"It just followed me home..honest!" K-22 1st. *Update*

[Andy Griffith]

That is what I said when I saw this little girl being traded in the gunshop, I think I will call her Katherine...after a girl with enormous character- Katherine Hepburn..

K-22 1st model, if I am correct, with S&W grip adapter.

Right side:


Left side:


With the grips off:


A little better close-up of the grip adapter:


I think I need to send off for the letter on this one.

According to the young gentleman- who I did get his address and phone number, it came from his grandfather who is in the nursing home. His grandfather had just given him the guns to keep- but since he needed a new computer worse, he traded this K-22, an orginal Colt 1911 (not A1- which the gunshop owner kept, a Winchester 1890 deluxe w/pistol grip in .22WRF- which the owner of the shop also kept) I couldn't get in on the deal, but since I was there, I "weaseled" my way to get this little gem.

According to the young man, this firearm was ordered by his grandfather through some military deal with the 1911... I am going to pay a visit to the old gentleman in the nursing home. I don't know what will happen when the old veteran finds out that his grandson that he entrusted his heirlooms with finds out he traded them in to buy a new computer! Until this happened- this had been a one-owner! I believe that is a hard one to find...Maybe a box somewhere in an old house? Chances of that are slim to none!
I do have the "original" holster with it- a sheepskin lined leather military style flap holster with two snaps...have not seen another like it.

The serial number is in the 630,XXX range.
I need to send off for the letter, and get up with the orginal owner if possible...
Only thing is, if I make an old man upset and he either 'frails the 'tar out of his grandson, or he might have a heart attack from the shock of his stuff being sold before he dies! I'd feel terrible!

One question on these models-
Do they supposed to have a steel call bead in the patridge blade? Mine does. This is the first Pre-war K-22 that I have ever closely had a look at.

 

[Andy Griffith]

That is what I said when I saw this little girl being traded in the gunshop, I think I will call her Katherine...after a girl with enormous character- Katherine Hepburn..

K-22 1st model, if I am correct, with S&W grip adapter.

Right side:


Left side:


With the grips off:


A little better close-up of the grip adapter:


I think I need to send off for the letter on this one.

According to the young gentleman- who I did get his address and phone number, it came from his grandfather who is in the nursing home. His grandfather had just given him the guns to keep- but since he needed a new computer worse, he traded this K-22, an orginal Colt 1911 (not A1- which the gunshop owner kept, a Winchester 1890 deluxe w/pistol grip in .22WRF- which the owner of the shop also kept) I couldn't get in on the deal, but since I was there, I "weaseled" my way to get this little gem.

According to the young man, this firearm was ordered by his grandfather through some military deal with the 1911... I am going to pay a visit to the old gentleman in the nursing home. I don't know what will happen when the old veteran finds out that his grandson that he entrusted his heirlooms with finds out he traded them in to buy a new computer! Until this happened- this had been a one-owner! I believe that is a hard one to find...Maybe a box somewhere in an old house? Chances of that are slim to none!
I do have the "original" holster with it- a sheepskin lined leather military style flap holster with two snaps...have not seen another like it.

The serial number is in the 630,XXX range.
I need to send off for the letter, and get up with the orginal owner if possible...
Only thing is, if I make an old man upset and he either 'frails the 'tar out of his grandson, or he might have a heart attack from the shock of his stuff being sold before he dies! I'd feel terrible!

One question on these models-
Do they supposed to have a steel call bead in the patridge blade? Mine does. This is the first Pre-war K-22 that I have ever closely had a look at.

 

[JayCeeNC]

Great score on an absolutely gorgeous gun! The grip adapter is worth several hundred $$$ all by itself.
I have a K-22 Outdoorsman, serial # 647630, and it has the gold bead on the front sight. I'm not sure if all of them did or not, hopefully someone with more knowledge (like Dick Burg) will chime in.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Another question,
Did the adapter come with some models if ordered that way, or was it an add-on piece only?

In the top picture, you can barely make out the silver or steel bead on the front sight. I've seen them in "gold" or brass and ivory- but never steel or silver. I suppose I have just not seen enough!

Don't you think it will look better once I do a meltdown, have the barrel cut to 4" and install a 10 shot cylinder? Oh, and have it powder coated in a dark blue too..

Just kidding!

 

[HABU]

Very nice!

I am still keeping my eyes out for an Outdoorsman...

 

[mikepriwer]

That is the correct front sight blade. By that time , the standard sight blade
was the Call silver, or steeel, bead .

If you do letter it, specifically mention the blade. The records will not make
mention of it , because it was standard. Ask Roy to comment on the blade.

Later, Mike Priwer

 

[Onomea]

Andy, congratulations on gettng that K-22 1st in such great shape, with the adapter, no less!

(For what it's worth, I suggest not talking to the old man in the nursing home. At the moment he probably thinks he has given his cherished guns to his grandson who will appreciate them. If he finds out the kid just sold 'em immediately he is likely to be sad in addition to angry. I just don't think anything you are likely to learn is worth making the old guy unhappy.)

I know we were all young once, but what a fool of a kid. The computer will be obsolete in three yeears or so... I am glad the K-22 is with someone who appreciates it.

 

[deadin]

I'm keeping a small database on K-22 1st Models. Mainly I'm tracking when the various sight changes were made.
Can you get me a little closer than the "630,000's" (use a PM if you are more comfortable) and confirm that the front sight has a Stainless bead. Also, how many screws are there in the top of the rear sight, 2 or 3?
As for the grip adapter.. nice! The guns weren't shipped with them as a matter of course, and are considered an add-on. If the gun was ordered from the factory with the adapter, it would be interesting to see if it is mentioned in the letter.

