recent postwar K22 purchase...

[northslope]

So you'll have to forgive the lack of pictures (for now) - my wife and I have a 3-month old asleep in the other room - I've traded most of my previously spare time for the great fun of parenting a newborn.

As my wife has observed, having a baby hasn't, er, stopped me from finding new and time-saving ways to acquire guns. And so in this spirit I recently won an absentee bid on a 'lot' of two revolvers through Rock Island Auction: a EXC- K38 Target Masterpiece (serial K83xxx) with really nice Diamond Targets, and a postwar K22 (serial K40xx) of slightly less condition. I already have a K22 (with all matching numbers, including numbered Magnas) so I was less interested in the K22 than the K38, but I figured that I'd take a chance and sell whichever K22 I liked less.

So the guns arrived, and while I am very pleased with the K38, the K22 challenges me a little: it has the "prewar" ejector, and corresponding barrel cutout, which is neat; finish is in good shape, with a couple of significant scratches; everything numbers to the gun but the grips (they are 180,000 serial numbers older!); the rear sight blade is not original - it has the white outline, and the blade height is too tall, and width of the cutout is too wide. And, there are a couple of firing pin "strikes" on the cylinder in-between the charge holes that make me wonder 'hmm'- how out of time could the gun be?

But having said all that -- took her to the range yesterday and she shoots just fine. Timing, lockup, etc., is also fine - the gun is tight and shoots wonderfully at 20 yards.

So it's funny -- like I said I figured I'd keep either of the K22's which was nicer - but I now I look at my young son, and I wonder if I should just keep both, one for each of us....

Anyway - will post pics when I have a chance to take them. I'm told that "chance" might be when the little guy's in first grade, but....

--Neill

PS - any thoughts as to the best place to find a period-correct rear sight blade?

 

[DCWilson]

You get a new parent's pass on the photos, but it's only good for 72 hours.

Any K22 with a large knob ejector is a treasure, regardless of how you feel about the rest of it. My sage advice is this: DO. NOT. SELL. THAT. GUN. You can find more age-appropriate stocks for it, and don't change that rear sight blade until you have had a chance to shoot it and see how it performs. Could be that rear leaf is there for a reason.

I looked at that RIA lot and wondered about it, but did not bid on anything at this auction because I had some items in the air closer to home. Is the K-38 the wide rib or narrow rib variety? They were making both kinds at that time (early 1950). The photo looks like it has the wide rib, but I can't tell for sure.

That was a good price for those two guns together. Nice score.

 

[Hammerdown]

Transitional K-22s are a Tough Find !

I recently won an absentee bid on a 'lot' of two revolvers through Rock Island Auction: a postwar K22 (serial K40xx) of slightly less condition. I already have a K22 (with all matching numbers, including numbered Magnas) so I was less interested in the K22 than the K38, but I figured that I'd take a chance and sell whichever K22 I liked less.

So the guns arrived, and while I am very pleased with the K38, the K22 challenges me a little: it has the "prewar" ejector, and corresponding barrel cutout, which is neat; finish is in good shape, with a couple of significant scratches; everything numbers to the gun but the grips (they are 180,000 serial numbers older!); took her to the range yesterday and she shoots just fine. Timing, lockup, etc., is also fine - the gun is tight and shoots wonderfully at 20 yards.

So it's funny -- like I said I figured I'd keep either of the K22's which was nicer - but I now I look at my young son, and I wonder if I should just keep both, one for each of us....

Anyway - will post pics when I have a chance to take them. I'm told that "chance" might be when the little guy's in first grade, but....

--Neill

PS - any thoughts as to the best place to find a period-correct rear sight blade?

Hello Neill
as David has told you "Do Not sell that K-22". It is about a Thousand numbers off being later than mine which shipped in November 1947. I found mine at a Local gun show about Five years ago now, and it shoots sweet. The Large extractor Knob Transitional variation K-22s like these are a Very Rare find, as it took far more labor to mill out the underside of the barrels on these to allow the closing of the cylinder, as S&W was not known to waste any parts showing clearly with these having Pre-War extractor knobs on them so I would never consider selling it or swapping it if it were mine. Here is a Picture of mine shown currently wearing Diamond Target stocks but the Original serial numbered Magna's came on it and are stored in it's box in my safe as I prefer shooting it with the larger Target stocks... It would be neat to see other's post Pictures of their Early Post-War Transitional K-22s with the larger extractor rod knob end in this thread. I Know David has one like mine and your's, but there would not be many to follow our's as they do not show up often out there...

 

[PMRet]

As others have already said, do not sell. Any one liner K-22 is always a nice find, but one with the large ejector knob is a real treasure. My one liner 19xxx shipped in early 1948 after the transition to the smaller knob, and I wouldn't even think about selling it.

