MY "new" K38

[BoydB]

Hi, I am new to S&W forum and have found out some interesting facts about the K38 Masterpiece from the forums. I just picked up this one and was wondering if anyone could give me some info. Serial # K3213xx. It shoots better than I do, I only hope I can do it justice as time goes by.

 

[Alk8944]

1958 What else did you want to know?

 

[gunnut44]

Nice gun! You can't go wrong with that one. The grips look great!

 

[valkyriekl]

Looks like that one's seen a gunsmith, with its double-pinned red-ramp front sight. The trigger and hammer look like they've been modified, too.

All in all, though, it looks quite nice.

 

[DCWilson]

Interesting that it has a red ramp front sight instead of a black patridge. I would guess that's an owner-preference swap-out from later in its life, but it is possible it was special ordered from the factory like that. The ramp sights usually went on the shorter barrel guns like the Combat Masterpiece (four inch instead of six). I can't remember when the red insert became available. The earlier combat-style ramp sights were just unhighlighted steel.

Good looking gun. I have a couple of five-screw K-38s, and I am sure they are intrinsically capable of better accuracy than I have achieved with them so far.

Without a top sideplate screw, your gun is considered a four-screw model; that engineering change dates to 1956. It sounds like your gun is not model marked in the yoke (MOD 14), so that makes it a K-38 with a fairly uncommon configuration -- a four screw gun without a stamped model designation. Model stamping was authorized and initiated in 1957, but non-model marked guns were still being taken out of inventory and shipped into 1958 (and even later for some low-demand models).

 

[Nframe_is_no1]

DC Wilson,
You are right about 4-screw non-model marked guns being a fairly uncommon configuration. That's why I jumped on this pre-15 when I found it. It is a 4-screw with no model stamping. I'll take this opportunity to repost some pics of it. It was only $199 due to the holster wear, but the action is slick as grease and it shoots better than I can hold. It came with the original magna grips that are numbered to the revolver, and it also came with a grip adaptor with the S&W logo on it. I switched out the original grips with a pair of target stocks as they fit my large hands better. The originals are safely in storage now in the gun room. The blue shined right up with a good wipe down with an oily rag:

 

[BoydB]

Thank you for the information. I knew I was in the right place. I really appreciate it. I am new to the revolver world and have only been active in the shooting sport the last 2 years. I hope to learn a lot more about the S&W and hope my future questions are not too naive. I was told it has a target hammer & trigger. What makes them target?

 

[DCWilson]

Target hammers and target triggers are wider than standard hammers and triggers. Target triggers are also grooved, whereas standard triggers are often smooth.

 

[BoydB]

Thanks again.

I am becoming increasingly intrigued by the S&W world of revolvers in general and the K38 specifically. According to what I have seen so far there is a lot to learn, and (to my wife's chagrin) a lot to collect. Thanks for every thing. more questions will follow as the days go by (buy)