S&W Model 14 8in

[hooverdm]

I just came across a nice looking S&W Model 14 (/4 I think) with an 8 inch barrel. How common was the 8 inch Model 14?

Dave H
San Antonio, TX

[45 2.1]

S&W made 8 3/8" barrels I believe and I have seen a few of them.

[MT Gianni]

It was cataloged for quite a while AIRC. Most of the 14's I saw were 6" but the catalog always showed both.

[9.3X62AL]

Ditto all the above. The 8-3/8" barrel length corresponded to a 10" sighting radius, the maximum allowed for NRA Bullseye competition back when iron sights and revolvers were used for such work--right after the most recent Ice Age or thereabouts.

[hooverdm]

9.3X62AL, is an 8inch barrel still legal for NRA Bullseye competion? Thanks

Dave H

[9.3X62AL]

Far as I know, still legal. Lots of self-loaders these days though.

[dubber123]

I have an 8-3/8" M14 I got about 12 years ago. It's the only one I have seen though, other than on the auction sites.

[FN in MT]

The 8 3/8" guns are hardly as common as the sixes. The 6" barrel was initially produced then the 8 3/8" followed. I was also under the belief that the barrel length was to offer the max allowable sight distance for NRA Bullseye shooting. Though way back in the 70's when I did shoot bullseye I saw very few of the 8" guns.

Smith produced the first M-14's (K-38's) in 6". There were runs of 4" barrel guns as well over the years. One was for a Police Agency then IIRC for the USAF?? Not too sure on the last one.

They also produced a small amount of 5" guns too. As well as a single action only gun for target matches. And the factory made some nickle K-38's as well.

I've owned several 6" K-38's over the years and every one of them was very accurate. Even owned a factory single action gun that I used for bullseye matches.

The K-22's and the K-38's absolutely CLASSIC target revolvers.

FN in MT

[Echo]

Curt LeMay found that his SAC AP's couldn't hit anything with the raack-model .45ACP's they were issued (and found out he couldn't either!), so bought a bunch of Combat Masterpieces for the SAC AP's. later, USAF converted completely to the 4" Combat Masterpiece, later designated Model 15. IIRC.

[trickyasafox]

I always wondered why barrels were produced in such odd lengths- I just thought maybe that made the stock for barrels end evenly-

neat to know it was for bullseye.

[hooverdm]

Well, rare or not, I bought the pistol. It has some wear on the barrel, looks like minute scratches, and the bore was heavily leaded. The leading cleaned out real nice and the cylinder all gauged out the same. A .356 gauge would pass through and a .357 would not. The front sight has a off-white insert, never saw that before.
Took it to the range this last weekend, shot real nicely also. I'm a happy camper.

Dave H
San Antonio, TX