Let's Discuss the Famous S&W K-22 Masterpiece

[EddieB]

I recently recieved a k22, and was trying to find out what year it was made and more information about it. The serial # on the bottom is k13219, i noticed in the crane area you mentioned above it has h29 then 44120 below it. Hammer Down, would you be kind enough to tell me some more about my grandfathers revolver?

[Hammer Down]

Originally Posted by EddieB

I recently recieved a k22, and was trying to find out what year it was made and more information about it. The serial # on the bottom is k13219, i noticed in the crane area you mentioned above it has h29 then 44120 below it. Hammer Down, would you be kind enough to tell me some more about my grandfathers revolver?

Hello Eddie
According to my Reference material your garandfather's K-22 was made in in 1947 being the second Year production after S&W started Making Civilian revolvers again after World War II.It is considered the Third series K-22 and known as the K-22 Masterpiece. It should have a matte soft bluing finish that was the finish used in that time span. It will have Four side plate screws and one under the trigger Guard making it a Five screw gun.It will have the single line Factory address on the lower right Frame stamped "Made in the U.S.A." It should have the upswept hammer design called a fish hook Hammer or a speed hammer. It could have an 1/8" Patridge front sight or the 1/10 lower profile one as both were offered.I have one that shipped in 1947 as well. It came to me with it's original diamond center Magna grips serial numbered to the gun on the back of the right hand panel.Mine has an odd feature of the Pre-War style cylinder extractor that has the Mushroom style head and they have to Notch out the underside of the barrel for this style extractor to fit. Yours may have this feature but I suspect not as mine only has Four digits in it's serial number making it a very Ealy 1947. They switched over to the new stlye extractor early in 1947 that has the straight Knurled end and I suspect yours has that style ? All K-22's from that time span were still hand assembled and fitted by Master Gun smiths so the actions are buttery smooth. These were the Height of S&W quality. I hope this answers your questions and I would Love to see a Picture of it if you will share it with us ? Regards, Hammerdown

[EddieB]

As soon as I can take a picture of it i will upload it for you. Thank you for your information. It does not thave the Mushroom style head extractor. It really needs cleaned up and at some point i will probably have it refinished, the factory finish is probably less than 45%. Thanks again! Eddie

[Hammer Down]

Originally Posted by EddieB

As soon as I can take a picture of it i will upload it for you. Thank you for your information. It does not thave the Mushroom style head extractor. It really needs cleaned up and at some point i will probably have it refinished, the factory finish is probably less than 45%. Thanks again! Eddie

Hello Eddie
Take this from a stern collector of fine S&W revolvers.. Do Not refinish that gun. The wear it has now shows is years of Enjoyment by your Grandfather and a refinish would destroy all that Pus drop the over all value by 50 % Just my 2 cents worth as I have heard many that had relatives Pieces passed Down them like you say Later they wish they had just left it alone rather than had it refinsihed and Just enjoyed it the way it was.. Hammerdown

[EddieB]

I need to do something to it to fix the rust its acquired. I'll try here in a little bit to find my camera and get some pictures of it for you.

[Hammer Down]

Originally Posted by EddieB

I need to do something to it to fix the rust its acquired. I'll try here in a little bit to find my camera and get some pictures of it for you.

