Need help on a k 22 outdoorsman front sight

[silvercobra]

I'm looking for assistance before I purchase this k 22 outdoorsman, I would love to send a picture but can't make it happen so I will discibe it, s# 64XXXX 6" blued every thing looks right except for the front sight. It has a half round front site which I didn't think they had. It has a red box marked THE "K 22 "outdoorsman's Revolver, the corners of the box has metal supports could this box and front sight be correct for this gun.any assistance would be really appreciated

 

[RKmesa]

Box and SN sound like they would be correct, but I've not seen a round front sight on a K-22 Outdoorsman. Here are a few pics of one in that SN range:





...and the "sights" section from the K-22 Outdoorsman Brochure:

 

[cgt4570]

If it's a good deal otherwise, the front sight can be replaced without any loss of value. It might take some time to find a correct Call's bead, but it can be done. I made one for a project N frame from a post-war sight and some 14K gold wire melted into a hole.

 

[DCWilson]

Your serial number is close to a series of 25 K-22 revolvers known as the Coast Guard guns. They have six inch barrels with half-round front sights, but their sights are fixed rather than adjustable. Since you don't specifically say the gun you are looking at has an adjustable rear sight, I have to ask: Could this be an unrecognized K-22 service revolver that has been called an Outdoorsman only because it is in an Outdoorsman box?

If it does have an adjustable sight, you might have an Outdoorsman to which a service barrel was added. Is the serial number on the underside of the barrel the same as the one on the butt and rear face of the cylinder?

I'd be interested to know if the half-round sight is pinned to its base or monolithic (maybe I should say monometallic) with the steel of the base and barrel.

Here's an ancient thread that addresses the Coast Guard guns: 6" 5-screw M&Ps in .22 LR

 

[Hondo44]

If it's 1/10" wide from top to bottom and pinned in place, most likely the Patridge sight was just reshaped by rounding it off by a previous owner.

Or it could have been changed to round; look for punch marks around the pin and flattened pin ends. They should be nicely domed if original.

Or special ordered that way. You'll need a letter of authenticity to verify if it is a special order factory installation. If a letter doesn't confirm it, someone else did it.

Either way, it's easily replaced with the proper Patridge blade.

And lastly, if the gun has the 1/2 round, fairy thin tapered front sight and it's NOT pinned in place but integral like a fixed sighted gun, the barrel is from a non-target .22 (very rare Coast Guard issue), and the barrel serial # will be in the #650929-650953 range and not match the gun's #. (If the gun was in that # range, I'd say someone added the rear sight to it, but that's not the case with your serial # 64XXXX.)

That vintage K22 should have a rear sight with one elevation screw for adjusting but no 2nd locking screw.

The Call flush bead Patridge front sight blade was only standard on the early versions, but optional later in the serial # range when plain Patridge front blades are the norm.

Is there a star following the butt serial # or a date stamp under the left grip on the grip frame near the 'toe'? This would indicate a return to the factory to rework the sight, refinish the gun, etc.

 

[Waveski]

"I would love to send a picture but can't make it happen ..."

Please figure out a way to make that happen. Folks here would be glad to help , also glad to clear up this K22 sight mystery.

 

[silvercobra]

Sorry for the slow response, the rear sight is adjustable the front sight is pinned. I've only seen pictures, the gun is local so I need to go inspect it up close and check sn see if match see if front sight been replaced or reworked I'll post another thread after thanks for the help

 

[silvercobra]

Richard the box in your picture looks identical except this one has metal reinforced corners could this one be a repop

 

[glowe]

Richard the box in your picture looks identical except this one has metal reinforced corners could this one be a repop

All red K22 boxes had red metal corners. You can simply continue to post replies in this thread about the gun, no need to start a new thread. Keep it all in one place. As noted above, look at the barrel serial number (it will likely match), look for a star near the serial number, and you already said the front sight is pinned and the rear is target.