Smith &Wesson ~ K-38 Combat Masterpiece ″Pre-Model 15″ ~ .38 Special

Here is an example of the Smith & Wesson K-38 Combat Masterpiece, predecessor to the Model 15, made circa 1953. It's an early-production, 5-screw K-frame chambered in .38 Special, featuring a 4-inch pinned barrel, 6-round fluted cylinder, blue finish, adjustable rear sight, and a Baughman-style ramp front sight with red insert. It wears a set of genuine Smith & Wesson checkered walnut target stocks with thumb rest, identified by their interior markings of KT-WAL, 5210 for the left and 5214 for the right. These are believed to be later replacements and not original to this gun. It retains about 75-80% of its bluing, showing honest handling wear, finish thinning, and age-appropriate cosmetic imperfections. The bore and chambers are clean and bright, the action is smooth, and cylinder lockup is tight. This is a nice, mechanically-sound example of an early post-WWII S&W K-frame. No box or case.