Questions about 1948 K22 Masterpiece

[Babysitr]

I recently purchased a K22 Masterpiece 1948 I think. #K54265..It's in great condition,slight turn ring, slight muzzle wear beautiful shooter condition.my question is that it is wearing a beautiful pair of non-relieved target grips,and has a target hammer and trigger. they were likely added later for target shooting, what I'm doing with it!..values are all over the place for these,so how much,if any,did these additions hurt value? I gave $725 OTD, because I wanted it! I had a hard time putting a $$$ on it?...please comment, I'm learning here!

 

[glowe]

That is my birth year gun! I also have an original 1948 K22 and K38. My notes state that target stocks and hammers were introduced January, 1950 and Target triggers came around 1953. My K22 has original Magna stocks, and does not have either TT or TH.

 

[KalamazooKid]

Wow, that's a beautiful shooter right there. Those target options just make it that much better. Didn't think the NR stocks were available till 1950 or 51-56?

I think you got a great deal on that one! Enjoy!

 

[Muley Gil]

That looks like a nice K22. Have you checked the numbers, like the one stamped under the barrel? Are there any re-work stamps on the grip frame, under the grips?

 

[series guy]

Very nice gun that has just the right factory add ons to make the perfect target .22. No doubt that you will enjoy shooting this one for years to come. Very Nice!

 

[JP@AK]

Babysitr

Your question seems to be, "did I pay too much?" The answer is an emphatic NO. Heck, with those stocks on it, you got a bargain, in my opinion.

Take it out and put some lead down range.

 

[H Richard]

At $725 you paid about $300 too LITTLE!

 

[chiefdave]

Good buy on a great revolver. The earlier K-22's with the tapered barrel/rib and the post war brushed finish have class.

 

[Babysitr]

Thanks all! please don't hesitate to comment further. I've taken some lumps on gun buying also! Muley, all the numbers match, and I looked for a rework stamp, none there! the grips have nothing marked inside them...Man, S&W did some nice work in them thar days!!!!!

 

[22hipower]

I think you did ok, maybe better than ok, on price, looks like you can't resist those unrelieved target stocks any more than I can. I bought this one from about 1955 largely because it had the unrelieved stocks and paid about $720 (some trade stuff involved) three years ago. No way to know if the ones on mine came on it from the factory but I like to think they did. Not too long ago I paid a little too much for a M53 because it had the same type stocks. Very nice, enjoy it.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[glowe]

. . . I've taken some lumps on gun buying also! Muley, all the numbers match, and I looked for a rework stamp, none there! the grips have nothing marked inside them...Man, S&W did some nice work in them thar days!!!!!

We have all been there with making bad decisions when buying guns, but what is important is if we learn those hard lessons and not repeat them. I think that Masterpiece revolvers were some of the best guns that S&W ever made.

Theoretically, non-numbered stocks in those days should have meant the gun did not come from the factory with them, BUT . . . most non-relieved target stocks do not have serial numbers. It is known that the factory packaged and sold target stocks through their distributors, hardware stores, gun shops etc. and probably tens-of-thousands were sold that way. The target stocks did not need fitting and anyone with a screwdriver could install them. I have watched ebay and over the years, and have seen thousands of numbered K frame Magna stocks go up for sale. I can only guess that they were likely leftover from the owner buying targets and throwing the Magnas in a box to be forgotten or hardware stores changing out stocks at point of sale and doing the same thing with the original Magnas. Also, Masterpiece revolvers fitted with target stocks do not fit in the standard gold box, so how were they shipped? I have seen later pre-model guns with targets that came in N frame blue boxes, but don't know about the early 1950s guns?

 

[H Richard]

I'll bet it shoots as great as mine, a Jan 53 version.

 

[Peak53]

I love the little nick that often shows on the left grip panel of the non-relieved target stocks. That shows some love and use that eventually led SW to the the relieved versions. Valuable. My only pair reside on a M-19

 

[mh51]

I've got a 1951 version with the unrelieved targets that letters as having shipped with them. It does not have the target hammer and trigger. Looks to me like you found a great new year present to you!

