Best quality factory target revolver in .38special? of all eras.

[jmstr]

Hello,

I've been doing some reading, and finding some interesting info.

It got me to wondering about .38special target revolvers, but not custom-house builds. I am talking for those by-gone days where bullseye contests ruled the roost, with a .22lr handgun, a centerfire [revolver until 1960s?] handgun, and a .45semi-auto handgun.

DA speed/IDPA contests are irrelevant for this purpose. I am discussing shooting it one-handed, slow-fire, single-action only. It seems the western-style SA revolvers are not favored due to their slow lock times. DA/SA revolvers had the quicker lock times that are favored by competitive shooters.



I know there are a lot of versions. The ones in .38Special that I find referenced the most often for quality of gun and accuracy are:

• S&W K38/Masterpiece [or it's cousins]
• Colt Officers Model Target [1930s-47 production]
• Colt Officers Model Match [1950s/60s production]
• Colt Diamondback
• Colt Python [admittedly a .357, but still shoots .38special].

Now, I will go on record as saying that I am partial to Ruger handguns [well, at least their revolvers]. Yet, no one talks about Ruger in the same breath for accuracy potential in contests. Ruger stands out for rugged and reliable. I personally think my GP100 trigger is hard to beat [it has had significant work done to it]. Yet, for accuracy potential, no one discusses it like the above listed ones.

Two questions:

What .38special revolver did I miss for this purpose?
Who can prioritize the list above, based on accuracy/reliability, and give a [brief] explanation of each one's relative location?

Thank you

 

[rodfac]

While Colt Officer's Model dominated the centerfire bullseye competition in the long gone days of my youth, (due to the grip size and easier to manipulate hammer cocking maneuver in timed and rapid fire); Smith Masterpieces were every bit if not more accurate in slow fire.

Revolvers became passe when the armed forces teams found that they could fire better scores with an auto-loader, and of course the civilian's quickly followed suit.

For my tastes, and if I wasn't required to fire the timed and rapid courses, I'd opt for the Smith every time. Always thought they had a far better out of the box trigger, SA or DA than the Colts.

Best regards, Rod

 

[Bob Wright]

I preferred the Officers Model Match from Colt, though tough choice between it and the S&W K-38 Masterpiece.

Both were far more accurate than I could hold, but liked the Colt for its "balance" and beavertail hammer spur.

Bob Wright

 

[mikejonestkd]

I'd vote for the Colt Officers match, or a Smith K-38. I'd put good money that they won more matches than all others combined in the past 100 years.

 

[Jim Watson]

If you have the thews for it, don't forget the Colt Shooting Master.

 

[tallball]

I have been hoping to find an inexpensive Colt Officers Match 38spl for two or three months. I will keep stalking til I sneak up on one. Wish me luck!

 

[Shadow72]

The Colt Python Target model is chambered for 38 Special, not 357 Mag. Barrel is roll marked 38Special.

 

[old bear]

I'm not a pure target shooter. Never have been, and at my age, I never will be. But I can't argue with any of the options so far. I always preferred Smith and Wesson revolvers over Colt's products. I think much of this is do to grip size. I found their "service" style grips to be a tad to small, and their target grips to be a tad to big.

 

[Bob Wright]

While the Colt Shooting Master, Python Target, and the .38-44 Outdoorsman were equally fine revolvers for target work, they were a trifle heavy for me, especially during a long match session. Fatigue played a very important role in some matches.

Never had the oportunity to even shoot one, but I always fancied that the ultimate target revolver would have been a Colt Shooting Master in .44 Special.

Bob Wright

 

[natman]

I have an S&W K38 Target Masterpiece and the later version, a Model 14. Both are set up from the factory for target work with wide hammer and trigger, target sights, target grips, etc. Both are extremely accurate and love 38 Special wadcutters.

I haven't fired a Colt Officer's Target/Match, so I won't rule them out as contenders. I can believe that they may be as accurate as the S&Ws above, but I'd have to see some hard evidence before I try to wrap my head around any revolver being more accurate.

 

[tipoc]

S&W produced the K-38 Target Masterpiece, which became the Model 14, for many decades. Used ones are still available and can be found in good shape. They can also be tuned up.

They also produced the K-22 Masterpiece which was the same gun but in 22 caliber.

The K-38 (M14) and K-22 (M17) were built to be the same weight so as to make them more useful for training and matches.

These guns were internally identical to the Combat Masterpiece (Model 15) in .38 Spl. and the K-22 Combat Masterpiece (Model 18) except for two things; the "Combat" guns tended to have 4" barrels and the front sights. On the Target Masterpieces the front sights were "Target" sights, usually Patridge Sights on the "Combat" guns they were Baughman "Quick draw" sights.

The K frame 38s are all excellent shooters and getting to know them takes some time. It's hard, very hard, to go wrong there. They are available and, unlike many of the Colts, gunsmiths still know how to repair them and parts are available. S&W still makes good target revolvers.

This is a big subject as N frame revolvers are and were widely used in target matches as well. As are the L frame guns.