Hello Eddie
Before I shoot any of my Newly acquired S&W used revolvers that I Purchase, I take them apart and make sure they are clean and ready to perform. I don't know if you are familiar with Taking a K-22 apart so I will run you through the steps as how I do this Process with all my S&W revolvers.The best thing to use on Bluing that has rust Present is 0000 Steel wool and a good Gun Oil. I only User Corrosion-X Gun Oil as it stops all rust dead in it's Tracks but if you are slim on selection Rem-Oil or Hoppes Gun Oil will work but not do the job that Corrosion-X will do. When trying to remove to Neutralize the Rust Do not be afraid to lay on that steel wool as it will not Hurt anything other than the rust once you apply the Gun Oil , work it Hard with that 0000 steel wool. Wal-Mart sells the 0000 Steel wool in a sleeve Package and it is Cheap. If the gun is real Nasty with Old Oil and grim I would suggest first a good cleaning with what I Like to use Gumout Carburetor Cleaner. It will do everything the more expensive Gun Cleaners do for much less and the results are far more superior removing all the Grime and grunge. Before you get started it is best to remove the guns grip's so any of the cleaning agents will Not attack their finish. Unscrew the flat headed grip screw, Until it feels Like it is backed all the way out of the Threads but do NOT remove the screw yet as it has one more job to do before removing it from your grips. Once the screw is backed all the way out of the Threads Take the gun and set it in your Lap and Place the blade of the screw driver on the flat screw head and apply pressure Pushing off the Opposite Grip Panel from it's Frame Mounting Pin. You will feel it when it clears the frame. Now flip the gun over and use your Index finger to push off the Opposite Panel. Many Make the Mistake of trying to Pry off the grips and this either damages the wood or splits the grips doing it that way, or worse Yet slip with the screw driver and scar their Bluing finish forever. I would advise that you find a good straight bladed screw driver before you start that fits the most forward side plate screw Tightly and feels secure. This screw when removed will allow you to open the Guns cylinder and by Pulling forward while the crane is in the wide open Position will allow the removal of The Crane assembly and cylinder from your K-22. Be sure to Not Loose the cylinder crane side Plate screw while it is apart I usually set the screw in the Cap of the Carb cleaner for safe keeping. Once the crane and cylinder are removed from the main Frame of the revolver, Pull the Crane over the cylinder extractor rod to separate the two.The extractor can also be removed from the cylinder. It should be Right hand threads as S&W did not change over to left hand Threads until the Mid 1950's. If the extractor has not been unscrewed from the cylinder since it left the factory it can be a challenge Breaking it Free. Do NOT Place any Pliers on the Knurled part of the extractor because this will damage the Knurling forever and many make this mistake and it can not be fixed once it is damaged without replacement. I have in the Past before I got an Extractor Rod tool, Used a leather waist belt to protect the Knurling on The extractor. Place a Belt around the Knurled Part and then use a set of good Pliers over the leather belt and unscrew your extractor from the cylinder. Don't Be concerned if you have to really Bear down on the Piers to break the extractor loose as they can be very tight and the use of the leather belt will allow removal with Out Damage Once it is apart pay close attention of how it all comes out of your cylinder when taking is apart and place it on your work bench the exact way it came apart for easy replacement back in the cylinder once the cleaning process is over. Use a rag and Soak it with the Carb cleaner. Clean all the Parts along with springs from Inside the extractor and set them aside for now. Be sure once the extractor rod is Pulled from the cylinder that you push the extractor which id the star shaped part that the rounds lay against on the face of the cylinder and clean it well top and bottom along with the Recessed machined face of the cylinder it fits down into as this are is Notorious for catching Burnt Powder and crud and it Often makes cylinder closing a chore once it has gotten built up with Burnt Powder and crude, and in time Can bind up your action while cycling it to the next round. The Star extractor has a Channel that fits only one way back into your cylinder, so you will have to Line up this channel and it rests down over Two small Location Pins once it is close to the face of the cylinder. I would Imagine the face of the cylinder along with the bores of it will need hard cleaning. I use a bronze Bristle brush for this and Hoppes Number Nine gun cleaner. If it is stubborn to get real clean get your self some "Chore Boy" scouring Pad's from the Grocery store. These are Copper scouring pads and will NOT harm your Bluing. They are very effective at removing old lead and burnt Powder and leave behind a nice cleaned Blued surface. Use a Bronze Bore brush in the Internal Barrel bore with Plenty of Hoppes gun cleaner. It may take Six or eight times to rid the barrel of excessive lead build up and burnt Powder as the .22 Caliber round is the most filthy round out there. You can also clean the forcing cone {The Business end of the barrel that is directly in front of the Cylinder, and screwed into the main Frame} with Hoppes number nine and the Bronze brush while the cylinder is out, it makes this chore a Cinch, and there is enough room to get a cotton cleaning patch up between the forcing cone and the Upper revolver top strap to rid it of Lead and Burnt Powder as well. You can also clean the recoil shield area of your revolver, {Back by the firing Pin} with Hoppes and the brush as well. Now wipe it all down good and if you want to lubricate the Internals of the revolver with gun Oil, it is easy to do by simply letting a couple of drops of Gun Oil seep down on Both sides of the hammer. This will eventually find it's way to all the Internals of the revolver and keep them working fine, and you really do not want to over Lubricate the Internals as it serves no purpose other than making a mess by leaking out when you are firing the revolver from recoil. take the extracroe star and line up the Channel I spoke of earlier. It will go in when it is Lined up perfect. Now you can add a couple of drops of Gun Oil to the crane tube then Put your extractor rod back in the cylinder the way it came apart and compress it to the Point to where you can get it to thread itself back in the cylinder, Then Place the crane back over the extractor rod, Making it fit flush back into the cylinder and Place The cylinder and Crane assembly back in the main Housing of the revolver. Put back the side plate front securement screw, and Tighten it up then close up the cylinder. Place your Grips back on the frame and take down the securement screw tightly. Wipe the entire gun off with a clean soft towel and apply a Light coat of Oil to keep it looking Great. Your K-22 should be ready to enjoy and fire now that it is clean. I hope this help's

