Went to an auction up in Trousdale County on Saturday. Several guns sold, some for good prices, but the one I came home with was a pre-Model 15 K-38 Combat Masterpiece. Grungy but in good shape otherwise. Serial number lookup indicates it was made in 1950 - second year of production for the C/M.

Spent some time cleaning it up last night. Oddly, the finish on the cylinder was worn and scarred, but the rest of the gun was not in bad shape at all. I polished the cylinder and blued it, and it looks pretty nice now. Cleaned about 60-odd years of gunk out of the insides and dosed it with Breakfree, then some Alemite Blue Lube on the bearing surfaces. WOW! DA is slick as greasy glass and the SA breaks like an icicle. Typical 1950s S&W action. I think I gonna like this old gun.