# S&W Revolver - help needed



## MrKlark (Apr 15, 2013)

New to this forum but not new to shooting as my dad and uncle introduced me to .22 plinking at tin cans back in the mid-'50s, and I've been shooting and hunting off and on ever since, I'm a life-long NRA member (not yet a Life member) and currently have a small collection of 10 pistols - all shooters except for my Colt Python 6" nickel. I inherited a rather nice .38 special K-frame from my dad and was wondering if one of you might be able to shed some additional light on what I've got. S/N appears to be 302052. Shoots like a dream and is amazingly accurate at 25 yds. Hope these photos are good enough - if you need more, just let me know. Thanks, --Rich


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

Um, photos you say? If you unlatch the cylinder ass'y and look at the frame near the front pivot point, you may see some numbers...


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

Very nice photos, although they are not showing up in your post, above; I had to used the "edit" function to look at each photo URL/address and manually enter it in my browser to see the photos. I will not post the URL or any links, because there seems to be a name attached to the photo account, and I don't know if you want that name revealed online.

You have a S&W K-38 Masterpiece, made in 1957, according to the serial number and my old History Of S&W book (the leading "K" is part of the serial number, so if you have to register it, order parts, or do any more research on it, make sure that is included). In 1957, S&W began changing the named models over to numbered models, and the K-38 Masterpiece was henceforth known as the Model 14, so you have one of the last-production-year K-38 Masterpiece models that was not stamped Model 14.

The oversize target grips on your revolver were not standard for that model; they may have been special-ordered at the time the revolver was ordered, or just purchased and installed by the owner at a later date. The grips look to be correct for about that era (although I am NOT an expert in that area, by any measure), so you may need to contact an expert about this if knowing about the grips' originality is important to you.

This revolver from this era is a bulleye-shootin' MACHINE, let me tell you! If it is still in good mechanical condition, loaded with proper target ammo, and guided by a competent shooter, it will probably punch bullets into one slightly-enlarged hole out to 20-25 yards. As old as it is, it is probably not rated for higher-pressure +P defensive-type ammunition, so I would not recommend avoiding use of this type of ammo. Any standard-velocity .38 Special ammo should be just fine in it.

A final opinion, if I may; although the Colt Python is undeniably cool and a good shooter, too, if I was given a choice based on potential "shootability", I'd pick the K-38 every day of the week, and twice on Sundays.

A fine revolver. Enjoy it!


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## Redcoat3340 (Oct 21, 2014)

What Niner said, he nailed it.


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