Smith Model 14

R

RogerC

New member
I haven't seen a post about these for a while, so I'll offer up some pics of mine.

It is a Model 14-3 with an 8 and 1/2 inch barrel.

Classic Smith trigger pull. Extremely smooth.

I like the long barrel for target shooting. It's much easier for me to focus on the front sight if it's farther away.

Ser # 6K81xx. Anyone know it's birthday?

14d.jpg


14e.jpg


I'll put up some better pics later.

Anybody else have one? Why do you like it?
 
More pics.

m14d.jpg


m14g.jpg


Bottom pic shows the M14 with smooth Combat Grips.
Not my choice for shooting, but they look nice.
 
RogerC...

"Ser # 6K81xx. Anyone know it's birthday? "

Mid-1974.

I just picked up a pair of S&W target revolvers, a 14-3 and a pre-M18, both 6" barrels. They are excellent! I'll have to try to post pictures of mine sometime.
 
You guys are killing me with these pictures. I would love to buy a digital camera to join in on this but I just can't bring myself to fork over the money.
I bought a Model 14 8 3/8" about six months ago. I sent it to the performance center for a action job and a target hammer. I also had Randall Fung build me a set of bullseye grips for it. It took me awhile to find one with the 8 3/8" barrel. It seems the six inch barrels are pretty easy to find. I looked for a few months. It seemed that everytime I located one in Gun List or whatever, I would call and they had just sold it. Lo and behold the next gunshow I went to, there was one on like the second table inside the door. A beautiful cherry speciman priced right where I thought it should be. The reason I decided that I had to have one is because the Model 14 8 3/8" was one of my first centerfire handguns, I believe it was my second one right after the legendary Raven. This is also the handgun that got me into reloading. I bought a Lee Loader in .38 Special. My uncle gave me an 8 pound keg of powder, I think it was Unique. Then Buckeye Sports in Canton Ohio had cast lead bullets in gallon paint buckets. And I owned a total of 100 nickel .38 Special cases. Every night after work, if the weather permitted, I would shoot 100 rounds, then after dinner I would sit in the basement of my parent's house and reload my cases. At some point I bought a set of bullseye grips for it. I don't remember what ever happened to it, but I wanted another one for old time sake. I haven't shot it much, but of course I always intend to. I do remember that I gave the keg of powder away to one of my friends when I decided to move West. After all that shooting, you could hardly tell I had used any of that powder. Powder goes a long way in the .38 Special.
 
I think just about all of them are tack drivers.

The trigger on mine is superb also. It rivals my best Model 27.
The DA feels like greased ball bearings. SA is a pure delight.

The 8 3/8 inch barrel would seem unwieldly to the casual observer, but it balances well, and gives the M14 a real "big gun" feel, more like an N frame 6 1/2 incher feels.

Like I said above, I like the longer sight radius. My 47 year old eyes like it too. I'm not sure a certain Rodent at around 60 yards cared much for it though. :D He sorta lost his head over it. My buddy about wet himself over that shot.
 
I have a model 14-4 that I bought used. Some previous owner really did a nice job on the action. I shot it in IPSC for several years. I know it is not an ideal IPSC gun but it was so accurate and such a joy to shoot that I never felt at a disadvantage. I remember one stage that had six 8" plates at the end of the stage, about 30 yds, I engaged from the start position and got all six single action with six shots. That prompted the rest of the squad to try it and none could do it with their 1911's except for a couple of unlimited shooters with high doller guns. Model 14's and 17's are the swiss watches of guns.
 
If you were going to compare a 14 and a 27, which would tend to be the better target pistol. Assuming you are shooting .38's out of each?

Another question, do you guys shoot FMJ out of your 14's? I had been told that that will crack the forcing cone and that you should only shoot lead bullets ie. wadcutters in particular. True?
 
Bullseye Gun
Model 27 vs. Model 14
Shooting .38s

No contest, hands down the model 14.

I have never fired a jacketed bullet of any kind from either of my Model 14s. Only 148 grain full wadcutter bullets. Off hand I don't know why you couldn't, but I never have. Nor do I have any plans of trying it. Actually I am the wrong guy to ask because 99.9% of all the handgun bullets I fire out of anything are cast.
 
I've shot plenty of cast, jacketed, and FMJ from various 14's and they handled all with equal aplomb. Best load ever is 3.0grns. Bullseye w/148grn. HBWC. You can hit anything within range time after time after time. A true one-holer.

dfm
 
27 vs 14 for target work.
Would depend on the individual shooter and gun.

For protracted match and practice work I prefer the K-38s for their lightness. But I'm a little feller.

Have seen little fellers win matches with 38-44s tho.

Indeed, tis a matter of personal preference.

Both platforms great.

Sam
 
I hadn't shot a 14 in probably 14 years, and a fellow shooting at the lane next to mine offered to let me shoot his 6" after he tried my 940, my AR and my BHP .40. I didn't really want to shoot a K-frame .38 - ho hum. To be polite, I shot a cylinder.

Well, now I want one.

What a trigger. What balance. 10 yds, one hole. Not even a very big hole. I shot a couple of more cylinders, and it just got better and better.

Nobody made a low-cost target gun like S&W! Wow, I'd actually forgotten how wonderful they are.
 
It's amazing just how many great handguns are/were made by Smith and Wesson.

I defy anyone to name another company with as many.
Can't be done.

Models 10, 14, 17, 19, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29.

These just faves of MINE, there are more!

If you think about it, it is quite a feat.
 
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