles Times' coverage of the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, there was one large photograph of an officer aiming his 6 inch Model 14 from behind the cover of an car.

Anyway, while the Model 14 with 6 inch barrel is often thought of as a target gun, it was, for a time, the issue weapon to LAPD officers. There are fewer and fewer of them in police holsters, but they are still out there, at least until that generation of coppers have retired. To this day, the Model 14 remains an "approved" LAPD weapon for officers qualified on revolvers.

Not a bad recommendation!
 
.38 Sharpshooter said:
SmithNut, are any of the guns in the 2nd pic also in the 1st, or is every one of them individual guns?
Click to expand...


The two pictures were taken years apart, four of the six inch full underlug guns in the second pic are also in the first pic. For accuracy as well, the two top guns in the big pic are Heritage McGivern commemoratives, so therefore while they are K38's, they are actually marked as M15's.

To add to the montage, here's a later pic of the four inch M14's in the collection, most of which are also in the second pic above (two additional Dayton guns are present here)

standard.jpg



More work to do......
 
To me, their is no greater pleasure in handgunning than going shooting with a model 14 and a ziplock baggie full of cast lead wadcutter reloads.
 
M14

Lew Archer said:
In the Los Angeles Times' coverage of the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, there was one large photograph of an officer aiming his 6 inch Model 14 from behind the cover of an car.

Anyway, while the Model 14 with 6 inch barrel is often thought of as a target gun, it was, for a time, the issue weapon to LAPD officers. There are fewer and fewer of them in police holsters, but they are still out there, at least until that generation of coppers have retired. To this day, the Model 14 remains an "approved" LAPD weapon for officers qualified on revolvers.

Not a bad recommendation!
Click to expand...

Like this LAPD officer?
Adam12a.jpg

Adam12b.jpg
 
I took mine to the gun show today to look for a holster and had several people asking if I was selling it. One of the Shriners was awe struck by it. He was checking the guns and looked at it probably 2 minutes before putting the zip tie on it :-)

In contrast, my SKS got almost no attention, with only 2 or 3 people interested in it. Not surprising though.
 
The Pre and Model 14 K-38 Masterpieces are better than most guns at the range, but each gun has its own qualities.
 
K38 with 6 inch barrel will spoil you but the model 14-4 with 8 3/8 inch barrel will scare you with how accurate it is.
K38
K38LeftSide.jpg

Model 14-4
SW14-4leftside.jpg
 
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