K38 Masterpiece info

[pdgoutdoors]

I was hoping y'all could give me some info on my "new" K38 that I got in a trade at a gun show last weekend. I believe it is a Target Masterpiece made in 1952, but I am not 100%. It is a 5 screw, 6" barrel K frame with no serial or model inside of the yoke and sports a target trigger, hammer, and stocks. Any history or info would be appreciated. Serial number K178XXX is located on the bottom of the barrel and on the grip frame.

 

[JP@AK]

It is a K-38 Masterpiece ("Target" was never part of the name) that very likely left the factory in 1953.

Are you sure it has a target trigger? I blew up the photos and it looks like the standard width trigger to me (which is what we would expect in 1953).

The target stocks are not original. The extractor relief didn't show up until at least 1955, IIRC. This unit most likely shipped with Magna stocks.

 

[pdgoutdoors]

It is a K-38 Masterpiece ("Target" was never part of the name) that very likely left the factory in 1953.

Are you sure it has a target trigger? I blew up the photos and it looks like the standard width trigger to me (which is what we would expect in 1953).

The target stocks are not original. The extractor relief didn't show up until at least 1955, IIRC. This unit most likely shipped with Magna stocks.

I could for sure be wrong. It is a grooved trigger, which I maybe mistakenly assumed was a target trigger versus the smooth combat trigger.

 

[JP@AK]

The grooves aren't the issue. The standard trigger for the K-38 was grooved but narrow. Target triggers were wider.

 

[weatherby]

It probably came with magnas as Jack said but those GA targets are a huge bonus as far as I'm concerned.

 

[JP@AK]

There is a very good chance those GA target stocks were originally on a Combat Magnum.

 

[sophie]

Nice gun and congratulations on the purchase.
Like JP@AK said in the above post, the trigger looks like the standard trigger, narrow with grooves, instead of the .500" wide target trigger with grooves.
At any rate, that's a fine looking gun.

 

[Gun Relics]

There is a very good chance those GA target stocks were originally on a Combat Magnum.

And they are really nice ones too.

 

[SW1911PC]

I was hoping y'all could give me some info on my "new" K38 that I got in a trade at a gun show last weekend.

Nice looking revolver ... and those grip stocks are beautiful!

 

[Engine49guy]

Very nice revolver
Only thing I'd add is that there were two 6" versions available in 1952 the earlier narrow rib version aka the 6" K38 Masterpiece and the weight matched wide rib version (like yours) aka the 6" K38 "Heavy" Masterpiece.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Nice acquisition. I have recently got my second one, a "Heavy" (wide rib, from maybe 1949 or 1950) to go with my earlier (1948) narrow rib. They both shoot great. I fully expect yours will as well. Congrats.

 

[RKmesa]

I did have a 5-screw K-38 Masterpiece (K140802 that shipped in May 1952). It came to me configured like your gun in an oversized box with this label...









Edited to add: I don't have the gun or the box any more. But looking at the photo of the inside bottom of the box, it could not have shipped with the gun, as the box bottom has the 1955 patent date info printed on the inside.

The only difference between the above and the OP's gun, is that the above came to me (and is wearing in the above photos) Walnut non-relieved target stocks, rather than the GA relieved stocks on the OP's gun (which are probably a bit too new for that gun).

Great looking gun - Congrats!!

Thanks for sharing,

 

[Gun Relics]

This one shipped in 1952 with this original box. RKmesa's box was probably used because it shipped with target stocks (the target's won't fit in my gold box).

 

[hkcavalier]

They are great guns. I have a '53 "Heavy" with non-relieved targets that I swapped for the serialized magnas, and a '48 narrow rib that picked up Sanderson thumbrest stocks somewhere in its life.

 

[Engine49guy]

The "Heavy" Masterpiece has an interesting back story, the narrow rib K38,K32,K22 were reintroduced after WW2 with the same narrow rib barrels but the larger the bore the lighter the gun.
The wide Heavy rib was the way they added weight to the K38 to get it closer to the K22.
Although IIRC it first appears as a standard item in the 1950 AMC a small number were made a year or two earlier.
The early ones are usually found in the then standard satin blue but the bright blue became the standard finish by 1954 which is about the time the narrow rib version is discontinued IIRC.
There were small runs of 4" and 5" barrel versions made at different times which are highly sought after.

 

[hkcavalier]

I've run across quite a few rare and collectible S&Ws (and even bought some of them), but never a K-38 with a shorter barrel.

 

[Muley Gil]

Welcome to the Forum, pdgoutdoors.

Smooth triggers were phased out in the late 1920s. The standard width was .265". Wider grooved target triggers (.500") appeared in the early 1950s. In the 1970s, smooth wide triggers (.312" and .400") were being installed in some revolvers and were a factory option. They could be bought in blister packs from S&W dealers.

 

[pdgoutdoors]

Thanks for all of the replies! I was thinking about having the gun reblued as it had some surface rust that tarnished the finish over the years. Does anyone know if that would hurt the value?

 

[Gun Relics]

Thanks for all of the replies! I was thinking about having the gun reblued as it had some surface rust that tarnished the finish over the years. Does anyone know if that would hurt the value?

The condition it's in I would call it "very good, shooter condition". No matter what you do it's not going to be a safe queen and the values aren't very high anyway.

Financially, it would cost you for the reblue and would not add to the value. Probably not a good idea financially, but if you're just going to keep it and want it to look good, that's up to you. You could probably improve the appearance a lot with a do-it-yourself light go over of cold blue on the cylinder (you can leave the original blue in place with light polishing). The rest of the gun looks reasonably good.

 

[pdgoutdoors]

The condition it's in I would call it "very good, shooter condition". No matter what you do it's not going to be a safe queen and the values aren't very high anyway.

Financially, it would cost you for the reblue and would not add to the value. Probably not a good idea financially, but if you're just going to keep it and want it to look good, that's up to you. You could probably improve the appearance a lot with a do-it-yourself light go over of cold blue on the cylinder (you can leave the original blue in place with light polishing). The rest of the gun looks reasonably good.

Thank you. In that case I will leave it as is. Any idea approx what it is worth? I dont plan on selling it and I got it in trade, so its more of a curiosity thing.