WTK value of Smith and wessons

[RG Coburn]

Looked at two today.
one was an m1917 in .45 acp,about 50% blue intact,pretty tight cylinder lockup.Bore looked alright,sharp rifling,not pitted,just dirty. Price was $250

Second was a K 38,about 90%blue,nice barrel,4 inch,very tight,in .357 mag (advertised on tag)Price was $300

Are these in the ballpark? The K38 sure felt nice.

[charles isaac]

The wear patterns and general overall look of the piece will have a lot to do with the value. Did the '17 have the original grips and lanyard swivel? Brazilian or USGI?

Did the 38 have diamond grips?

Both sound underpriced. I would jump on the '17.

[RG Coburn]

Both had original grips and lanyard swivels. The 1917 was US made. Both are extremely tempting.The K for practicality,the 1917 for antique coolness.

[charles isaac]

On the '17 there was a Brazilian contract with a crest on the sideplate, US made but for the Brazilian Gov. The K 38 you are describing sounds strange. Could be a K38 converted to .357? Having a lanyard swivel, it could be a police contract, military (Air Force and Navy used M15s) or a parts gun??

[bykerhd]

Open the cylinder up on that K38.
It should have the model number stamped in side on the frame.
If it IS a K-38, it should be a .38 Special. The caliber is usually stamped on the barrel. It could be some sort of conversion. If so, I would avoid it.

Sounds like a good price on a 1917 in decent shape. A lot of the Brazilian contract guns had pretty hard lives, as did a lot of the U.S. service revolvers.
Look it over carefully before you buy.

[BUFF]

The model number system S&W uses now began in 1957; before that most of their guns had names: The K-38 (the Model 15 later) in 2 or 4 inch was the Combat Masterpiece, the K-38 (Model 14) in 6 and 8-3/8 inch were just Masterpieces. The adjustable sight K frame .357 (Model 19) is the Combat Magnum. So, the .38/.357 may or may not have a model number in the yoke cut-out.

The 1917 is a bargain if it works. The K frame may be a fair deal or a great deal depending on what it turns out to be.