Quick ID Pre model 14?

[Riccur]

Target Masterpiece?

 

[usm1rifle]

Probably a pre 14, what is the s/n?

 

[Art Doc]

Looks like a 1948-1957 K38 Masterpiece to me. Although it could be a K32 and fool me. "Target" was never part of the name.

 

[Riccur]

Looks like a 1948-1957 K38 Masterpiece to me. Although it could be a K32 and fool me. "Target" was never part of the name.

Definitely 38 have another photo with the 38 S&W Special CTG stamp, and it is 1950 according to the current owner. However he also said it was a 4 inch which it clearly is not.

 

[moosedog]

If that's a four inch to him, maybe $500 or $600 will look like $800 or $900 to him.

 

[DWalt]

Does it have the box, tools, and papers? That will make a big difference in value. 1950 production will have a serial number range of K84,150 – K104,047. So it should be within that range, or possibly a little outside it.
These were identified on the box as a "K-38 Masterpiece Target Revolver."

 

[shawn mccarver]

That is, I believe, a so-called K38 Heavy Masterpiece, with 6 inch barrel. It differs from the original K38 in that the original had a tapered barrel. When the straight-walled barrel was introduced, both were available for a short time (probably until S&W used up its supply of 6 inch tapered barrels), and then when the tapered barrels were no longer offered, the "Heavy" was dropped from the name.

 

[g8rb8]

I agree with Shawn McCarver. My guess is a K-38 Target Masterpiece with a heavy barrel. The heavy barrel was not introduce until 1949, 2 years after the introduction of the K-38 Masterpiece, supposedly to match the weight of the K-17 and K-32.

John
Scoundrel and Ne'er-Do-Well in Training

 

[JP@AK]

probably until S&W used up its supply of 6 inch tapered barrels

And we know where a bunch of those went, right?

Riccur
Your picture clearly shows a K-38 Heavy Masterpiece. This became the standard barrel configuration on the K-38, and remained so until the Model 14 went out of production in 1982.
Nice revolver!