 

[LEO918]

Neil: Keep it! VERY rare. Mine would be the last K-22 to go.

Leo

 

[larryofcc]

I have one of them thar early K's too, and like all the posters have stated, I would not turn loose of mine either. I do have a person who will get it if I ever decide to part with it. It started me collecting S&W's and I am very proud to own # 4339, shipped 9-23-47.my 5th birthday. Big Larry

 

[BigBill]

Funny i just order a 50's S&W K22 masterpiece in 22cal w/6'' barrel a few minutes ago. I was torn between a colt target 22 revolver and the S&W so i got the S&W first. I purchased a taurus 94 in 22lr and an older H&R 922 22cal w/6'' octagon barrel last month. Since my wife and two sons went for there CCW permits they like shooting the 22cal handguns now. But i weened them on the 9mm luger/45acp's/357mag & 44mag before the 22's. They did shoot my ruger Mk's but not as much as the larger calibers. Anyway i'm hooked on the 22's now. Bill


Important; First i been into guns since the late 60's. I hit bad times and having to need some extra cash to invest into making more money(repair/sell tractors) i sold a few of my guns figuring i could replace them down the road when things got better. I was very, very stupid because i sold my holy grail and i can't replace it anymore because the model and finish has been discontinued. Now my advice thru my learning experiences is never, never sell or part with anything. I figure my kids will enjoy them all.

 

[northslope]

Thanks for the feedback, gents! I didn't realize that these were so rare. Part of the joy of accumu-collecting - you learn as you go.

The other thing I forgot to mention is that the K22 had a Flaig ACE trigger shoe installed; I promptly removed it and you can't tell it was ever there except for some grease on the trigger.

David - the K38 has the wide rib; it's a really sweet gun. The barrel/cylinder gap seems wide to my eyes (and at the range the 38 specials had a bit of flash through the gap!) but I haven't put a feeler gauge to it yet. The gun shot gorgeous close groups..

--Neill

 

[PMRet]

It started me collecting S&W's and I am very proud to own # 4339, shipped 9-23-47.my 5th birthday.

Now THAT is outstanding!

 

[Walter Rego]

Here's another early one

 

[DCWilson]

Assuming the company used ONLY large knob ejector rods on the postwar Masterpiece revolvers until they were gone, there were probably about 5700 of them produced before the knobless knurled rods became standard. I always forget the highest known serial number on a Mastgerpiece revolver with a knobbed ejector rod, but I think it's over K5600. If there was a transition period when knobless and knobbed ejector rods were being produced at the same time, we may actually see one someday with a serial number over K6000 and maybe even K6500.

Here's K4267, another one of the late-ish large knob K-22s. This one left home in September 1947.

 

[Sebago Son]

Here's a very early one....

K117

With a bunch of it's early brethern.

K117
K5678
K16,xxx
K126,4xx

Drew

 

[Sebago Son]

Assuming the company used ONLY large knob ejector rods on the postwar Masterpiece revolvers until they were gone, there were probably about 5700 of them produced before the knobless knurled rods became standard.

David,

Your estimates may be a little high, but by how much I can't guess.....

Here's K5678, the so called "Lawrence Whelk Gun".

It has the smaller, same diameter ejector rod head.

Many, many thanks to the generous fellow forum member (who wishes to remain anonymous) who decided this gun needed a good home here with me in Maine.

Drew

 

[alaskavett]

Y'all are KILLING me.... Every time these sweethearts come up I have to go dig mine out and look at them! Yep, then they get shot... So, Walter Rego, your early gal has a factory lanyard on it?? Never saw one on a K22 before. Thanks folks for sharing your grails with me and everyone. Kyle

 

[wraco]

One of my K-22's is a few numbers off from yours

s/n 4032

here it is again with another one I have

another K-22 I bought yesterday, a 4", s/n 124xxx forget the last 3 numbers

Rod

 

[Hammerdown]

the K38 has the wide rib; it's a really sweet gun. The barrel/cylinder gap seems wide to my eyes (and at the range the 38 specials had a bit of flash through the gap!) but I haven't put a feeler gauge to it yet. The gun shot gorgeous close groups..

--Neill

Hello Neill
If your K-38 has some cylinder end shake causing this excessive forcing cone to face of cylinder gap, it is easy to correct. I think you want around .006" -.008"of gap between the forcing cone and the face of the cylinder & You can do this your self as Brownells sells an Internal cylinder shim kit to be installed internaly in the cylinder going over the extractor rod, down into the rear Portion of the cylinder with them. They come in an assorted Kit form with several different thickness shims to allow you better forcing cone to face of cylinder fitment. I hope this helps, Hammerdown