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S&w 14-3 (k38?) owners...
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Picture of Buglemintoday
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I've been bitten by the double action Smith bug and think I want to add one of these to the safe. Does anyone own one of these? Thoughts/opinions? I can't find too much online about them. Supposed to be an accurate .38 spcl


"Let me start off with two words: Made in America"
 
Posts: 3315 | Location: Permian Basin | Registered: 16 December 2006Reply With Quote
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I have a Model 14 but really can't say very much about it as I haven't used it much. A very nice safe queen I guess.
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Posts: 208 | Location: S.W. Wyoming | Registered: 31 May 2006Reply With Quote
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The K38 Smith's are certainly one of the best quality, smoothest and most accurate .38 special revolvers ever made. If you can find one at a reasonable price I would get it. You won't be wasting your money.

I had one but stupidity sold it. Oh if I'd only known then what older Smith & Wesson would go for now. I do still have a K22 though! Big Grin


Roger
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I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along.

*we band of 45-70ers*
 
Posts: 2785 | Location: Washington (wetside) | Registered: 08 February 2005Reply With Quote
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Thank you for the responses!

Cougar- I just bought the 17-3 that was next to this 14-3...and then found out that they are similar in weight and people used to buy both so they had one in .38spcl and the other in .22lr...so that's why the thread came about. I feel like I can't buy the jelly and leave the peanut butter! rotflmo


"Let me start off with two words: Made in America"
 
Posts: 3315 | Location: Permian Basin | Registered: 16 December 2006Reply With Quote
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The K frame is great! I have an 18 (4" 22 long rifle), a 14 (6" 38 special) and 19's (2 1/2 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch ). I like them much better than the Ruger or Colt offerings. If I was buying a K ... I would go for the 19 over the 14 because you can shoot 357 magnums in it also. I prefer the older pinned and recessed guns as I feel the quality is better.
 
Posts: 5685 | Location: Ohio | Registered: 02 April 2003Reply With Quote
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i grew up shooting a k38 8" one of the best guns ever made i like the 8" although i have had both 4 &6 as kids we used to spend all morning and early afternoon casting bullets and loading 38's to go and shoot rats in a dump in the evening
 
Posts: 13439 | Location: faribault mn | Registered: 16 November 2004Reply With Quote
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Rat shooting at the dump with a pouch full of .38spcl...sounds like the perfect evening!


"Let me start off with two words: Made in America"
 
Posts: 3315 | Location: Permian Basin | Registered: 16 December 2006Reply With Quote
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I shot a model 14 8 3/8ths single action only.

It had a great trigger and shot well.
 
Posts: 19299 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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Great little revolvers, and when loaded with 148 hollow base wadcutters, make a great bunny busting handgun.



If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out.
 
Posts: 2389 | Registered: 19 July 2002Reply With Quote
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Drop a not too heavy 158 grain load in her and start a fight with a javelina.

A dash 3 K38 will be pinned and recessed.

But I do not think the 38s were recessed. I will have to look.
 
Posts: 10556 | Location: Somewhere above Tennessee and below Kentucky  | Registered: 31 July 2016Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Buglemintoday:
Thank you for the responses!

Cougar- I just bought the 17-3 that was next to this 14-3...and then found out that they are similar in weight and people used to buy both so they had one in .38spcl and the other in .22lr...so that's why the thread came about. I feel like I can't buy the jelly and leave the peanut butter! rotflmo


Very true! Big Grin

Actually I have a 6 inch model 15 that I was competing with when I sold the model 14. It is also smooth an accurate, just not as pretty.


Roger
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I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along.

*we band of 45-70ers*
 
Posts: 2785 | Location: Washington (wetside) | Registered: 08 February 2005Reply With Quote
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I've had more than a few model 14-2's and they are very accurate and fun to shoot.
 
Posts: 75 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 12 August 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Trouthunter:
I've had more than a few model 14-2's and they are very accurate and fun to shoot.


I've been dry firing this one just enjoying the trigger pull. I'm ready for the snow and mud to dry up so I can have a nice afternoon at the range


"Let me start off with two words: Made in America"
 
Posts: 3315 | Location: Permian Basin | Registered: 16 December 2006Reply With Quote
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Another fan here. A couple years ago, I picked up one made in the early 80's that was very lightly used. No safe queen, but quite nice. Its become one of my favorite shooters.


analog_peninsula
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It takes character to withstand the rigors of indolence.
 
Posts: 1580 | Location: Dallas, Tx | Registered: 02 June 2006Reply With Quote
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Being bitten by the Smith bug can be very serious. There is no known cure that I'm aware of. I thought just buying one now and them would help but 60+ later it's as bad as ever.
 
Posts: 206 | Location: North Alabama | Registered: 13 January 2006Reply With Quote
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I have a Model 14-3 that I bought new in 1973. I used in in the center-fire class of the NRA Outdoor Pistol matches. Now I use it for shooting cottontails and jackrabbits with the Hensley-
Gibbs #50 wadcutter. I shoot it at about 900 fps, as it is a solid bullet. I would not try tp push a hollow-base waddcutter that fast due to potential damage to the forcing cone. A few years ago I bought a Model 14 (before the -2, -3, etc.) that is an earlier gun. It is much smoother than my 14-3. I recommend the earlier guns if you can find one.
 
Posts: 772 | Registered: 03 January 2004Reply With Quote
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Got the 14-3 and 17-3 cleaned up today. I really like the single action trigger pull on them.


