K frame History?

[Bullet]

Could someone tell me if S&W K frame revolvers were always chambered 357 Mag and 38 Special or did they start out to be 38s?

 

[Brian Williams]

The K frame started life as a 38 spec in 1899 and did not become a 357 until the late 40's or early 50's when it was put in the pre mod 19 and I think called the Combat Masterpiece.

 

[isp2605]

"pre mod 19 and I think called the Combat Masterpiece."

Pre-19 is known as the Combat Magnum in .357.
Pre-15 is known as the Combat Masterpiece in .38.

 

[thatguy]

That's right. The K frame started as the .38 Special and was also made in .38 S&W, .32 Long, .32-20, .22 Long Rifle, .22 Jet, .22 WMR, .357, 9MM Luger and maybe other calibers I have forgotten. The .357 came in 1955.

 

[Lone Star]

The Combat Masterpiece (M15/67) is a .38 Special, and was introduced in 1949. The Combat MAGNUM (Model 19/66) came out in 1955. The second number posted is the model in stainless construction. Those appeared in the early 1970's.

Any good S&W book will answer easy questions like this, and so will most general gun books.

The front lock for the extractor rod didn't appear until 1902, but the basic M&P dates to 1899 and was the birthplace of the .38 Special.

Lone Star

 

[Brian Williams]

pre mod 19 and I think called the Combat Masterpiece.

Brain fart, at work and not near reference books and worked to many hours this week.
Combat Magnum is correct.