K-38

[steelbuttplate]

If I'd known these shoot this good, I'd bought one when I was 18. Made in '51 it's a pre-15. S&W grips on the way.

[SA1911a1]

I like it! I was made in '51 too!

[Junk Yard Dog]

I am more familiar with the .38/44 built on what would become the N frame, but I have heard good things about the later K frames.

[steelbuttplate]

I am more familiar with the .38/44 built on what would become the N frame, but I have heard good things about the later K frames.

The K frames just fit my hand better than any other revolver.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Oh yea, there is a reason the K frame .38 special has been popular for so many years, they do fit well in most people's hands unless they have unusually small, or large hands. The .38/44 was just the .357 magnum before they finished inventing it, what we would call a +P+ .38 special load today. All they did to make the first .357 mag was bore the cylinder the rest of the way so it could fit the longer case. Metallurgy improved later on and the K frame also handled the .357. I guess they figured the model 10 couldn't handle a hotter load at the time so they took the .44 special, put a .38 barrel on it, and bored the .44 special cylinder to .38 special spec, and overloaded the cartridge. They got tired of .38 special bullets bouncing off gangsters cars in 1930

[tjtM38]

The S&W K-frame .38's are my favorites. I have several.

[+dhic]

You did good. That old Smith ought to run 100 years. You'll love shooting 148 wadcutters in it.
+dhic

[tjtM38]

I wouldn't put any +P loads in that piece. I have shot thousands of rounds of standard .38 Special through my Model 15 for 30+ years. I don't think it will ever wear out. Nice shooting.

[polymerase2]

This is how it starts. Buy your first wheel gun, especially one with a good smooth action and you are hooked. Used Smiths are reasonable and used Rugers are downright cheap.

[steelbuttplate]

I wouldn't put any +P loads in that piece. I have shot thousands of rounds of standard .38 Special through my Model 15 for 30+ years. I don't think it will ever wear out. Nice shooting.

No + P, and cuz read on the S&W forum they should have anything but lead ammo, no jacket. The jacket is hard on the bore in models made before a certain year, 60's ? I can't remember when it changed.

[tjtM38]

When the Model 15 was my drawer gun back in the 80's, I loaded it with Federal 125 grain Nyclad HP. It was the closest thing to +P in a standard .38 Special pressure load. Sadly, they quite making the Nyclad some years ago. Now my house and range bag gun is a S&W Model 65 .357 Magnum, but I load it with .38 +P loads. The magnums out of that 3-inch barrel are a bit hard to take. So I shoot lead semi-wadcutters for practice and load +P for bedside. The Model 65 is the bottom gun in the attached photo.