K22 en route to me... date of manufacture?

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desmobob

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I'm partway through the paperwork of getting the K22 of a dear departed friend transferred to me.

Serial number: K169825

I've only seen it briefly and forgot to notice if it was a four- or five-screw model (or otherwise).

Can anyone tell the specifics by the serial number?

Thanks,
Bob
 
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Thank you, Lee.

I've been wanting a K22 for a very long time but never ended up buying one, and now I'm lucky enough to get one that has strong sentimental value.

I'm finding that 1952 would be the DOM.
 
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handejector said:
It is a 5 Screw.
Click to expand...

That right there is from THE man of few words---and you damn well best listen to each and every one of them!!

Aside from that, your K-22 was made in 1952, more than likely shipped in the same year, and WAY more than likely finished in blue. That said, the blue is more than likely what S&W called the Satin Blue---and is (also more than likely) known as "the funky finish".

That which is funky about it is it doesn't shine---under any circumstances----EVER!! That in turn, or so I'm told, is because it wasn't polished before it was blued; but was prepared otherwise. I'm guessing it was prepared by media blasting of one kind of another (or maybe "tumbling"??)---and that's because it was convenient---also known as "Quick and Dirty"------and that (FINALLY!!) is because S&W didn't yet have enough skilled polishers on the job after THE war-----and the next one----AND because they were going to BY GOD build guns and sell them NO MATTER WHAT!!!!

I think that about covers it, but feel free to add any additional information----or even dissenting opinions-----or omitted facts of note.

Ralph Tremaine
 
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I did notice, side-by-side with the Model 19 also on its way to me, that the finish was very dull; I had never heard they offered a matte finish.

Now I know what the deal is... Satin Blue!

I'm very excited to be getting this revolver. Thank you gentlemen for helping me understand what, exactly, it is. I appreciate it. Photos will follow when I get the three Smiths (this K22, a Model 19 and a Model 650) in hand.

Bob
 
desmobob said:
I did notice, side-by-side with the Model 19 also on its way to me, that the finish was very dull; I had never heard they offered a matte finish.

Now I know what the deal is... Satin Blue!

I'm very excited to be getting this revolver. Thank you gentlemen for helping me understand what, exactly, it is. I appreciate it. Photos will follow when I get the three Smiths (this K22, a Model 19 and a Model 650) in hand.

Bob
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They didn't really "offer it" as you say---it was more like "Take it or leave it!". Actually, you could have the "Bright Blue" finish if you REALLY wanted it. It was a special order, and the delivery time was a mere SIX MONTHS!! That minor detail proved to discourage even the most discerning buyers, who simply covered their eyes, and handed over the money.

Ralph Tremaine

I know this because I was one of those discerning buyers---and didn't wait the SIX MONTHS!! What I did was send it back to the factory to be refinished in Bright Blue ------and had it back in three weeks----letter perfect and a thing of beauty and a joy forever!!

And "a joy forever" turned out like this: That gun was sold along with the rest of my collection during the last four years ending a year ago---and it fetched $950---for a refinished gun!! I reckon they didn't take notice of the factory refinishing marks---or if they did, they didn't care----'cause it was pretty.

All this reminiscing brings to mind the rest of the story: The gun was sent back with instructions to refinish in Bright Blue, and "have it gone through by your very best craftsman, and make it as perfect as can be". It came back almost immediately as noted above, with no comment and no charge for anything besides the refinish---which was "chump change".

It took me a while (YEARS!!), during which about a half a boxcar of ammunition was run through this gun before I noticed it didn't have a "turn ring". Actually, it did have one------very faint, maybe 3/32" long at the lead into each cylinder stop notch. There came a time when I told all this to the good Doctor Jinks, and he liked to have had a HISSY FIT!! "THEY NEVER SHOULD'VE DONE THAT!!!! IT'LL SKIP CHAMBERS DURING RAPID DOUBLE ACTION FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!" I didn't have the heart to tell him about half of that "half a boxcar" of ammunition had been run through it in my efforts to emulate Ed McGivern---which failed miserably-----and NEVER skipped a beat!!

The moral of this story is "Some folks got it, and some folks ain't got it!!". Whoever messed with my gun to make it as "perfect as can be" got it----no question about it!!

And in keeping with the comments above, the gun I've been talking about here was shipped January 10, 1956 to a distributor in Kentucky---who sold it to Dalton Hardware in Dalton Georgia----where I bought it from them----Georgia, where you could buy a gun after age 18---never mind if you lived in Georgia or not!! (I lived in Missouri. I'd gone to visit my girlfriend (now Boss Lady) who lived in Tennessee---about 50 miles from Georgia---where you could buy a gun after you were 18----never mind if your trip was to visit your girlfriend or not!!) It's funny how these things work out.

