Help me Understand 38 K-Frames Numbers

[BrianSH]

I own a 6" 66, and that's my sole experience with K-Frames.
On the 38 side of the house, what is the difference between the Md 10, 13, 15 etc. Methinks its more than bull bbls, and factory sites. - Brian

[Malamute]

I own a 6" 66, and that's my sole experience with K-Frames.
On the 38 side of the house, what is the difference between the Md 10, 13, 15 etc. Methinks its more than bull bbls, and factory sites. - Brian

Your 66 is a stainless version of the model 19, or "Combat Magnum" 357 magnum built on the medium or K frame, and having adjustable sights and shrouded extractor rod. In Smiths model designations, any model starting with a 6 is stainless.

Model 10 is fixed sight 38 spl. Came in skinny and thicker barrels. Theres a stainless version, I don't know the number but it starts with a 6, (64 or 65?) The 10s were made with 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6" barrels. I think the 3 and 4s were available in the heavy barrels, all Ive seen of the other barrel lengths were lighter tapered barrels.

Model 13 is a fixed sight heavy barrel 357. Similar to the heavy barrel model 10 other than caliber. Theres a stainless version, (64 or 65?)

Model 15 was called the Combat Masterpiece, being an adjustable sighted 2 or 4" barreled gun, with some taper in the barrel. It was a lighter, shorter version of the model 14 K-38 Masterpiece target pistol, and slightly lighter barrel.

Smith didn't start using model numbers before the mid 50's. They had names. the model 10 was the Military and Police.

There are variations of each of them to some degree, but that's the usual way they are encountered.

Many like the 3" round butt version of the model 10/13/stainless versions as a carry gun. The 2 1/2" 19/66 also makes a nice carry gun, but shooting factory magnum loads in the short barrel can be very unpleasant. I had an extremely good shooting 2 1/2" 19 that I foolishly sold years ago simply because it was so unpleasant to shoot with magnum loads. I carried it with +P 38's, and figured I may as well have a lighter gun to go along with the lighter load.

[Griff]

From Wikipedia:
K-Frame (medium) Models
Smith & Wesson Model 10—.38 Special. Previously the ".38 Military & Police" and ".38 Victory Model"[20]
Smith & Wesson Model 11—.38 S&W. Previously the ".38 Regular Military & Police"[25]
Smith & Wesson Model 12—.38 Special. "Airweight" (alloy frame) version of the Model 10.[20]
Smith & Wesson Model 13—.357 Magnum version of the Model 10.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 14—.38 Special. Previously the "K-38 Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 15—.38 Special. Previously the "38 Combat Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 16—.32 S&W Long Caliber. Previously the "K-32 Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 17—.22 Caliber. Previously the "K-22 Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 18—.22 Caliber. Previously the "22 Combat Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 19—.357 Magnum. Previously the "Combat Magnum"; first lightweight .357 Magnum, built at the request of Bill Jordan[20][26]
Smith & Wesson Model 53—blued steel .22 Magnum, built for .22 Remington Jet Center fire Magnum ammunition.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 64—.38 Special. Stainless steel version of the Model 10.[27]
Smith & Wesson Model 65—.357 Magnum. Stainless steel version of the Model 13[28]
Smith & Wesson Model 66—.357 Magnum. Stainless steel version of the Model 19.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 67—.38 Special. Stainless steel version of the Model 15.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 68—.38 Special version of the Model 66 (half-lug) 6" barrel.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 617—.22 Caliber. Full-lug, Stainless steel, 10-shot version of the Model 17.[24]

The -dash numbers are a different thing. I've always thought it was a variation on the basic mdl #, having to do with barrel length and butt shape. The mdl 13 is a fixed sight gun, like the 65 version, both with bull barrels. When I bought my mdl 65, the FBI was still issuing a '-3' version, 3" barrel & round butt. The 19 is a adj. sight gun, like the 66.

[Ysabel Kid]

From Wikipedia:
K-Frame (medium) Models
Smith & Wesson Model 10—.38 Special. Previously the ".38 Military & Police" and ".38 Victory Model"[20]
Smith & Wesson Model 11—.38 S&W. Previously the ".38 Regular Military & Police"[25]
Smith & Wesson Model 12—.38 Special. "Airweight" (alloy frame) version of the Model 10.[20]
Smith & Wesson Model 13—.357 Magnum version of the Model 10.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 14—.38 Special. Previously the "K-38 Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 15—.38 Special. Previously the "38 Combat Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 16—.32 S&W Long Caliber. Previously the "K-32 Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 17—.22 Caliber. Previously the "K-22 Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 18—.22 Caliber. Previously the "22 Combat Masterpiece".[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 19—.357 Magnum. Previously the "Combat Magnum"; first lightweight .357 Magnum, built at the request of Bill Jordan[20][26]
Smith & Wesson Model 53—blued steel .22 Magnum, built for .22 Remington Jet Center fire Magnum ammunition.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 64—.38 Special. Stainless steel version of the Model 10.[27]
Smith & Wesson Model 65—.357 Magnum. Stainless steel version of the Model 13[28]
Smith & Wesson Model 66—.357 Magnum. Stainless steel version of the Model 19.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 67—.38 Special. Stainless steel version of the Model 15.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 68—.38 Special version of the Model 66 (half-lug) 6" barrel.[24]
Smith & Wesson Model 617—.22 Caliber. Full-lug, Stainless steel, 10-shot version of the Model 17.[24]

The -dash numbers are a different thing. I've always thought it was a variation on the basic mdl #, having to do with barrel length and butt shape. The mdl 13 is a fixed sight gun, like the 65 version, both with bull barrels. When I bought my mdl 65, the FBI was still issuing a '-3' version, 3" barrel & round butt. The 19 is a adj. sight gun, like the 66.

Great info Griff!

[Pete44ru]

.

FWIW, the "dash numbers" (like Model 15-2 or Model 15-4) are usually minor changes/improvements that are too minimal to warrant a change to a newer/separate "model" - like the cylinder/chamber change from the chambers having a cartridge rim recess, to the less-expensive (to manufacture) smooth/flat (except for the ratchet) cylinder rear that the cartridge rims sit atop; and/or from a pinned-in barrel to deleting the pin, etc, etc, etc.

IIRC, some models have had over a half-dozen such "dash number" changes.


.

[Malamute]

The dashes are engineering changes. Theres been a number of minor and major changes to the internals, or in the case of the model 25, the base gun was a 45 ACP target gun, the 25-5 was a 45 Colt with ramped front sight. There may be dash changes with different barrels than was standard on the base gun also, but I'm not certain what all was encompassed when they used a dash change.