Could use some advice about S&W 15-2 purchase

[TacticalJanitor]

I found the other thread on THR. It seems like many S&W pistols had the trigger stop until it became fashionable to remove them due to a possible malfunction, then S&W stopped putting them on pistols.

No problem. I'll leave it as is.

Thanks.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

This little jobbie. I can't imagine what else it could be.

View attachment 1139801

It's a trigger stop. My 15-3 has one. I have put thousands of rounds through it and never had an issue.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Oh btw, remove the screw that holds the cylinder latch thumb piece on, degrease it with acetone or 91% rubbing alcohol, and put a drop of BLUE Loctite on it. (Do NOT use red Loctite, which requires heat for removal.) I had mine loosen up after a lot of shooting and if I hadn't noticed it, it would have been lost in the gravel.

 

[TacticalJanitor]

Oh btw, remove the screw that holds the cylinder latch thumb piece on, degrease it with acetone or 91% rubbing alcohol, and put a drop of BLUE Loctite on it. (Do NOT use red Loctite, which requires heat for removal.) I had mine loosen up after a lot of shooting and if I hadn't noticed it, it would have been lost in the gravel.

Good advice. I have a 340 that has a loose cylinder release button every time I come home from the range. First I tried VC3. Loose again. Next I tried blue LT. Loose again. Now I just tighten all the screws carefully each time I clean a revolver (which is how I found the loose yoke screw today), and I clean them every time they come home from the range.

The funny thing is that I have two other 340s that do not have this problem.

 

[Zahn]

You done good, TJ. I would've made that deal every day and twice on Sunday.

A Model 15 is on my short list. I'll just have to 'make do' with my model 64 until then.

 

[J-Bar]

S&W gunsmiths are darn good at setting up a revolver for 99.99% shooting situations. Don't mess with the trigger stop.

 

[Old Dog]

The Model 15-3 that I bought in 1996 would be the very last gun I ever got rid of.

I'm right there with you. We do these silly "If you could only own one handgun" threads regularly, and one of my Model 15s, likely this one, would be my sentimental and practical choice.

 

[TacticalJanitor]

I really like the balance and the way it feels in the hand. Part of that is the rubber grips, I imagine.

Looking forward to seeing how it shoots.

 

[Old Dog]

I really like the balance and the way it feels in the hand. Part of that is the rubber grips, I imagine.

Looking forward to seeing how it shoots.

Just my personal preference as far as the "Goodyears" go when it comes to rubber grips -- although I have decent sized hands, the Hogues just don't feel quite right, and if you're packing on a mid or high rise belt holster, the rubber is really grippy on your shirts. I find the Pachmayr Grippers (shown below on a Colt) not quite as huge, and don't stick to the clothing as much, yet offer a firm grip with a nice, subtle palm swell.

 

[Riomouse911]

On my lighter-kickers, like these K-frame S&W .38’s, I like the Thai fingergroove wooden grips. Same goes for my rimfire S&W Models 17-2, 18-2 and 48’s.



When the recoil starts to pick up with .357’s and up, I prefer the synthetic grips from Pachmayr or Hogue. (I do have a couple of larger guns with wooden grips though, a 6” Model 66-3 .357 and a 6.5” Model 624 .44 Spl.) For me, softer synthetic grips like the Hogue grips on your Model 15’s absorb some of the sting.

Stay safe.

 

[kevincallahan]

My first duty gun, carried daily from 1981 thru 1985 . Back then 19’s were the rage and were in short supply and this was in stock, since we were issued 38 special ammo, was an easy choice and served me very well. I would not sell it for any price even now

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

This little jobbie. I can't imagine what else it could be.

Yes, it is a Trigger Stop.

Starting around 1946 Smith and Wesson introduced the Masterpiece series of target revolvers; i.e., the K 22 Masterpiece, K 32 Masterpiece, and K 38 Masterpiece. These featured the click adjustable rear sight, the short throw hammer, and an 'anti backlash trigger'. The anti backlash trigger was possible because of the Trigger Stop.

Here is a photo of the trigger stop on a Model 17-3.






The trigger stop was set at the factory to only allow the trigger to move back a tiny amount after the hammer fell in single action. Do not mess with it, leave it alone. Trust me on this.

 

[PapaG]

I bought an almost mint 15-3 at our club swap meet two years ago. I had appraised it for the owner at $600 on the low side. Late in the day, he came over and said, $400?"
I told him I'd feel I cheated him at that price. He told me that he'd rather I have it than some dealer/flipper and that I'd use it and appreciate it so he wanted me to have it. It is now in my safe and comes out every now and then to shoot tight groups of hbwc specials. A good 15-2, -3 or so around here will bring $600 on through the roof.