"Let me start off with two words: Made in America"
 
Posts: 3315 | Location: Permian Basin | Registered: 16 December 2006Reply With Quote
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I know that shooting 38 Specials in a 357 Magnum revolver is a tried and true practice - have done this for ages in my Smith Model 13-2 RB. When I shot 38 Spl 148gr wadcutters over Bullseye in a GP-100, however, accuracy was poor and I actually got lead left behind in the cylinders. I know there are many variables - cylinder throat, forcing cone, and barrel. I tried shooting similar loads in 357 Mag cases instead of 38s and the problem with lead deposits ceased, but was still not stellar in accuracy. I have wondered if I should just look for a S&W model 14 or 15 for target 38s instead.


sputster
 
Posts: 759 | Location: Kansas | Registered: 18 December 2003Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by sputster:
I have wondered if I should just look for a S&W model 14 or 15 for target 38s instead.


Good idea Sputs! I have always passed on .38's in the past and waited to locate whatever the gun model was in 357 instead. This is my first .38 only gun and to be honest I shoot a lot more .38 Special in my 357's. Maybe it was better just to get a .38 to begin with...


"Let me start off with two words: Made in America"
 
Posts: 3315 | Location: Permian Basin | Registered: 16 December 2006Reply With Quote
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I shoot the hollow-base swaged wadcutter bullet with 2.7 to 3.0 gr. of Bullseye in my Model 14-3 and have minimal leading. If I want more velocity I shoot cast solid wadcutters (H&G #50) or semi-wadcutters (Lyman #358477) that I cast myself. A HBWC with 2.7 gr. of Bullesye is a very pleasant target load in a K-38.
 
Posts: 772 | Registered: 03 January 2004Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by sputster:
I know that shooting 38 Specials in a 357 Magnum revolver is a tried and true practice - have done this for ages in my Smith Model 13-2 RB. When I shot 38 Spl 148gr wadcutters over Bullseye in a GP-100, however, accuracy was poor and I actually got lead left behind in the cylinders. I know there are many variables - cylinder throat, forcing cone, and barrel. I tried shooting similar loads in 357 Mag cases instead of 38s and the problem with lead deposits ceased, but was still not stellar in accuracy. I have wondered if I should just look for a S&W model 14 or 15 for target 38s instead.


I have shot many 10's of thousands of 38spl loads in my 357's.

And took first place in several match's using them in 357 revolvers.

As far as cleaning the cly easy to do never worried about that just cleaned every once inn a while.

I own a couple 38spl only revolvers' I just like the 357s better as it opens a wider choice of ammo.
 
Posts: 19299 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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I hear what you are saying. I also had positive experiences shooting different manufacturers' LSWCs in 38 Special cases, in 357 Mag revolvers. Even other brands of full wadcutters. Maybe it is just this bullet, in these cases, in this gun.


sputster
 
Posts: 759 | Location: Kansas | Registered: 18 December 2003Reply With Quote
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I have a 6" K38.

It's a fine shooter. Likely worth more than
any of the Blackhawks of various cal's.

No doubt I've put ten thousand plinkers thru it and
never had a problem. Bore is highly polished and no sign of leading.

I've had it about 25 years, for ten or so of them I shot a 3# coffee can full three nights a week at the indoor range.

George


"Gun Control is NOT about Guns'
"It's about Control!!"
Join the NRA today!"

LM: NRA, DAV,

George L. Dwight
 
Posts: 5934 | Location: Pueblo, CO | Registered: 31 January 2006Reply With Quote
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A buddy of mine( AR Patriot) has beaucoup of 38 spl. brass for sale or trade on the classified forum.


Never mistake motion for action.
 
Posts: 17357 | Location: Austin, Texas | Registered: 11 March 2013Reply With Quote
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Hope he sold them.

I had a couple gallons of 38 brass.

When a friend at the range was moving back to Wis and didn't want to haul a 5 gallon bucket full of rejected reloads he'd brought out ten years before.

He and another guy had a reloading business. These were rejected loads of all kinds and loads. Something like 5000 to fill the bucket. he gave them to me.

I started pulling them down. About 300 I couldn't even see a dent in the bucket. Most were very lightly charged, quite a few had NO powder at all. Some had primer in upside down. They'd use about 30 different powders. Ast first I weighed the charges and found none were over 7 grains and just too many to keep sorted. WTH? I just started dumping them all into a jug. ended up shaking it real well. Loaded it up at 4 grains and tried a few, Nice easy loads. So loaded the rest up and shot them to use the powder up.

I decided to just take the rejects shooting. Took a 6" bp starter rod along. Fired them slow in case a bullet got stuck in the barrel and didn't want to fire a load behind it and wreck things. There was a lot of them that stuck too.

That was mighty good trigger control practice.

I shared lots of them with others as long as I got the brass back. Turned out to be quite popular over passing out free ammo.

Now I have three SAW cans full of loaded and a 3/4's full bucket of brass yet to load.
Haven't popped a cap in 4 years now. Believe I have 4 or 5 38s. Oh well!

George


"Gun Control is NOT about Guns'
"It's about Control!!"
Join the NRA today!"

LM: NRA, DAV,

George L. Dwight
 
Posts: 5934 | Location: Pueblo, CO | Registered: 31 January 2006Reply With Quote
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back in my younger days two guns showed up at the range comptition and that was the S&W mod. 14 6" and modified mod 10s..The 10 to this day have the best double action works ever, but like all competitiion, they too needed a trigger job, but when done, nothing compared to them..The later combat M-19 357 magnum kinda replaced them or so it seemed to me...

Ive shot thousands of 38 specials, mostly wad cutters in my combat magnum mod 19..


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 41741 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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I have an 18-3, 19-3, and 15-2 if you are inrerested.


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Posts: 1038 | Location: Brownstown, Michigan | Registered: 19 April 2015Reply With Quote
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