Them there was "the good old days"!!
 
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desmobob said:
K22
Serial number: K169825
Can anyone tell the specifics by the serial number?
Click to expand...

Hi Bob

S&W revolvers are not tracked by manufacturing date, but by ship date (when it left the factory).

Here are two comparable numbers:

K169502, K169918
Both shipped in February, 1953.

K171435 also shipped in February, 1953.
 
Thanks, Jack. Appreciated.

Ralph,
I was curious as to the finish on it. Now, I know the story. Though I wish it was a nice, polished blue, I'll be happy that it has a story to go along with it and represents a short period of S&W history.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge, gentlemen. I'm not a S&W collector by any means, and never did much reading on the models or history. I just happened to have purchased a brand new Model 66-2 as my very first handgun way back when and recently added a 317-3. They are two of my favorite handguns! Soon I'll have another three Smith & Wessons to appreciate.

Now, I have to do some research on the two old Colts (Cobra and 1908 Vest Pocket) and the Browning (Hi-Power) that are on their way with the Smiths. I don't belong to any Colt or Browning forums. I hope they are full of knowledgeable and helpful folks, too!

Bob
 
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As an interesting aside you should check what material the stock medallions are made of, IIRC that's around the time SW switched from the plastic to steel inserts briefly.
Both plastic and steel had a fairly short run.
 
pasound said:
A good coating of RenWax and a rub with a soft cloth or chamois makes those "dull" finishes a bit more shiny. And, it protects the finish.
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Thanks. I have some Ren. Wax (a lifetime supply). I bought the larger size tub when I read about how handy it was. It goes a LONG way in use; a small tub would have been a better choice for me. :)
 
In defense of Satin Blue: These were advertised as target revolvers, and as such, action and accuracy were/are of much more importance than appearance. Also, it could be argued that a satin finish caused less glare while aiming. Both my K38 and K22 dated from 1948 have the satin finish, and I didn't miss the bright shine a bit! Shoot, enjoy, repeat!
Froggie
 
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Green Frog said:
In defense of Satin Blue: These were advertised as target revolvers, and as such, action and accuracy were/are of much more importance than appearance. Also, it could be argued that a satin finish caused less glare while aiming. Both my K38 and K22 dated from 1948 have the satin finish, and I didn't miss the bright shine a bit! Shoot, enjoy, repeat!
Froggie
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I also like the way a satin finish hides fingerprints and holds a layer of oil to protect against corrosion. No complaints from me!

My paperwork has been submitted to the Sheriff's Office/County Judge and I'm hoping to be able to pick up the handguns as early as the end of this week.
 
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Speaking of Satin Blue---and protection against corrosion, it needs protection the same as any other----but don't trust your lyin' eyes to tell you about corrosion!

The "Ren Wax" folks have a surface cleaner (used by museums throughout the world) called Pre-Lim. If/when Pre-Lim is used on a Satin Blue finished S&W, you may be in for a BIG surprise----like I was!

The BIG surprise was red rust stains on my cleaning rag---which was clean before I started, and hadn't been anywhere near red rust------or so I thought. The more I thought, the more an interesting theory came to pass. It goes like this: The surface of a Satin Blue gun is irregular---not so you'd notice right off, but it is---irregular, like a whole bunch of little hills----and valleys. My theory continued to grow----there's what I'll call incipient rust down in those little valleys------nothing you can see there---but you can see it on your Pre-Lim rag.

The good news is no damage had been done before I done got edumacated!

This is another one of those deals where "Too soon we get old, and too late we get smart!"-------although I got smart before any harm was done.

As an aside, part of my "Welcome Bath" given to each new arrival was a good slathering and soaking with CorrosionX, before I put them back together. Now all the CorrosionX that could be blown off with high pressure DRY air was blown off, but not all of it was blown off. I wiped down the exterior of all of them with Hoppes before they went on their shelf in the display cabinet, because there's nothing uglier than a blue gun with oil stains on it. A good number of those guns in the display cabinet had been in there for 30 years or more---with NO further attention other than an occasional dusting with a vacuum brush. I'm inclined to credit the CorrosionX with that result.

Ralph Tremaine
 
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Truckman said:
In what state is this onerous burden put on the shoulders of a free citizen...Just curious...:rolleyes:...Ben
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New f'in York. :(

But I'm upstate in the Adirondack foothills, far from the city. Things are more reasonable here and we have a friendly judge. I have a concealed carry permit which is near impossible to get in certain other areas of the state.
 