 

[Old Dog]

There's a word that comes to mind when I look at, handle or shoot Model 15s and it's not a word I would normally use in any conversation.

But the Model 15, especially a 4 inch, for me, is the Quintessential Revolver.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

This is the predecessor to your Model 15, a K-38 Combat Masterpiece.

This one shipped in 1953. This is a Five Screw Smith, notice the side plate screw near the hammer. Notice the 'speed hammer' an early form of the short throw hammer. Notice the barrel is pinned, and so is the front sight. You should be able to see the trigger stop peeking out behind the trigger. It is wearing the correct Magna grips, they are numbered to the gun. I paid $750 for it a few years ago. In 1957 S&W changed to a model numbering system and the K-38 Combat Masterpiece became the Model 15. Do not mess with the trigger stop, as I said they were set at the factory. S&W stopped including the trigger stop because it was a little bit less expensive to make without it. Nothing to do with it being unreliable, unless some bozo messed with it.

 

[amd6547]

The only comment I read when I was researching the Model 15 regarding the trigger stop, was that some PD’s removed it because of fear that it would go out of adjustment.

 

[wcwhitey]

Well, here she is. It turns out that my memory isn't as good as I thought, but I'm still glad I picked it up.

It's a 15-3, so I was wrong about the year. Standard trigger & hammer. Rubber grips. But, he told me that he "thinks he had some wood grips in the closet"...so I may yet wind up with the originals, and maybe the original box too. Not holding my breath though.

It has more wear than I remember, but doesn't seem to have a lot of rounds through it, judging by the wear around the ratchet and firing pin.

View attachment 1139759

View attachment 1139760


I haven't found a bit of rust or pitting yet. This afternoon I'll give 'er a good cleaning, then put some WC through it on Wednesday.

WC @ 800 fps should be safe for this old pistol..right?

Thanks!

That revolver will handle and shoot any .38 Special you can find for sale. +P not a problem! Nice pickup. A good Model 15 is one of those forever guns. Everything a .38 Special should be.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

There's a word that comes to mind when I look at, handle or shoot Model 15s and it's not a word I would normally use in any conversation.

But the Model 15, especially a 4 inch, for me, is the Quintessential Revolver.

Sometime back in the 1990s I was shooting with the late Walt Rauch, the gun writer. Walt had a lot of experience with handguns of all sorts, was an amazing shot, and at the time usually carried a 1911 IWB. He put a cylinder through my Model 15 and as he handed it back to me said, "Yup, the K-Frame is G-d's gift to handgunners."

 

[bonza]

A little late to this discussion, but I picked up a 15-4 at a local gun show last weekend. Although I had some money in my pocket, I wasn't looking for anything in particular but have been toying with retiring my c.1927 Colt Officers Target .38 due to a crack in the forcing cone. An older gentleman had a few handguns on a table, including the 15-4 with a price tag of $595 (at least $200 less than anything similar I'd seen that day), & it was in 95%+ condition, but with Hogue rubber grips. He immediately offered to drop the price to $550 so I jumped on it. I took it to the range after work last Wednesday with some HBWC reloads & sighted her in at 15yds. Accuracy was great, single action trigger pull is like a glass rod, just a suberb revolver all around & I couldn't be happier. Interestingly, even though it's marked as a 15-4 it still has the pinned barrel, so must have been made before the transtion.

 

[TacticalJanitor]

I managed to put 6 rounds through it last week, but it was shooting 4 inches high and two left at 50 feet...and I forgot my good screwdrivers.

Next time I go to the range I'll get it sighted in properly and see how tight the groups can get.

 

[br549arkie]

To me the Model 15 Combat Masterpiece was one of the finest revolvers S&W ever made.

 

[Reloadron]

Been awhile, maybe 4 years. Daughter calls me up, Son-in-law wanted a gun for Christmas. Renee, the term gun is not very specific, what kind of gun? Dad, I think he said revolver. OK, some progress on that note. So Renee what did you plan to spend? Well dad, I can go $200. Renee, you are not going to find any decent revolver for that price. Let me look around up my way and see what may work. I found a really nice Model 15 in a friend's shop. I always just ask, best and final out the door? Jimmy came back at me with $500 out the door. I bought that gun and called the daughter. I explained that this would be a family gift since her $200 wasnt going to buy much.

Mike (son-in-law) got his first revolver. I loaded up 100 rounds of 3.0 grains Bullseye under 158 grain HBWC and gave them to the kid with his new gun.


I liked that little Model 15 so much that when another came along I bought it for myself.

Gun deals and gun prices among friends and neighbors really only come down to two things. Buyer and seller agree on a price point they are both happy with, All that matters is that buyer and seller both come away happy.

Enjoy it...
Ron