[EddieB]

Thanks again Hammer Down. I have some pictures now. Here goes a few and some links to more if you are really really really wanting to see alot.




hard to see the rifling in the pic, but its there and in pretty good looking condition

[EddieB]

Forgot the link, antihuman81 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

[Hammer Down]

Hello Eddie
Nothing wong with that old K-22. It will Look a lot better after you get after it with the 0000 and Gun Oil. The Bores are always nice in most K-22's due to the wax on the bullets it kept the rifling preserved...The grips should be removed and scrubbed with a tooth brush and some Old English wood cleaner. I would give that bad boy a good cleaning and get it to the range soon, it Years to be fired and enjoyed.. Hammerdown

[mabwah]

Hi again HammerDown,

You are simply THE authority on these "wheelguns". No one else has contributed nearly as much info to the interweb concerning the S&W Masterpiece. I'm impressed. Thank You!

After much squinting I get:
K42 0364 & below that MOD 48 (on the FRAME behind the yoke).
42958 & below that R 5 (you can see on the yoke when cylinder is flopped open).
K420364 on bottom of the frame when you look at the butt of the gun.
What does it all mean?

Also I wanted to say thanks for your reply above where you indicated HOW to dissemble the pistol. As a tip to anyone looking for this type of info you can go to "search" google books and look for "The Gun Digest Book of Exploded Gun Drawings" there you will find schematics of Model 48 as well as others.

Thanks Again
~mabwah

[Hammer Down]

Hello
Acording to my Reference mateial, Your Model 48 is from around 1960-K-386805--K--429894. I hope this helps, Hammerdown

[cturn40]

Hello Hammerdown,
I have a newer K22 model 18-4 Combat Masterpiece that was given to me by my father. I think it is a mid 80's model. The serial number is 228K151. The gun is in excellent condition. I would like to find a set of grips similar to the ones on your 4" model 48. Do you know where I might find these grips. I have read several of your posts and it is obvious that you know quite a lot about these guns. I would appreciate any information you might give me.

[Hammer Down]

Originally Posted by mabwah

Hi again HammerDown,



After much squinting I get:
K42 0364 & below that MOD 48 (on the FRAME behind the yoke).
42958 & below that R 5 (you can see on the yoke when cylinder is flopped open).
K420364 on bottom of the frame when you look at the butt of the gun.
What does it all mean?