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Lots of good info there about the K22 Master Piece. I've had mine out a few times this past summer; my best poa/ poi revolver I own. My grandson loves it. I was wondering about the finish and never thought about asking yinz guys here about it. On my letter it didn't mention anything about the satin blue. It hasn't had a good cleaning for a while so I'm going to use that pre-wax cleaner mentioned up above. In case anyone is keeping score, etc., Serial # K91609 was shipped October 24, 1950 to Philly, then I suppose it worked its way over to Western PA, probably to the gun shop in New Brighton where Dad probably bought it. Thanks, Dad!
To the OP, thanks for the good thread! You will love you new tack driver! All three of your new guns sound interesting. Hope some pics are coming our way.
 
Jeff,

The post has been my pleasure... lots of great information from the folks with tons of experience and knowledge.

I promise I will post photos when I get my three new-to-me Smith & Wesson revolvers.

I went to the range with a good shooting buddy today. (He has his dad's old K22 Masterpiece.) I brought my Model 66-2 and an assortment of .38 +P and .357 Mag ammo. Imagine my surprise when he told me he had never fired a .357!

He can't say that any longer... :)
 
No need for other Forums...this one does it all!

Congrats on getting some Smiths through that New York paperwork! Do the NY State permits still look like my old 1971 paper one? There was room on the back for 2 at the most handguns to be written in with serial numbers, and the rest of your handguns had to be on a separate piece of paper, notarized and carried in your wallet with the permit. A real hassle but at least in far southwestern New York it was the only way to carry concealed, or open. Supposedly in 1971 when my permit was issued it was for "lifetime" per the Federal judge and the rules in effect then. I left NY in 1974 and somewhere in the late 1980's I called the NY State Police to see if my permit allowed me to carry when travelling through the far west of the State and I was told NO!....the permit should have been turned in when I left years earlier.

Anyway......like my title.........there is no need for you to look for a Colt or Browning Forum as you will find many lovers of both brands, handguns and long guns, right here and they are the exact same helpful folks as you know from your S & W's.

So PLEASE....bring on pictures and post your questions or just post those pics so we can drool on our keyboards too.:D
 

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Charlie,

In "the old days," my permit was paper like yours and to add a new handgun I would visit the pistol permit clerk and she'd type the info on to my paper license while I waited. I could return to the shop immediately and pick up the new firearm.

Today, I have a modern plastic card (actually two to list my stuff) that's credit card size. To add a new handgun, you supply the Sheriff's office with the paperwork from the dealer/FFL, in triplicate, and they submit it to the county judge for his signature, then print you up a new permit card. You go back to the Sheriff, turn in your old card, pick up the new one ($5 fee), and then you can pick up your handgun(s) from the FFL.

It's not as bad as it sounds, other than the fact it's a 25-mile drive for me to get to the county sheriff's office. The first part of the process can be done by mail and save me a trip but would add a few days to the process.
 
Other items on the way from the same departed friend:

S&W Model 650 ..22WMR - sn ACC0659 (presentation gun, possibly custom 2" bbl length)
S&W Model 19 .357 Mag. - sn 890041
Colt 1908 Vest Pocket .25ACP - sn 307540
Colt Cobra .38 - sn A64053
Browning Hi-Power 9mm - sn 245PZ82505
 
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I got my pistol permit amendment and I couldn't pick up the firearms today because my FFL was closed due to a medical issue... they expect to be open tomorrow morning. I'll probably be there waiting for them to unlock the front door. :-)

One more thing... that 5-screw K22 has a four inch barrel. Yahoo! Photos to follow as soon as I get them home.
 
Thanks for the information, Jack.

I also found out both the K22 and Model 19 have wooden Jordan grips. The man who left me the handguns had huge hands. Mine are XL, but his were larger. I remember talking to him about Bill Jordan grips many years ago. I told him I remember seeing ads for them in the gun mags back in the day and I think he said something about sending in a tracing of your hand when ordering them. I hope they fit me! I should know tomorrow.

And another question... is the Combat Masterpiece the revolver that was later named the Model 18? Did it retain the reputation for accuracy that its Model 17 brother had?
 
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desmobob said:
is the Combat Masterpiece the revolver that was later named the Model 18? Did it retain the reputation for accuracy that its Model 17 brother had?
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Yes and yes.
When model numbers were assigned in June, 1957, and when guns started shipping with them the following year, the .22 and .38 CM became the models 18 and 15. But they retained the name; numbers did not replace names, they supplemented them.

As far as accuracy, there is no difference. Skill might need to be adjusted a bit because of the barrel length, but inherent accuracy was the same. I personally can shoot both as well. Or at least I used to be able to when I was younger.

I think he said something about sending in a tracing of your hand when ordering them.
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When Steve Herrett was still alive, he did the same thing for his customers. I don't know if his son continued the practice. I've had no contact with the company since Steve passed away years ago.
 
As promised...

5-screw .22 Combat Masterpiece
 

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