Vintage S&W revolvers added, K frames

[North Country Gal]

This is the last of the vintage revolvers we've added to the collection and I do think I've saved the best for last in this project. Both are roughly the same vintage, but they came from entirely different collections. I just got lucky.

S&W Model 67 no dash, 38 Special, 4" barrel
The Model 67 was the stainless version of the blued Model 15 Combat Masterpiece 38 Special. These K frame 38s were widely used in law enforcement and target shooting in their day and it really doesn't get any better than a Model 15/67 for an easy, pleasant to shoot centerfire revolver.


This is a 67 no dash. This vintage was made from 1972 to 1977, the first of the Model 67s. This one was made specifically in 1973 and can be recognized as one of the first 67s by the stainless rear sight before Smith changed to the black sights after a couple of years. In fact, even the hammer and trigger are stainless on these early guns.


I did have a seat of aftermarket target grips that fit, but at some point I will try to find some factory vintage grips.


Needless to say, I have test fired this classic K frame Smith for function and the SA and DA trigger are excellent.

S&W Model 17-3, 22 LR, 6" barrel
This one is the crown jewel of our vintage S&W revolver collection. I have owned a number of 17s in the past, but this one is the true prize. It came from the personal collection of the owner of a gun shop in central Wisconsin who recently passed away. Don't know if he bought it new or if he cherry picked it for his collection when it came in for a trade. Not a scratch on it. Perfect condition.


It is a 3T (target hammer, target trigger, target grips) 17-3 made in 1967. The trigger is flawless, as good as my 1930s Colt Target 22 revolvers. Ejection of empties is silky smooth. Yes, I have shot it and will continue to shoot it.



So, that's it for new revolvers. I will be posting about new lever guns, next. That was the plan, turning the Contenders into revolver and lever guns and it is going very well, indeed.

[CT_Shooter]

Wow. Your plan is even making me happy. Beautiful guns. Looking forward to the next posting.

[RetiredSeabee]

And the North Woods gun whisperer is again proving that she is strong.
Beautiful guns as always glad that you are sharing them with us.

[BrokenolMarine]

I'm guessing the model 67 is the adjustable sight version of the Fixed Sight Model 64 I was issued on graduation from the academy. I carried mine for years before we transitioned to semi-autos and bought it and a 2" version we issued to Sergeant's and the Chief for off duty or plain clothes carry. Great guns, accurate and easily maintained.


One of the revolvers on my bucket list is the Model 14. Another, the model 27; both used to be in MY collection back when I was a young Marine and had to sell one to buy one. Mistakes were made.

[rickhem]

Really nice looking revolvers, and I really like those target grips.
I also like that little screwdriver in the box with your 17, I got one with my M41 too. The good old days.

[North Country Gal]

Thanks, guys. Yeah, those were the good old days, but I wish I had appreciated it more at the time and bought up everything in sight. Never works that way, of course. .

Marine, when I grabbed that Model 67, there was also a 64 for sale. I was tempted, but the 64 had a fair amount of end play and had obviously been shot quite a bit, so I passed. The 67, though, is tight and shows very little use. I will keep looking for a 64 or a Model 10, because I like those fixed sight K frame 38s, too.

Hubby has a Model 28, the more affordable and less flashy version of the 27. It's a good match for his huge hands.

[Hatchdog]

Such beautiful classics….thanks for the pics.

[daytime dave]

NCG, congratulations on the early model 67. The stainless sights were offered on the early 67's and 66's. I haven't seen an all stainless 66, but early in my collecting career, I found a cache of 67's at a shop that a police department had traded in. Typical police gun, lightly shot, carried. I had my choice of about a half dozen. My friend advised me, correctly, to take the one with all stainless sights. He said it was collectable. He was certainly right. (At the same shop, they had gotten about 6 or so new in the box model 29's in nickel plate. They were all four inches. I wasn't interested, but my friend said, why not, they were a great price then. It is one of the few guns I have bought new that I've never shot. A true safe queen.
Just the three original factory test firing rings on every other cylinder.
My friend passed many years ago and that shop has long since closed.

Your model 17-3 is indeed a nice find. They were meant to be shot. I don't have a model 17 per se, I have a pre 17. It was one of a few handguns I purchased from a local shop as they went out of business and started clearing the safe of "their" guns. You can't go wrong with a 6" K frame of any derivation! The three T's and diamond target grips make yours special.

[Mags]

I have a Model K-22 (pre17 before the model name change) built in 1947. I've posted pictures of it here somewhere before. I had sorta forgotten about it after I went to 45 colts. NCG, thank you for sharing; it got me digging out mine to tinker with and think about taking it out to shoot.

[rickhem]

Back in the prime of my pistol shooting days, and when I was first married, my father-in-law decided he was going to get a handgun. He was a really good guy, but not really the type that gravitated towards handgun ownership. My brother-in-law at the time had a couple handguns, and I think that my father-in-law just wanted to join the club. I remember having a talk with my wife about it, and even with him, asking what he wanted to do with it, and why he now wanted a handgun. Now I think we all agree that everyone should be able to get what they want, but there are some responsibilities that go along with owning a firearm, and in my mind, maybe even a few more with owning a handgun. He just wanted to have one. So after more than a few suggestions, we went to our local shop and he bought a K-22, with the three "Ts" (never heard that reference before). His is stamped as a 17-5, so from the late 1980s. I took him to the range twice with it, and he lost interest. I kept it in my safe when he moved in with us, and it's stayed with me after he passed. One of the justifications that I gave him for getting this particular model, was that some day his grandchildren would be able to learn to shoot with it, it would be perfect for that. Well, my wife from back then is now my ex, but I still keep in contact with my nieces and nephews. Their kids are still young, but that revolver will be going in that direction eventually, if they're interested. They really are gorgeous revolvers, and exceptionally well made.