S&W M19: is this a factory front sight?

The model 14's front sight is not that tall, yet I remember years ago seeing that tall sight. I think those who say it is the original K38 Target Masterpiece are correct.

I don't know if it is just the way the light is hitting, but the cylinder bluing does not seem to match the rest of the revolver.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

So there is no, was no, never will be no 5-screw Model 19 with a sail for a front sight.
 
Carmady said:
Thanks for all the replies.

So there is no, was no, never will be no 5-screw Model 19 with a sail for a front sight.
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Per the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson there was never a 5 screw 19 (pre or otherwise). It is clearly a K-38 or K-32 (since we don't know caliber) with a patridge front sight blade.

Jim
 
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Using a pair of calipers and assuming the barrel is 6'', the ratio of barrel to cyl length says its a 38Spcl... The taper of the barrel and height of the Patridge sight strongly suggests this is a Pre-WWII gun
 
To give you a little perspective, this is my pre-14 made in 1954.

Don

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When enlarged the pic in the OP looks like it's pinned below the yellow in this pic. Did the early K38s have a pinned front sight?
 

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All of them were pinned until around the 70’s thru 90’s. They have gone back to pinning them again on most models.
On many of the earlier guns it was hard to see the pins because the guns were polished after the pins were installed.

Jim
 
sw282 said:
Using a pair of calipers and assuming the barrel is 6'', the ratio of barrel to cyl length says its a 38Spcl... The taper of the barrel and height of the Patridge sight strongly suggests this is a Pre-WWII gun
Click to expand...
K-38, K-32 and K-22 all used the same size cylinder. The model 19 cylinder was longer and filled the window frame.
None of the guns pictured are prewar.

Jim
 
Using a pair of calipers and assuming the barrel is 6'', the ratio of barrel to cyl length says its a 38Spcl... The taper of the barrel and height of the Patridge sight strongly suggests this is a Pre-WWII gun
Click to expand...

K38 Target Masterpiece production started in 1947 with serial number K1661. Early post war K38 Masterpieces had a barrel with a more pronounced taper. In 1949 they changed the barrel profile to match the weight of the K22 and K32 Masterpieces. I don't have a early post war K38, but I do have a couple of 1948 K22's and a 1950 vintage K38 and the barrels look very much the same from the side.

IMG_2887-XL.jpg


The gun in the original post is most definitely a K38, not a Combat Magnum. While it is theoretically possible to fit a Model 19 cylinder to a K38, the K38 barrel forcing cone would have to be cut back to accommodate the longer cylinder, so from the side it would still have less gap between the cylinder and the front of the frame and would physically look the same.

However, there is the issue that the frames on Model 19's were manufactured differently in that they were specially heat treated to better withstand the increased pressure of the .357 cartridge, which would make installing a M19 cylinder into a K38, while possible, safety wise it would be a rather dicey conversion.
 
Roy Jinks first edition History of Smith and Wesson: Mod 19 always had barrel shroud and the original Combat Magnum was the first model produced incorporating the three screw sideplate.
 
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