Thanks Again
~mabwah

Hello Mabwah
All The Numbers you provided are assembly numbers. They tell what has been on the gun or what point it has reach during production of making it whole. The K-Prefix with the numbers after it is your gun's serial number and from what my Reference material shos me with serial number K420364 Your Gun falls into this range 1960-K-386805--K--429894 making it a 1960 4 screw model. Here is mine and it shipped in 1961 and is also a Four screw revolver..I hope this helps, Hammerdown

[willieboat007]

Hello all:

I recently acquired a K22 masterpiece and I to would like to find out more about it. It has a serial number K723xx and has 3 plate screws on the logo side one under trigger and one on the grip. Can you give me some background. It has hand checkered hammer and narrow trigger.

regards

Willieboat007

[Hammer Down]

Originally Posted by willieboat007

Hello all:

I recently acquired a K22 masterpiece and I to would like to find out more about it. It has a serial number K723xx and has 3 plate screws on the logo side one under trigger and one on the grip. Can you give me some background. It has hand checkered hammer and narrow trigger.

regards

Willieboat007

Hello Willieboat007
According to my Reference material your K-22 is from 1948. It is The Third design change K-22, and of the Third Year Post-War production Year. These models are called Five screw models as they have Four screws in their sideplate and under the Trigger Guard. They have an Upswept Hammer design also called a Speed Hammer to assist in a Faster cocking action. The hammers are forged like the triggers and machine cross hatched then color case hardened. The triggers are .0265" and grooved and most hammers are .0300" wide and are also called by some a Fish Hook Hammer due to their appearence. 1948 was the first year for S&W to stamp a Four Line address Just above and to the right of the trigger on the right side of the Main revolver frame. Prior to this being 1947 all Revolvers were stamped simply " Made in The U.S.A.". The finish on your revolver is of Matte Blue or what I call Soft glow Bluing. This was done because the Consumer demand was so Heavy Post-War for S&W"s that the soft glow matte finish was much easier and faster to produce requiring much less Polishing before it received is Bluing. The grips will be Magna style checkerd with a Diamond around the Eustension Hole. If you were to remove the grips, the revolvers serial number will be stamped on the lower internal right Grip Panel. S&W did this to assure the fitted grips got back with the same gun after final fitting and finish. There was two fitting processes back then, because They had not Yet standardized the size of the revolvers frames or Parts. The first Process was called Soft fitting where all parts were rough finished to a revolver, then stamped with the guns serial number and sent on to what is called the Hard finish Process, which consisted of a final fit and polish before final assembly of the revolver took Place, along with the bluing of the revolvers. This is why we see serial numbers stamped on the face of the cylinder, The rear of The Cylinder star Extractor, The main grips frame butt, The grips and the Under side of the barrel flat above the extractor Cut out. The rear sight is called a Micro sight, which was introduced in 1940 on the Second series K-22's to replace the original smaller style drift set screw configuration was saw on the earlier Outdoorsman which was the Original first model K-22's. These new Micro style sight allowed easier click Positive adjustments of the sight for windage and elevation. The front sight was a Patrirdge style being Either 1/8"or 1/10" in height and was Pinned in Place. They also offered after market front sight made by The King Gun sight Corp. of California in Many configurations at the request of the buyer. I hope this information is Helpful... Hammerdown

[39deere]

Could you provide any info on K 1760XX?
Thank you.
Chris

[Hammer Down]

Hello Chris
Here ya go...Hammerdown 1953-K175638--K--210095

[39deere]

Thank you.

[raisedin99]

a 1947 vintage UNFIRED K22 Masterpiece:

[Easy Goin']

My 96-year-old Mother recently gave me her Smith & Wesson handgun which she has owned since 1976. I’m close to certain it’s a K-22 Masterpiece, Model No. 17, but I’m not sure. Open the cylinder and you will find two matching serial numbers, 65xxx. On the butt you will find K 59xxx.

The gun seems to be in excellent condition except for a not-very-deep scratch/smudge (about the size of your little finger print) on the barrel right next to the “CTG.” As you might guess, I have no papers (I don’t know if she ever registered it) and no box.

My questions ...

How do I go about registering it (in either Michigan or Virginia ... take your pick)?

I would like to “do right” by this gun by having it restored to its close-to-original, mint condition, including removing the scratch. What do you advise?