The story (and pics) of my favorite K-22 Masterpiece.

[GF]

This is how I got my first K-22 that wasn't a Mod 17.
My neighbor of about 20 years told me he has a S&W .22 and asked if I'd like to see it. Of course I would!
(He knows I like S&W's because he and his wife have to listen to me shoot them 2 or 3 evenings a week.)
Well, he has to "dig it out.."(?) he says.
About two days later he calls and said, "come over".

What I saw kinda' broke my heart. A K frame revolver wrapped in butcher paper (remember that waxy brown paper?) and the gun is covered in what appeared to be ear wax.
Turned out to be dried grease/cosmoline/grease gun grease.... something dry cracked is all I could see.
No grips on it, they were in a little sack next to the gun.

All I could say was, "Why....".

Well the story went that he got the revolver about the time his girl was a teenager and his wife told him to put it away or get rid of it so the daughter and her friends couldn't find it.

I know his daughter, she is now 38 years old.
I'm tryin' to do some math in my head...

Years ago he takes the grips off it, covers it in... something petroleum based, wraps in in butcher paper and hides it IN THE WALL next to the fuse panel in the house! THAT'LL keep the kids from finding it!

"This thing is gonna' look like a rusty nail after he gets the stuff off it. I bet he cleans it off with kerosene", I thought as I walked home.

He calls me in a coupla' days and asks if I'd like to buy it. What do you say when your old neighbor wants to sell you a butt ugly gun?
I said "I'll come look at it".

And it looks like this....

I did a double take, this is a revolver that's been inside a wall for over 20 years!?!

So I bought it... on the spot.

Over the few years I've had it I've added a box, one that makes note of a target hammer. Also a Helpful Hints pamphlet and this week a sight adjustment tool. (Thank you John!)

I took it as pictured over to him today to see what he'd say about it, "So that's what it looked like new!" he said with a big ol' smile!
I'm glad he liked it.

K 110xxx was shipped new in June of '51. It wasn't used much when my neighbor got it and it faired well in spite of his storage technique.

GF

 

[DCWilson]

Nice gun, nice story. Good for you, and congratulations on your choice in neighbors..

 

[LEO918]

Great story GF. I love a good story with a happy ending.

 

[PMRet]

Had us worried there for a minute... great story.

 

[VM]

Very cool story Gail and great pics as always!

 

[robertwhite]

Beautiful piece.

 

[29aholic]

Great gun Gail...at least your neighbor had the foresight to put some preservative on it before he stored it.

 

[bgrafsr]

I hope you gave him a big hug for keeping the gun as nice as he did, or better yet, buy him a steak dinner.

 

[rburg]

Nice gun. But its a little upsetting how much we preach and how little you "young'uns" listen and believe. Nasty old cosmoline or any waxy equivalent does a fine job of protecting a gun. Yes, kerosene is a good solvent for removing intentional or just caked on stuff.

For shooting, just a little is almost more than enough. For long term storage, more is better and too much just right. My now deceased gunrunner and gun show pard John had a great system. He used a camel hair brush (he didn't kill any camels) and way too much gun specific oil. About 5 to 8 years ago our preference was CLP, and when they came out with "Collectors" we both seized upon it. It kind of forms a crusty film if you dump enough on. So much that the purists think you're crazy or a novice. But then you can also go back for a 3rd or 4th coating, each too thick. And it hardens over a little time. Then you dump the gun in a thick ziplock bag, expel all the air, and zip it up. Then you can dump it in a wall, safe, or box of your choosing. The idea is to keep all the air or any moisture from getting to the metal.

The scary part of this story isn't that it was found and "restored", its that the guy's wife probably didn't know where he hid it. Had he died, she'd have never found it. The tricks the old timers knew and practiced are probably what has delivered to us all the fine old weapons we have in our collections.

The one thing Frakes seems to be doing right is buying up every old gun he can get his hands on. Now if he'd just listen and learn how to protect them for the future, we'd be OK. You should see the disreputable characters he's seen with at gun shows. Its disgusting!

 

[GF]

'...is buying up every old gun he can get his hands on..."
burg

I bought a niffty little airweight recently.... not old at all.

It's forum lore that you stored Reg Mags in the used oil barrels in your garage. Kept the grips in a humidor.

And as far as my gunshow company goes... it's like trusting Tony Soprano.


GF

 

[j38]

Nice catch, ... and interesting story. Thanks for the great photos,

Jerry

 

[Memphis]

Wow... Nice gun. Now I see why it is your favorite K-22. It's a beaut!

Roger

 

[Hammerdown]

Hello Gail
She's a Beauty and your story adds the correct meaning to the Old saying "If these Old Walls Could Talk"....



