Smith & Wesson K-22 Combat Masterpiece Pre-Model 18 .22 LR, 4-Inch, Blued, DA/SA Revolver (1953)
This 1953 Smith & Wesson K-22 Combat Masterpiece (Pre-Model 18) is a blued, K-frame .22 LR revolver in excellent overall condition. It features a 4-inch tapered barrel with a pinned, serrated Baughman-style ramp front sight and a micrometer-adjustable rear sight. Matching K-prefix serials are present on the butt and cylinder, and the revolver retains its color case-hardened hammer and trigger with a checkered hammer spur.
Condition
Overall Condition: Excellent condition, showing only faint signs of any prior use or handling.
Bore Condition: Excellent - Clean, mirror finish, no signs of wear.
Rifling: Excellent Rifling - Sharp lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: This revolver shows little sign of prior use and is described as being in excellent functional condition.
What's Included
- Smith & Wesson K-22 Combat Masterpiece (Pre-Model 18) revolver
Built in 1953 in Springfield, Massachusetts, this Pre-Model 18 represents the K-22 Combat Masterpiece configuration prior to S&W’s model numbering change in 1957. It is a full-size K-frame .22 LR with six fluted chambers and classic mid-century S&W markings, including the left-barrel "SMITH & WESSON" rollmark and the "Made in U.S.A./Marcas Registradas/Smith & Wesson Springfield, Mass." frame stamp.
The 4-inch tapered carbon-steel barrel has a ribbed, matted top and a pinned, serrated Baughman-style ramp front sight paired with a micrometer-adjustable rear sight. The unshrouded, knurled ejector rod and short under-barrel lug reflect the period-correct Combat Masterpiece profile.
The revolver wears a deep blued finish over its carbon-steel frame and cylinder. It retains a color case-hardened hammer and trigger, with a checkered hammer spur and a hammer-mounted firing pin, consistent with the era’s S&W design.
Factory-style checkered walnut Magna stocks with diamond panels and silver S&W medallions complete the presentation. Matching K-prefix serials are present on the butt and cylinder, aligning this example with known 1953 production.