K38 Front Sight Question

[red9]

As I remarked in a previous thread, when you buy absentee based on poor descriptions and photos, you win some and you lose some. This time, due to a very good price I didn't lose, but I did not get quite what I was hoping for. The one very dark photo showed a 6" K38 Masterpiece with aftermarket grips and a Baughman front sight. I don't know how rare the 6" Baughman is, but SCSW3 mentions only the 1/8" and 1/10" Patridge, yet their photo is of a 6" Baughman. Possible Police Department order?

At any rate, THE GOOD: The frame and cylinder match (K177358, 1953 production) and have 90+% finish and beautiful case hardened TT & TH. THE BAD: I thought the grips were Herrett shooting masters, but they turned out to be Fitz plastic. No big deal. THE UGLY: The front sight appears to be an unaltered Baughman, but the serial number has been removed from the barrel and the barrel refinished. No factory stamps and, while the barrel is nicely aligned, the installation of the pin is certainly not S&W work. QUESTION: If this is the original barrel, why remove the number? If not, does any other Smith K-frame have a 6" ribbed barrel, Baughman front and no shroud?

Bob

 

[k22fan]

I think the barrel is newer than the frame. That explains a brighter polish and no serial number on the barrel. During the 1970s “the big city” allowed officer owned .38s or .357s so long as they were loaded with the department’s .38 special cartridges. Six inch barreled S&W were fairly common. Baughmans seem like the logical choice for those officers so I doubt Baughmans are scarce on 6” 14s.

 

[red9]

Being a newer, unnumbered barrel would be nice, but the barrel flat has definitely been ground.

Bob

 

[DWalt]

No way to tell. Perhaps the original barrel was bulged, and replaced at some location other than S&W.

 

[Art Doc]

A. It's the original barrel with an original ramp and they forgot to stamp the serial on it. Very unlikely on the original ramp (I have seen exactly one) but not impossible. Very possible on the missed stamp (I have seen dozens).

B. It's a replacement barrel and in addition to swapping the Patridge for the ramp (looks very nicely done in photos) the smith removed the number that didn't match the frame to avoid future confusion. I can think of no other reason to grind off the number.

C. It's a replacement barrel purchased as parts from S&W and never had a number.

 

[Art Doc]

PS: in the 1950s and 1960s the 6" K38 with thumbrest target stocks was popular in some police circles. One of the cops in the infamous "Onion Field" case had such a gun. Perhaps this revolver was built by a department armorer for an officer or deputy who wanted the ramp for holster use?

Maybe this is actually a Combat Masterpiece and somebody wanted a 6" barrel?

 

[k22fan]

[...] Maybe this is actually a Combat Masterpiece and somebody wanted a 6" barrel?

It may be a masterpiece for urban combat but the frame corners of a Combat Masterpiece are beveled to blend with a narrow rib.

Most barrel flats are not polished. I do not think this one was ground. During 1956 the number of places serial numbers were stamped on K 38s was reduced. My 1956 Target Masterpiece's barrel is not numbered. It's not surprising to find a revolver that letters as shipping 3 years later than what the lists in the SCSW estimate. Accepting red9's observation that "the installation of the pin is certainly not S&W work" the original barrel may have been removed so it could be more easily milled for a replacement Baughman. While it could have been reblued while it was off switching blades does not make that necessary so the barrel's finer polish still indicates the barrel is newer than the frame.

Speculation is interesting but the bottom line is that red9 got a great shooter for a great price. Were it mine I'd put on walnut Targets and head for the range.

 

[tecolote]

I have a Model14-3 with a red ramp front sight, and so marked on the box. I have seen a 14-2 with one, and have found 4 others with ramp sights on the web(Gunbroker,etc.). My gun and two of the "web" guns, a 5 screw and a M14 from 1959 have the ramp attached with 2 pins. The 14-2 had 1 pin, the others none. I also noticed in a scan of an S&W catalog printed in 1963,both the plain Baughman ramp and the red ramp were cataloged as accessories.
I don't know if any of this is of help, but I thought I would put it out here, just in case.

Regards,

Tecolote