The story for Colt wheel guns is also a large one.

tipoc

 

[dgludwig]

From 1949 to 1952, Colt made the "Fourth Issue" Officers Model revolver, dubbed the Officers Model Special. I have one of these variants and still use it to compete with (along with my Model 14 Smith & Wesson revolver) in Bullseye matches. It is different from later Officers Models mainly due to its untapered "Bull" barrel (which makes it look a little "ungainly" in some peoples' eyes, including mine) and the somewhat coarse "Coltmaster" adjustable rear sight.

The "Fifth Issue" Officers Model Match revolver was made from 1953 until 1969. This revolver was probably the best revolver intended for formal target matches that Colt ever produced. It came with a tapered Bull barrel and the more refined "Accro" fully adjustable rear sight. It could be ordered from the factory in a single-action only version.

Finally, from 1969 to 1971, Colt made the Officers Model Match Mark III, "Sixth Issue". This revolver, of which reportedly only 496 were made and most shipped to Europe, has been described as "...basically a version of the Trooper Mark III (having the J-frame transfer bar safety ignition system), chambered in .38 Special, with a vented rib, 6" barrel and a Partridge Target front sight; a wide spur Target hammer, a grooved trigger and Mark III type Target grips".

For several decades leading up to the early seventies or so, Bullseye shooting was the only game in town and, until semi-autos became more accurate and reliable, revolvers ruled the roost. Companies catered to Bullseye shooters and some of the finest handguns, in terms of accuracy, trigger pulls and fit and finish, ever made were produced; the likes of which, unfortunately, will never be seen again.

Colt and Smith & Wesson dominated the revolver field in both .22 rimfire and .38 Special and .45 ACP centerfire divisions while Colt pretty much owned the semi-auto business, with their Match Target Woodsman .22s and accurized Model 1911s, mostly in .45 ACP but also, to a lesser degree, in .38 Special. High Standard was also an early player with their fine line of .22 autos. Ruger entered the Bullseye arena in the fifties with their (sometimes Clark-accurized) .22 autos fitted with Bull barrels and adjustable rear sights.

In the late fifties, again playing to the Bullseye market, Smith & Wesson developed their fine Model 41 Target .22 autos and their fabulous Model 52 Target auto pistol chambered in .38 Special (wadcutter bullets only).

Ruger revolvers were late to the Bullseye scene and, though one could certainly compete with one of their revolvers having an adjustable rear sight, Ruger never developed a revolver specific to the formal target shooting venue.

 

[Obambulate]

I know nothing about Colts, but I have a S&W Model 14-3 with the 8-3/8" barrel, target hammer and trigger, and aftermarket grips. I don't know if the long barrel is any more accurate than the 6" models, but if I had to make one shot that counted I would want to be holding this revolver. It's also has a great trigger and a wonderful fit & finish.

 

[James K]

I know I will take heat on this, but forget Colt. All those fine old DA guns are gone, and they will be back around the same time as the Model T Ford. Not only are few parts available but there are fewer smiths above ground who can work on those guns. The old Colts, solid as they looked, were touchy and required skilled maintenance that is either not available today or extremely costly.

Ruger makes fine, utilitarian revolvers, but its DA revolver line is not up to the quality of the old Colts, and no one is much interested in bringing them up to that standard.

In reality, only S&W makes a good quality DA/SA revolver today; anything else is either not up to that standard or is very high priced, or both. The simple fact is that the day of the revolver in target shooting is gone, and won't be back; the same may well be true of target shooting itself as a sport unrelated to self defense or paramilitary use.

Jim

 

[Jim Watson]

NRA has been promoting the Distinguished Revolver program and holds the Harry Reeves Memorial Match.
Looks like the Garand Match, a home for another otherwise obsolete gun.

 

[James K]

I have seen something about that, but wonder how it is going now that the Colts that would be logical guns for competition are mostly in the C&R or even the antique category.

Jim

 

[ThomasT]

The ammunition is just as important as the gun. here is a good read on the 38 special target ammo and why the factory 38 WC loads aren't as good as they once were. Good information on the brass also.

http://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/articles/38wadcutterQA.htm

If you haven't seen this site before you might enjoy reading through it. There is also a second 38 target loads review.

http://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/backcreekdiary.htm

 

[dgludwig]

QUOTE: "...The K-38 (M14) and K-22 (M17) were built to be the same weight so as to make them more useful for training and matches..."

Don't forget the K-32 Masterpiece revolver (Model 16 after 1957), chambered in .32 S & W Long. The width of the barrel rib being changed so that all three Masterpiece revolvers had much the same weight and dimensions.

 

[tipoc]

Here's a couple of things that may help:

http://tonybrong.blogspot.com/2010/09/k-38-masterpiece.html


http://www.bullseyepistol.com/index.htm

tipoc

 

[Jim Watson]

There was a period as commercial production resumed after WWII when S&W Masterpiece revolvers were not matched in weight.
The "Heavy Masterpiece" series with barrels and ribs proportioned to match .22, .32, and .38 at 38.5 oz came out in 1949.
I had an old Gun Digest, 1950 or 1951, that showed both versions. Either an artifact of print schedule or maybe Smith was selling off the earlier version as long as they lasted.