Smith & Wesson model 14 single action

B

buzz riley

New member
I just bought a blued Smith & Wesson model 14-3 with 6" barrel. The serial# is 3K902XX and the gun was sold as "single action only". I got it thinking that it was just in need of minor repair until I saw a model 14 for sale in Gunlist. That one was advertised as a rare version that was produced in single action only. What gives! Did S & W produce any K frames in single action only. If so, what was the production numbers. Could this be one?
Thanks,
Buzz
 
SN dates to 72. This variation was made from 61-82. Available with a wide or standard width hammer and trigger. Might be worth a letter to S&W ($30) to get more info. Can't help with total production numbers.
 
In 1978, the single action 14 list price was $16 more than the double action 14.

Fjestad's Blue Book shows no premium for single action.

Sam
 
Looking back at old Gun Digests and Shooter's Bibles, the K-38 Single Action was regularly listed right along with the standard double action model. A little higher in price for the wide target hammer and trigger.

I am not a collector and have no idea of production numbers or identification.

But before you pay a big "collector's item" price for one or overvalue yours, be sure it can be documented as original. S&W made up SA conversion kits - just a hammer and trigger - that would fit any K-38. They were available from S&W or from target specialist catalogs like Gil Hebard. Numrich still has SA hammers, in fact.

There were a few single action Colt Officer's Models, too. I don't remember if they were the OM Target, Special, or Match version, though.
 
Those were sold to target shooters in the days when the center fire stages were shot with revolvers, almost always in single action, though some "artists" shot DA only. Some SA shooters though the single action was easier to work without the DA mechanism, so S&W obliged.

I don't know of any special markings to denote the SA ones.

As Jim Watson says, you could buy the SA conversion kit, but note that you can also buy the reverse, a hammer and trigger to turn your gun into a conventional DA/SA revolver.

Jim
 
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