Smith & Wesson inaugurated the K-Masterpiece series just after World War II. First introduced was the K-22 in December 1946, with the K-32 and K-38 following by the summer of 1947. They were all of a type, with 6″ barrels, patridge style front sights and fully adjustable rear sights. Grips were checkered walnut which the company termed Magna style. They were double actions, although some K-38’s were built with single action only mechanisms.
In 1957, Smith & Wesson adopted model numbers for all their handguns and the K-38 became the Model 14. Lot's of different engineering changes/configurations appeared in the next few decades in the form of various dash numbers. In 1982, the Model 14 was discontinued. In 1991, the Model 14 was re-introduced with a full-underlugged barrel in the Model 14-5 engineering change. The Model 14-6 engineering change replaced the Model 14-5 in 1994, bringing the new rear sight assembly and drilled and tapped frame, along with a change to the extractor. The early Model 14-6 have square butt gripframes. Later Model 14-6 have the later style MIM cylinder release, wide forged hammers with round butt gripframes.
The Model 14-7 was introduced in 1997, engineering change moved the firing pin from the hammer to the frame. It has the intregral frame lug/cylinder stop. The hammer and trigger are MIM and the gripframe is RB. The dash 7 was made in small quantity compared to every other dash numbers and officially discontinued in November 1999. It is for most Model 14/K-38 aficionados the "last" true Model 14 even though S&W re-introduced the Model 14 in 2009 with the internal locking mechanism and further cost cutting changes.
While I'm not too fond of the latest MIM parts & internal lock recent production S&W's, the Model 14-7 is one of the very few exceptions to the rule.
This one is in factory original condition, CDR serial prefix manufactured in November 1999 and possibly one of the last of it's kind.
In 1957, Smith & Wesson adopted model numbers for all their handguns and the K-38 became the Model 14. Lot's of different engineering changes/configurations appeared in the next few decades in the form of various dash numbers. In 1982, the Model 14 was discontinued. In 1991, the Model 14 was re-introduced with a full-underlugged barrel in the Model 14-5 engineering change. The Model 14-6 engineering change replaced the Model 14-5 in 1994, bringing the new rear sight assembly and drilled and tapped frame, along with a change to the extractor. The early Model 14-6 have square butt gripframes. Later Model 14-6 have the later style MIM cylinder release, wide forged hammers with round butt gripframes.
The Model 14-7 was introduced in 1997, engineering change moved the firing pin from the hammer to the frame. It has the intregral frame lug/cylinder stop. The hammer and trigger are MIM and the gripframe is RB. The dash 7 was made in small quantity compared to every other dash numbers and officially discontinued in November 1999. It is for most Model 14/K-38 aficionados the "last" true Model 14 even though S&W re-introduced the Model 14 in 2009 with the internal locking mechanism and further cost cutting changes.
While I'm not too fond of the latest MIM parts & internal lock recent production S&W's, the Model 14-7 is one of the very few exceptions to the rule.
This one is in factory original condition, CDR serial prefix manufactured in November 1999 and possibly one of the last of it's kind.
