K-22 Masterpiece

[DARE]

Have a K-22 Masterpiece on the way. Serial number K51403. Roy says shipped November 1948. Grips are wrong. Am I looking for diamond magnas or did some have service grips? Four line address. Don't know if narrow or full-width rib. Don't know if front sight is 1/10th or 1/8th.
Supposed to get here Monday. Will post more pictures when I have it in hand. Will order a letter once it arrives.

 

[raljr1]

Here is mine from a bit earlier

Robert

 

[Retired W4]

Diamond magnas, for sure.

 

[Narragansett]

OP, very nice. Rib s/b narrow, I believe they changed in mid 1949. I have a narrow rib 1949 with unrelieved diamond targets on it. No way of knowing if it came that way beyond spending 100 dollars

 

[JP@AK]

David

It definitely appears to have the narrow rib. Nice.

The stocks will be diamond Magna with the sharp shoulder. The sharp shoulder lasted until late 1952.

Also, they will not be the PC style.

Added:

Am I looking for diamond magnas or did some have service grips?

Magnas are service stocks.

 

[Retired W4]

OP, very nice. Rib s/b narrow, I believe they changed in mid 1949. I have a narrow rib 1949 with unrelieved diamond targets on it. No way of knowing if it came that way beyond spending 100 dollars

Pete, I think your gun is a little early to have shipped with those targets.

 

[DARE]

Thanks Jack,
My 1941 S&W catalog says: Checked walnut with S&W monograms (or Magna stocks at no extra charge). That was the closest catalog I had.
So in 1948 the only option was Magna stocks?

 

[JP@AK]

So in 1948 the only option was Magna stocks?

For the square butt units, yes. On the round butt K frames, we still see both walnut and rubber old style service stocks appearing into the early 1950s. When those were all used up, Magnas were the only option. Target stocks appeared at roughly the same time, of course.

 

[Engine49guy]

Nice K22,
Your 1941 catalog shows the older pre war Magna stocks, those have different checkering and medallions inside, IIRC the supply of those ran out rather quickly post war and some are found on early post war M&P's but never on post war K22's.
As Jack mentioned correct style would be the "high shoulder" that does not have a tapered or beveled edge at the top, correct medallions would be nickel coated brass, in 1951 they changed to plastic, then to steel around 52-53, back to nickel brass by 53-54 but with tapered top.
The Magna stocks in your pic are the early non diamonds (about 67-69ish) judging by their deep ss escutcheons, the escutcheon changed to brass around 69-70ish.
On a side not while it looks like it could just be a reflection check your barrel ejector rod cut to see if it is releived for the barrel rod end, IIRC they stopped installing the barrel end before the supply of the relief cut barrels was exhausted so some are found on guns with no barrel rod end.
Also IIRC the non relieved target stocks became a regular catalog item in the 1950 AMC, (my memory isn't so great but that's the way I remember it).
That doesn't mean they didn't exist yet but that most people hadn't heard they were an option yet except for flyers in the gunstore or loose advertising leaflets .
One last thing, again IIRC the new wider barrel rib K22 was first advertised also in the 1950 AMC but I've never seen one that shipped prior to very late 1954 , the wider rib was standard by1955 and Ive never seen one in satin blue as bright blue was standard by then.
The 6" narrow rib barrel was supplanted by 1955 but it did continue in use on the 4" Combat Masterpiece as well as some rare 5" K38's which are found with the wide rib as well.

 

[weatherby]

The front sight looks a bit different on it than the norm

 

[paplinker]

Are these high shoulder Magnas?

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JlIAAOSwe~Vm51Cx/s-l1600.webp

No, that set has a more rounded top. Also the rolled edge on the base of grip is a much newer grip.

The sharp shoulder grip has almost like a ledge at the top.

 

[DARE]

Are these the right grips?

 

[Drm50]

I got a 49 and a 50. The 49 has grips serialed to gun. The 50 has correct diamond Magnas but not original to gun. Two on bottom right.

 

[DARE]

Engine49guy,
Here is a pic of the other side of the gun. Not real clear. Can you tell about the barrel rod end?

 

[rct269]

Post #9 gives us yet another example of "Never say never or always." about what/when S&W did or didn't do whatever. This time it's about wide ribs---and Satin Blue.

K253444 was made in 1955, and shipped January 10, 1956---with a wide rib and Satin Blue finish.

I put up with it for as long as I could, and sent it back to be refinished in Bright Blue. It came back VASTLY improved!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Here's mine. Bought it in 1963 I think.
Never thought about changing it.
But I have changed.

 

[Engine49guy]

David, I checked my closest is
Pre Model 17, Satin Blue, 6"  One line address, knurled ejector rod end (no tip)  
Serial    K 18529  Shipped Feb  1948
It has no barrel cut for a rod end so must be a shadow.

Ralph, my closest two to yours are:

Pre Model 18 , Bright Blue, 4" (5 screw )        Serial  K 246498     Shipped May  1956

Pre Model 17, Bright Blue, 6" (5 screw , Wide rib   Serial  K 259018   Shipped June  1956 

Since these two flank your guns Serial but have later ship dates I have no explanation or guess as to why yours was satin blue except perhaps it was at the very end of the satin blue K22 era so squeaked by , being that I have not observed a satin blue 5 screw wide rib K22 to date and that yours is no longer satin I'd say it's a bit sad if it lettered that way since it would be a rare variation IMO.
On a side note the five screw wide rib variation has a very short production run when compared to the 6" four screw which was only offered in the wider rib barrel style, the pre model marked four screw is also a very short run as Model marking came out shortly thereafter,
Another thing to consider and compare is that post 1955 holiday shutdown and when the factory reopened in Jan 1956 the then new first four screw frames on the new Combat Magnum were being assembled and shipped in bright blue alongside five screw varients of other models.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Here's mine, also 1948 (s/n K40403). Yours is in a little nicer condition, mine has definitely seen its share of range time and has a "hair trigger". Enjoy!

 

[cmansguns]

owned and sold several

Hello David,

I'm the one who sold you this K 22 Masterpiece and Fed-Ex tells me your 01 FFL will have it by 2:15 pm tomorrow.

Anyway I have owned and since sold several S&W 22 revolvers both Outdoorsman (a 1931 and a 1935) and K 22 Masterpiece, a 1947 (Lettered, s/n K 905, shipped August 12, 1947), and a 1948, s/n K 42372 that shipped August 1948, per Roy Jinks.

The 1948 "production" range of serial numbers was K 18732 to K 73121, however we always use ship date in lieu of "production" date.

Both of my postwar K 22's (s/n K905, and s/n K 42372) had numbered correct grips and I've attached a couple pics so hopefully you and others can see the rib for yourself. I didn't think to check or photo the rib on the 1948 I just sold to you.

 

[Engine49guy]

Charlie,
Pics 1 and 2 are a narrow rib K22.

Either it's an optical illusion or pics 3 and 4 got mixed up because they appear to be of a wide rib barrel with non relieved frame topstrap as far as I can tell.
Also while blurry appears to have a gold bead fs.
Again might be an optical illusion but that top strap looks bead blasted as well which was done on the wide rib guns where the narrow rib ones were polished.

 

[kscharlie]

Dave, your 2nd picture of stocks asking if they are correct, the answer is no. The shoulders are too rounded off. Here is a pic of sharp shouldered magna stocks that belong to my 1949 K-22. Note how high the shoulder is and how the edge remains quite distinct, not rounded off.