K-38 Target Masterpiece marked "U.S."

[thadheth]

K-38 Combat Masterpiece purchased at estate sale of retired USAF Lt. Colonel. Marked "U.S." on the left side under the cylinder. Serial Number K235316. circa 1955. Possibly an "Army purchase" as mentioned in the SCSW 3rd Edition? Thanks for any help.

 

[kwill1911]

Yes, probably an Army shipment in July, 1956. Numbers around it went to U.S. Army Terminal in Brooklyn or Raritan Arsenal. Does it have a 4" or 6" barrel?

 

[thadheth]

Thanks for the quick response. It has the typical Target Masterpiece 6" barrel. The marking is quite simple - just U.S.

 

[kwill1911]

My pleasure. These shipped with seemingly random combinations of target hammers, target triggers and target stocks (the 3Ts). Does yours have any/all of them?

 

[thadheth]

There is a trigger shoe (so I assume no target trigger under it), not a target hammer, and the stocks were "custom" (according to the son of the deceased) stags (non-magna) done by "someone in Texas" (during the 50's or 60's where the Lt. Col. was stationed).

 

[Waveski]

May we see your K-38 , please?

 

[thadheth]

May we see your K-38 , please?

Here are a couple of pictures as found.

 

[Engine49guy]

Nice 5 screw wide rib 6" K-38 "Heavy" Masterpiece.
The wide rib version was introduced sometime around late 1949 and the factory added the "Heavy" moniker to distinguish it from its narrow rib predecessor that was offered at the same time as the 6" K-38 Masterpiece .
IIRC the narrow rib version was discontinued maybe around 1954-55 (if Im not mistaken ?) After the narrow rib version was discontinued the factory dropped the "Heavy" moniker and the wide rib version was simply called the K-38 Masterpiece.
The hammer on your gun was called the S&W "High Speed Hammer" although many refer to it as the "Fish Hook Hammer", this style disappears around the same time as the upper sideplate screw although there was a little overlap.

 

[thadheth]

Thanks for the information Engine49guy. Somehow, I mentioned "combat" in the posts above - just a typo. Sounds like "K-38 Masterpiece" is the correct name for this if it is part of the 1956 Army shipment as kwill1911 has suggested. I swear, half the fun of purchasing these things is discovering their history (and of course taking them to the range).

 

[ddixie884]

The speed hammer is my favorite.