Thursday, May 30, 2024

A favorite gun

Of all the revolvers I've fired over the years, this has got to be my #1

Smith & Wesson K38 Target Masterpiece(pic grabbed off the net).  This is a K-frame revolver with a 6" barrel and target sights.  A bit of history:
Smith & Wesson inaugurated the K-Masterpiece series just after World War II. First introduced was the K-22 in December 1946, with the K-32 and K-38 following by the summer of 1947. They were all of a type, with 6″ barrels, patridge style front sights and fully adjustable rear sights. Grips were checkered walnut which the company termed Magna style. They were double actions, although some K38’s were built with single action only mechanisms.*
I once read that this happened when S&W decided 'to make the world's most accurate target pistols', at which they pretty much succeeded.

The one I had was well-used, by a guy who'd been on a LE agency match team.  It had the oversize grips, and he'd had someone who really knew their stuff do a bit more polishing and tuning on the action, and oh my did HE succeed; between his work and years of use it was the slickest action I'd ever worked.  And very accurate, I referred to it as "It even makes me shoot well!"

It was the only pistol I've ever been able to fire a 50-shot group(postal match) tight enough that you couldn't count most of them because the group was one big hole.  A damn fine revolver.

The K22 I've fired wasn't as slick as this, but it wouldn't take much to get it there, the K32 I had the joyous chance to fire was pretty close, and all were more accurate than I.  The only problem with any of the three was the K22 match chambers got dirty fairly quickly and might need a brush and swab to clear them.  

You can find a good- or even fine- shooter in .38 or .22 fairly easily, they made a lot of them; if you want the .32, be prepared to spend time and money, because they made a lot fewer of them, and most were shot little, if any, and command premium prices.**  Used?  At the big gun show in Tulsa there are always a couple of big S&W collectors, and I asked one of them if they ever saw any used K32s: "every once in a while you'll hear about one, but they disappear from the market fast."  I suspect they've been handed down in families, and are only sold out of real need for money, or landing in the hands of a relative who doesn't care about it.

So if you want a revolver for target and/or small game, I can highly recommend any of these; the K22 will be cheaper to feed, the .38 has more power, and if you did find a K32 a quick search shows you'll find it as or a little more expensive than the .38 Special.


*https://americanhandgunner.com/handguns/sws-master-pieces/

**The time I asked the other collector that, "I've got a used one there" and pointed to a box on the table.  The thing looked brand new, and I asked "How is this 'used'?"  
"The other side has a few speckles in the bluing."
Ponder on that.  "And how much?"
"$4000."
That's what I mean by 'premium'

3 comments:

The Neon Madman said...

And .38 Special is probably the easiest cartridge to reload.

Anonymous said...

I’ve got a couple 5 screw Smiths that shoot pretty well, (a 22 and a 45 Brazilian model 1937) but as far as ACCURATE, my 629 DX is hands down the one that will chew a single hole in a target. The factory said “less than an inch at 25 yds”.
They were right!
I would love to put a couple cylinders full in a target from that K-38 Masterpiece! Those were the days…

Jason Tyler said...

I couldn't agree more. I have a Model 14 that was made in 1973 and it is my favorite handgun. It definitely shoots better than I can see. It is also one of the nicest looking guns that I own.