 

[cmansguns]

Wow! - Gorgeous - great find

Babysitr, you did extremely well on that buy. Grips alone tell a great story by their condition. I agree that it MAY have shipped with them but only a Letter would tell. You don't often see original diamond, non-relieved K frame Targets for sale alone, at least I don't anymore.

I love that configuration on an early Masterpiece. My K22 Masterpiece Letters as shipping in 1947, however the invoice that came with the Letter, shows it described as a 1946 gun. The stocks (Magna's) are numbered to the gun, but for shooting I "cheat" and use a spare set of K frame football relieved Targets.

Whatever you do, take that gun to the range. Mine is actually smoother (to my feel) and slightly more accurate than my Model 17-3, with whatever factory 22 ammo I'm running that day.

Enjoy for sure....you are way ahead money wise.

 

[glowe]

These revolvers are seldom worth the $100 fee to tell what hardware store they went to?? Having no personal history with the gun until your recent purchase and already knowing it was manufactured in 1948 may already be enough information. Factory letters are great to have if there is a chance that something important or exciting might be found, but it would be a huge long-shot with a Masterpiece revolver.

Charlie, based on research of the experts on this Forum and their knowledge on changes for the Masterpiece line, my question is how can a 1948 gun come with target stocks that were not available until 1950?

Mike, does your set of target stocks have a serial number?? We don't often find a lettered Masterpiece that states it came with targets, so that information would be interesting.

 

[Green Frog]

Asking whether you paid too much at $700 for that treasure sounds like a "humble brag" to me. About 8 years ago I paid $425 at auction for a '48 vintage K-22 in about 85-90% condition and felt real good about it back then. Prices on desirable pieces like this have not gone down!

IMHO, the presence of the 3 Ts may harm collectors' value a little, but adds immeasurably to the fun value. I'd say just like it is, you've got yourself a winner there. Enjoy it!

Froggie

 

[Babysitr]

Thanks Frog, not a humble brag, but I was sure it was a great buy for me since I love .22's.....it will get shot often! I've has a couple S&W buying stumbles. hate to make any more....learned about spotting a great deal from info on this forum...thanks,all

 

[JDBarrister]

K-22 beauty

I just got this beauty yesterday. Serial number in 47K range. The shop had it priced at $449 and I didn't even haggle. Now I start trying to find out more about it. Serial numbers on barrel, cylinder and square butt all match but grips have a higher serial number. Maybe I'll finally get around to requesting one of those factory letters for this one.

 

[cmansguns]

reply for glowe re: my statements on 1948 K22 w/1950 stocks

Charlie, based on research of the experts on this Forum and their knowledge on changes for the Masterpiece line, my question is how can a 1948 gun come with target stocks that were not available until 1950?

Gary,

In my post above (# 16) I said it MAY have shipped with the target grips and that only a Letter would tell. What I was thinking was that because the OP gun is a 4 line address, that makes it after 1948 for sure, but we don't know when it shipped. There also was no pic of the backstrap, so can't tell if 6 groove, or the later 10 groove.

I also based my statements somewhat on my own K 22 Masterpiece, which Lettered as a August 1947 shipment, but the invoice shows a "1946" gun, and with serial number K 905, I like to think it may truly have been manufactured in 1946, but not shipped until the following year.

It has been my understanding that the Forum usually considers Lettered ship dates when talking "year" of any particular gun, unless there is some other provenance of conflicting date(s).

If I am wrong, or am misleading anyone, I apologize in advance, but if the OP's gun was (or at least the frame numbered) in late 1948, and then not shipped until early 1950 for example, I thought it just MAY have shipped from the factory with the non-relieved target grips. Also, IMHO, if the Target grips were available in 1950 (say at the beginning of the year) they would have been manufactured in 1949.

Or....are my thoughts too much of a stretch to make sense?

Also I apologize for the thread drift.........the OP still snagged a very nice specimen, for an extremely nice price...so can't go wrong no matter what.