Two K frames from the estate

[mykeal]

We found three guns that I believe are early K frames; the Blue Book of Gun Values and the Standard Catalog of Firearms have frankly just confused me as to what we really have here.

This may be the wrong forum for this, so if so just tell me or move this over, with my apologies.

No. 96, an "early K-frame", .38 special with 6" barrel, according to the collector's notes - he also called this "his favorite pistol":

No. 97, called a "K target", .22LR with 4" barrel:

No. 98, another "K target", this one is .38 special with 4" barrel:

 

[mykeal]

We found three guns that I believe are early K frames; the Blue Book of Gun Values and the Standard Catalog of Firearms have frankly just confused me as to what we really have here.

This may be the wrong forum for this, so if so just tell me or move this over, with my apologies.

No. 96, an "early K-frame", .38 special with 6" barrel, according to the collector's notes - he also called this "his favorite pistol":

No. 97, called a "K target", .22LR with 4" barrel:

No. 98, another "K target", this one is .38 special with 4" barrel:

 

[FPrice]

I'll leave the first to others, but I think that I can identify the second and third. They are both post-war guns by the "K" prefix in the serial numbers.

The "K Target" is most likely a K-22 Target Masterpiece, the pre-Model 18, dating to about 1952 or so.

The other "K Target" looks like a K-38 Combat Masterpiece, the pre-Model 15. This one is probably around 1955.

 

[gig-a-hertz]

I'll take a shot at the first one...

An M&P Target from around 1928.
A darn nice one too.

 

[mikepriwer]

That first gun is probably more like 1924, and it is a nice gun. The
grips are the weakest part of it - they are a mixture of a post-WW2 magna panel
and a customized panel. I think the gun would be more desireable with the
correct grips - a pair of convex non-medallions.

The two post-WW2 guns are correctly identified, and are also nice guns.

Later, Mike Priwer

 

[buckwheat01]

Hi mykeal
In a previous post you mentioned "liquidate the estate" are these guns going up for auction or for sale If so let us know when & where

 

[mykeal]

Buckwheat01 -

Yes, the gun collection will be sold, probably by auction. It will be several weeks before we know the details. There are legal issues to be solved, and some of the guns will be retained by the family as heirlooms - for instance, I'd imagine the M&P Target will go to the eldest son because of a "my favorite pistol" statement in the father's notes.

At the moment we're just opening boxes and trying to get our hands around this thing. While I was only a distant friend to the deceased, his wife was a childhood best friend, and this has been, as you can imagine, difficult for her. We will announce the method, catalog and date when we get some of this settled.

 

[mykeal]

And to mikepriwer, gig-a-hertz and FPrice, thank you very much for your help. I am a black powder enthusiast, so I know very little about early model Smith & Wesson. Your help is very valuable to the widow.