S&W K-38 Target or Colt Officers Match?

[MrBorland]

I enjoy informal DA revolver target shooting, but don't have a real centerfire target revolver yet. I have a 1951 S&W K-22, so I was thinking of its K-38 counterpart (the K-32 will have to wait), but am also considering a Colt Officers Match. Both seem like fine examples. Never owned a Colt, though, so tell me - which is the better target revolver? Does one typically have a better trigger, or is one generally considered more accurate?

Eventually, I'd like to pick up a Colt, but I have 2 concerns in this regard: 1) If it ever needs tuning or outright repair, it seems it can be hard to find someone to work on them and 2) since I'd be using the K-22 as an "understudy", its use may be counterproductive if the Colt has a different grip & trigger feel. Of course, I could eventually accumulate a K-38 and both the .22 & .38 version of the Officers Match, but what say ye? Is the Colt a flat out better target revolver?

 

[Maddock]

I do not have a lot of experience with the .38 Special Officers Match, but there is a .22 LR in the house and I have shot other’s Officers Matches in .38 Special and .22LR. I’ve shot and owned K22 and K38 revolvers for many years. The single action trigger pulls on both brands are comparable, but the double action pull on the Colts is very different from the action on an S&W. Some prefer the “staginess” of the Colt, while I prefer the “straight-through” of the S&W. A great deal of that, I am sure, is that I grew up with the S&W pull and so the Colt is just different. Some very knowledgeable shooters believe that the Colts have a slight accuracy edge, but I am not good enough to tell.
A greater concern to me is the lack of qualified gunsmiths to work on the Colts. If you shoot slow-fire single action, there will be little appreciable wear from lots of use, but double action at speed will wear any revolver, resulting in the need for a tune-up.
Finding a qualified S&W smith is a LOT easier than finding a qualified Colt smith.

 

[rcmodel]

That's easy.
If you already have a K-22 Masterpiece, get a K-38 Masterpiece.

They were designed from the getgo to be a matched set to compliment training with them.

rcmodel

 

[earplug]

I shoot Bullseye with a M-14 and own many other S&W's. I have owned Colts.
IMO the S&W has a better SA trigger pull, and most parts for K frame revolvers can be made to work if you want to change triggers and hammers.
And the selection of stocks/grips is larger for S&W.

 

[SwampWolf]

Two classic revolvers whose main purpose for being was Bullseye shooting, fired single-action almost exclusively. Neither is really a better revolver but there are slight ergonomic-type differences that might make one a little more accomodating to the needs of a particular shooter over another. I shoot a Colt Officer's Special but I would love to also have a K-38. Both revolvers are examples of the gunmakers' excellence that was affordable to the general public which will probably never be seen again in America.

I personally believe that the relative scarcity of good Colt gunsmiths (as compared to the comparative abundance of S&W gunsmiths) is more important to your decision than any advantage an "understudy" revolver might offer.

 

[Old Fuff]

The Old Fuff has owned and used both:

1. During the days when Center Fire matches were usually shot with .38 revolvers, the Colt Officers Model was a clear favorite, and shooters using them won more major tournaments. On the other hand, competitors in the .22 category more often used Colt or High Standard pistols.

2. Both of the subject .22 revolvers were based on the respective .38 frame used by the maker. Thus the Colt is somewhat heavier then the Smith & Wesson.

3. If it matters, the S&W has (or can be made to have) a better double-action trigger pull. This observation presumes you intended to buy one of the older K-22 Target Masterpiece revolvers rather then a current day one. The current one may or may not be as good, but I lack the experience to say. The despised lock has nothing to do with this.

4. If it is not abused, a .22 Officers Model that is in time will remain so, until the cows come home.

5. It was generally believed that the Colt, with a 1 x 16" barrel twist, was more accurate out to 50 yards then the S&W with a 1 x 18 3/4" twist. I don't know that many shooters could tell the difference, but it made a marked difference in .38 Special revolvers at that distance.

6. The best solution is to have one (or more) of each...

 

[MrBorland]

Great replies, all - thanks! I was obviously leaning towards the K-38 first, but I do see a Colt in my future. Who knows, though, maybe it'll be a vintage Colt 1911!

 

[rgs1975]

My vote is for the K38. It's one of the finest revolvers I've ever held. Definitely the best shooter of the the K Masterpieces, at least in my safe. The top gun in this pic is the K38 (middle is K32, bottom is K22)

 

[KyJim]

Nice dilemma to have. I own a SW pre-M&P Target .38 and it is absolutely fantastic to shoot. I just acquired a Colt Officer's Model Match .38. I haven't had a chance to wring it out yet but it seems to be on par with the Smith. I would say you can't lose with either one.

 

[timothy75]

I'd go with the colt since their getting harder to find, plus variety is nice. Charles Askins wrote that practically everyone chose the colt for the 38 bullseye event back in his day.