JayCeeNC, same question about the number of screws in your rear sight (don't count the "windage" screw). Your gun appears to fall right on the cusp of the change from 2 to 3.
Also, please reconfirm your serial, 647,630. If your's has a Call Gold bead it may have been a special order as the Gold's seem to have changed to Stainless about 3 years prior. (Or it's just another case of S&W's serial numbers being shipped out of sequence. Usually though, it's "older" numbers with "newer" features, not the other way around.

Thanks

 

[DHENRY]

AG,
Congratulations on a wonderful 'find', and shame on that young kid! lol!
That grip adapter is really exciting.

 

[rburg]

Nice gun.

Please recheck that serial. All the books seem to indicate that the first one was 632,132. If yours is in the 630,xxx range, Jim Supica will be doing some note taking for the next edition (4th one, coming soon near us all.)

Yes, get a letter. Just don't be disappointed in what it says. My guess is that you'll find the grip adapter was a later addition to the gun. When you write for the letter, confirm that butt serial with the one on the underside of the barrel flat and the back of the cylinder. Sometimes 6's look like 0's. 8's, too.

And I also agree with the idea of not talking to the old gentleman. Those things often turn out badly for everyone involved. They only put old guys in nursing homes because of health problems. All you'll do is push him toward the grave. He's already stressed, no reason to push him. He may even entertain hopes of one day getting better and recovering those guns.

We don't even know if the old man really entrusted the kid with the guns. Maybe the grandson took it upon himself to make that home gunfree without anyone elses knowledge. He needed the new computer.... Then you've got a stolen gun to return.

Other side issues: Very frequently gunshop owners lowball trades or nasty old guns estates bring in. After all, cheating widows and orphans is a tradition with jewelers and gunshops. Then they keep the best ones and sell the others, making enough to lower the cost of the ones they kept to almost nothing.

Anyone that has worked in a gunshop or even hung out has seen it happen.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Man, didn't expect this many replies!

To be exact, the serial number is 638,984.
Sorry about the blunder eailer- I couldn't half see- I'm not as young as I used to be you know! I thought the 8 was a zero- my mistake.

Screws in the sight- it looks like any other standard pre-war target sight. Has one retention screw in the front, and the elevation screw in the back.

I will not call the old man, but perhaps I can get a little more out of the kid...bet I can for a $20.00 bill! Perhaps I can "bribe" him into taking me to see his grandfather and making no mention of his folly of selling it...just for "research and curiosity" purposes.

By the way, I was doing quite a bit of searching, and saw that someone used to have some "reproduction" grip adapters for N frames listed in the classifieds- I can't find the link! I *think* I need a set for for at least one gun. *Gulp* but I don't know if I can handle what they want for them if they are anywhere near what an original set goes for.

I am going to send off for the letter today.

 

[deadin]

Thanks for the info. Your K-22 is, so far the earliest Call Stainless (by serial #) I have on my DB. It would appear that the change from Gold to Stainless occured some time in late 1931, early 1932. Your serial is close to one I have listed (638,77x) that was shipped in Sept. 1932.
Starting around early 1935 the rear sight had a third "lock" screw added at the rear near the elevation screw.

If you letter your K-22, and remember, I would appreciate you dropping me a note with the shipping date.

Thanks again,

 

[Andy Griffith]

Here is a couple of pics of the holster that the revolver came with- seems to be unusual for a holster to be labeled to a particular gun model, isn't it?

Note the gold "K22" marking on the holster.






It's definitely a neat package and must have cost a pretty penny back it it's day.

Any idea of the maker of pictured holster? Sears and Roebuck???

 

[DHENRY]

Andy
Contact member merlindrb (his email is in the personal profile).
He and his partner make and sell the adapters, and they are A-1!
Forget the kid, the additional information and the $ 20 bill.
This, my friend, is a 'sleeping dog' that needs to be left lying!

 

[Andy Griffith]

Point taken DHenry. Thanks.

I just get too excited at times...
At least, that was what my first girlfriend told me many years ago.

 

[rchall]

You made the deal and bought a nice gun. I would've done the same thing in your place.
I've known an elderly gentleman for about 15 years that I bought two guns from, a Winchester
Model 12 20 gauge and a Model 70 Super Grade 30-06 Pre-war. He has a model 42, a 52 target,
and a Model 21 Skeet gun that I'd love to get my hands on. He has Alzheimer's now and his
wife told me she cannot find the guns, as he kept them broke down and stored in different
places. Don't know if I'll ever get a chance to buy them. Point is, I see nothing wrong with
pursuing them as he will never use them again. The young man who traded the guns will be the
one who will be accountable for his actions, not you. So, enjoy that revolver and feel lucky
that you were in the right place at the right time!

 

[Kobold_27]

Nice pictures, and great gun!!! Neat holster too! What is it lined with? It looks like some type of fur.

I'm very jealous. I've been looking for a high-condition pre war K22 for a long time.

I'm looking forward to what the letter says.

Having that grip adapter is really something! In all my travels, I've only handled one K frame grip adapter, and it was only recently, when a fellow S&WCA member let me fondle one of his.

You got a keeper there! Maybe someone here can help you scare up the correct box, and then you'll have the complete package.

Best,

Michael

 

[Andy Griffith]

I think the holster is lined with a sheep skin of some type. Very similar to what I was my cars with...very soft. Any idea to the vintage of the holster?

 

[Onomea]

Good call on the old man, Andy.

That holster is interesting. I find the ring (?) in the belt slot intriguing… What's the ring for? It looks like a very well made holster. I've never seen that "K-22" marking on a holster before either.

We need that Turnriver (?) fellow to kick in. He is a real holster expert.

 

[Andy Griffith]

I did a little searching, and the closest thing I can find to it is a "wool lined holster" on page 182 of a 1954 Stoeger catalog. It is not the same holster though. Still searching...