S&W K22 17-3 in nickel. Help! needed.

[paplinker]

I am curious if they took a completed blued gun apart if they still would stamp a N in the frame?


Also i bought a five screw k22 that the original owner sent back to smith in the seventies to be nickled. He said he sent a few back in the seventies to have it done. There are no rework stampings or rework dates on the frame at all. It was done near perfect. The only give away to the work is that the Smith logo is cut a bit to deep.

 

[Art Doc]

Nope. Not a whit of machine shop experience. I do have a degree in Industrial Arts. Worked for a bit as a hydraulic mechanic. Not the same as gun manufacturing.

I would not be pleased to know S&W sold me a refinished gun as new. Don't collectors freak out if a gun is refinished? Wouldn't this count as being refinished?

And if they really do it the way you say, how much is it costing them in labor? Take a finished gun, disassemble it, strip it, then refinish it and reassemble it? Do they charge enough to cover this much shop time?

You can explain the process every way from Sunday. It still strikes me as incredibly inefficient to produce a single unit.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

You can explain the process every way from Sunday. It still strikes me as incredibly inefficient to produce a single unit.

What's that old saying, You can lead a pig to water but you can't make him drink.
It appears they have been incredibly inefficient for over 150 years.

 

[Allen-frame]

Unfortately, the pistol was stolen before I could apply for the letter. It's taken me a long time to even talk about guns since the theft of several so I don't want to get into the story but now you know why I never updated this thread with the results.


Stolen. The single word most dreaded by a collector.


HERE is the information on the ORIGINAL Nickel model 17-3s' .
There were 18 total made . All 6 inch. Shipped 1974 and 1975.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...-model-17-3-some-interesting-information.html


Regards,

Allen F

 

[twenty two]

S&W K22 in Nickel

when I was 12, in 1962 I bought a Nickel K-22 (for $98.00) from a local dealer. It came in a silver box with blue printing and the dealer said that it was a special run of guns from smith. Being 12 I promptly lost the box and it's contents but still have the pistol. In 1999 I sent my money into Jinks for my weapon's' history.
.
He replied that my "Smith and Wesson K-22 Masterpiece, Pre-Model 17, caliber .22 long rifle rim fire revolver in company records which indicate that your handgun, with serial number K150XXX, was shipped from our factory on July 16, 1952 and delivered to J.L. Galef & Sons, New York City. The records indicate that this shipment was for 25 K-22 Masterpieces. All the revolvers were 6 inch barrels, blue finish with walnut magna stocks. The nickle plating is not original and was completed after the revolver left the factory"
.
I found a 1`1964 Galef catalog which is a dealer in Sporting Arms, Ammunition, Money Changers and Accessories.
.
One gun-smith looked at my pistol and complemented the quality of the plating and I have been shooting same since 1962.

 

[rburg]

There's one huge hole in the theory that all K22s in nickel were refinished. Those in that hole are the 12 revolvers series. I've seen a few other guns that claim to be factory nickel. Yes, look for the N in the usual places. There even is reported to be a prewar nickel one. Send one to the premium restorers. They can make it so good most of us can't tell. If you ever get one that won't letter as blue,it might be a good candidate for shiney. If it won't letter as blue, it can't be proven to be anything.

 

[larryofcc]

A couple years ago, I bought an 8 3/8" M48-10 from a member of this Forum. Nickel, and 3 T's. The stocks appear to be Rosewood and are the smooth presentation type. It is stamped 10-82, and has a Star on the bbl. and cylinder, both of which are serial numbered to the gun. It also has the RR and WO rear sight. Someone put a few bucks into this revolver. No doubt refinished in nickel, but a factory letter would only confirm how it was shipped originally, so I didn't letter it. This revolver came back as a new piece. Box it was shipped in is serialized to the revolver too. Doubt it has ever been fired since the factory work. Nickel 48's are scarce as are the nicked M53's. Here's a pic of it. It is very pretty. Big Larry

 

[Tired Gunsmith]

We had a number of guns refinished at the factory that were no charged for the "change of finish .
Discovered later that the customer had marked the guns (blue) with an "N" in the appropriate places and the factory service department just did what was expected.
They came back in 'new' boxes as if the revolvers were new and original.
Wish we had the NYC PD record books from those days we still had the
information listed. BUT, when we retired and gave them the books as required, it seemed that all records were promptly :Lost".