I have a couple of Favorite K-22's as well one being my 1947 Transitional K-22, shown her more times that I care to remember in the past. My story of the discovery of it is not as Cool as your's, but still worth an Honorable Mention I was at a small Local show when I located it just sitting there among a Bunch of Black Bottom Feeder pistols. The seller had it priced at $600.00 on his table. I looked it over close and called a buddy to meet me there as I told the seller I would take it, but I had to wait for a friend to show who Owed me some $$$. He Placed it under his table per my Request to keep the tire Kickers from fondling it. Thirty Minutes later I was out the door with a hard to find Transitional K-22 that I Haggled down to $500.00 and as I got into my Truck I Pulled the stocks and was Pleased to see it had it's correct serial numbered Magnas on it.




My second Favorite find is a Nice Mid time span K-22 Outdoorsman that was made in 1936. This story is kind of a sad one, but it all worked out in the end. I was set up at a Local gun show here back when the Killer Rage storm Katrina had just hit and destroyed a Lot of Peoples lives and Property. The seller of this Outdoorsman I knew from past Trades we had between us and he shared with me before the Show opened to the General Public that he had brought some nice older guns to sell as he was hit very hard with The recent Katrina storm, which tore the Roof off his House and Garage and left a Giant mess on his Property, Leaving him with some high expense repairs. A quick look on his table showed me that his comment of that he had Brought some Nice older S&W Revolver's did not ring true here from what I was seeing, all he had to offer were more modern Model stamped revolver lying there, so I asked him where the "Nice older S&W Revolver's were" ? He said he had acouple one bing a Pre-10 that did not Peak my Interest, but He then pulled out from under his table a Nice K-22 Outdoorsman revolver and handed it to me to check it over. He said that he had it, & The Pre10 under the table as he did not want it "Handled and Mauled" by those that are just there to ask questions, while leaving their Popcorn salty, Greasy hand prints on it, or cycle the action while Dry firing it...





I asked what he wanted for it and he said to you $1250.00... Hmmm I thought, that is a Higher price for one of these but it has been a real long time since I have seen one in this shape come up for grabs. I asked if he was in a Trading Mood & He said that he was, so I walked back to my table and Grabbed a 17-2 I had that had been Nickel refinished and a Model 19-4 in Factory Nickel with a 4" Barrel that was only Factory fired. I asked if "Two for One" would work ? He dove on the deal and the rest is History. I had $650.00 total in the two Revolver's that I swapped to him, so I was very Pleased with our Friendly Trade, and the stocks of this Outdoorsman revolver are original to it as well, but I Placed target stocks as I shoot it once in awhile. I did add the Period correct Red Box and paperwork to it, The Box was a Gift from a Very Good friend, and I was real glad to get it. Both of my Favorite K-22's are shown below, Aint Nothing Like a Good K-22 Thanks for sharing your story and Pictures, I enjoyed it.. I hope other's will show their "Favorite K-22's" and share their stories of how they got them as well in this Thread....Hammerdown

 

[GF]

"...a 17-2 I had that had been Nickel refinished ..."
Soooo....Kurt... THAT's where the nickel k-22 went!

I'm gonna do it, I swear.

The red box & Outdoorsman together is the "Holy Grail" gun package. The K-22/40 is another.

Single line Masterpieces are hard to find. I have one, shipped the first part of '48, that's pictured here above the one in my story...

... and it was a gunshow save like yours. Great pics of great revolvers Hammerdown, and thanks for always helping me out when I have questions.

GF

 

[Hammerdown]

"...a 17-2 I had that had been Nickel refinished ..."
Soooo....Kurt... THAT's where the nickel k-22 went!

I'm gonna do it, I swear.

The red box & Outdoorsman together is the "Holy Grail" gun package. The K-22/40 is another.

Single line Masterpieces are hard to find. I have one, shipped the first part of '48, that's pictured here above the one in my story...


... and it was a gunshow save like yours. Great pics of great revolvers Hammerdown, and thanks for always helping me out when I have questions.

GF

Hello Gail
Those are a super nice pair of K-22s you have there. Yup, it was tough to let that Nickel K-22 go, it shot every bit as good as it looked but it was a refinished gun and was replaced with a much harder to find original finish example, so I have no Trader's remorse. That Nickel K-22 I had Ford's do was rough as it all ready had an amateur refinishing job done to it when I got it, but because it had The Original Roper stocks on it, was the reason it came home with me Here are some Glamor shot's of that Nickel K-22 as it came back to me from Ford's Custom Gun refinishing in Florida. This was the first one they did for me and Larna Ford did the job her self....Perhap's this will encourage you to have one refinished in Nickel ?