Howdy
The Registered Magnums were custom made guns. Built on the large N frame, 23 different barrel lengths were available, six choices for front sights, Blue, nickel, and engraved finishes, Service or Magna grips, optional hump backed hammer, optional grip adapter. Each revolver was sighted in at the factory with the ammunition of the customer's choosing, for any distance out to 200 meters. A registration number was stamped on the yoke cut of the frame, and each customer received a matching certificate. The first one was completed in 1935 and sent to J. Edgar Hoover. The Second one went to Phil Sharpe who had worked with Winchester to develop the cartridge.
The Registered Magnum was conceived as a deluxe revolve, selling for $60, $15 more than anything in the S&W line. This was at the height of the Great Depression, so the $15 premium was a lot of money.
Despite the cost, S&W was overwhelmed with orders. The factory could only complete about 120 revolvers per month. By 1938, after completing 5,500 Registered Magnums the practice of registering the revolvers and stamping a registration number on them was discontinued. After that time, the name of the revolver was simply The 357 Magnum and they were produced up until 1941, when production was stopped for war time production. The 357 Magnum was reintroduced in 1948 with the latest internal hammer block, and a short throw hammer. Barrel lengths were standardized at 3 1/2". 5", 6", 6 1/2", and 8 3/8". In 1957 the name of The 357 Magnum was changed to the Model 27.
One of the features retained in the Model 27 from the original 357 Magnum was the checkering on the top strap, rear sight, and barrel rib. Seen at the bottom of this photo. A Model 19 is at the top of the photo.
Many law enforcement agencies were interested in The 357 Magnum revolver, but the cost was prohibitive. After receiving many inquiries, S&W president C. R. Hellstrom met with company engineers and it was determined that by doing away with the cosmetic beauty of the revolver, an affordable 357 Magnum revolver could be built on the same N frame that would retain the smooth lockwork of the Model 27. The first run of The Highway Patrolman revolvers was produced in 1954 and it was cataloged in 1955. A brushed blue finish was applied to the outside of the revolver, and the top strap and barrel rib were given a matte finish. In 1957 when S&W went over to the model number system, The Highway Patrolman became the Model 28.
This Model 28 exhibits the matte finish on the top strap. In point of fact, the finish of the Model 28 varied over the years, sometimes it was almost as polished as a Model 27, other times it was a non-reflective matte finish.
For what it's worth, I have a copy of a S&W circular from 1958 listing the price of the Model 27 as $120 and the Model 28 at $85, $90 with target stocks. The Model 29 (44 Magnum) is going for $140 in this circular.
In 1954 C.R. Hellstrom asked Bill Jordan what he considered an ideal law enforcement officer's gun would be. Jordan replied that it should be a 357 Magnum revolver built on the K (medium) frame with a 4" heavy barrel and an extractor shroud like on The 357 Magnum. S&W conducted tests throughout 1954 and into 1955 using various steels and heat treatment processes. S&W produced the first 357 Combat Magnums in 1955. It featured a 4" barrel with a Baughman front sight. The first one went to Bill Jordan for testing. In 1957 The Combat Magnum became the Model 19. A six inch barrel was offered in 1963, and later still a 2 1/2" barrel was offered.
My 1958 catalog lists the price of the 357 Combat Magnum at $100.
I bought my Model 19-3 in 1975. It cost $125 at the time.
Interestingly enough, although 'combat' in S&W language usually means a 4" barrel with a Baughman front sight, the paper work that came with my Model 19 with its 6" barrel and Patridge front sight clearly refers to it as a Combat Magnum.
The glossary at the back of The Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson defines Masterpiece as "a hand ejector K frame design with adjustable sights, introduced about 1946, including click adjustable micrometer sights, short fast action, and built in anti-backlash trigger."
The first Masterpiece introduced was the K-22 Masterpiece (Pre-war, K-22 2nd Model) which had a short production run in 1940 and 1941 with only 1067 manufactured. This is not quite the same gun as the earlier K-22 Outdoorsman, which did not feature the modern click adjustable rear sight.
This K-22 Outdoorsman has the older style rear sight.
This postwar K-22 Masterpiece has the modern click adjustable rear sight. It also has a narrow barrel rib.
This K-22 Combat Masterpiece combines the 'Masterpiece' features of the 4" barrel with the Baughman 'quick draw' front sight. Of course no one would carry a 22 into combat, it is just a name.
The Masterpiece label was also applied to the K-32 and K-38 target revolvers.
One of the selling points of the Masterpiece series was they were all built to weigh the same. So the 22, or 32, or 38 should feel no different in the hands of the shooter. The weight of the loaded revolvers did vary slightly.
K-22 Masterpiece: 38 1/2 ounces loaded.
K-32 Masterpiece: 36 3/4 ounces loaded.
K-38 Masterpiece: 36 ounces.
In 1957, the K-22 became the Model 17.
The K-38 became the Model 14. Visible behind the trigger is the little piece that prevents the trigger from over traveling and makes the trigger an anti-backlash trigger.
