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Timothy Mullin's book, "The K-Frame Revolver, the S&W Phenomenon Volume 2", is a continuation of his first book, "Magnum - the S&W .357 Magnum Phenomenon", published in 2012.  This volume more than continues the story but also focuses on the popular K-Frame Smith itself.  With S&W producing close to eight million examples of this quality handgun over the last hundred years, there are plentiful specimens to collect, and at prices that haven't risen to rarefied heights as some guns, notably the Colt single action, have.  They are collected, but maybe not so much because a lot of people are still using them for their intended purpose, for security and self-defense.

picture of K-Frame Revolvers book

The first K-Frame was built in 1899 for the US Army, who was having trouble in the Philippines with Moro tribesmen.  The military had downsized their handguns to .38 Long Colt from the older .45 Colt single actions and were now paying the price.  S&W had developed a superior .38 cartridge, the .38 S&W Special, and also developed a larger frame pistol to go with it.  This was the first K-Frame, with many upon many iterations to come, following through with the Military & Police model for WW2, of which many millions were made for the war effort, culminating in the Model 686 in .357 Magnum, one of my favorite handguns of all time.

picture of K-frame revolver

A K-Frame Model 64-3

This book runs to 750 pages.  It is staggering how many images there are.  Every conceivable detail on these guns is addressed somewhere in the book.  You can pick this up, open to a random page, and get lost for hours, as I have.  Granted you probably have to be interested in the subject in the first place, but most men and some women are, and a lot of those already know what a great handgun the K-Frame is. There are plenty of illustrations of the actions and explanations for each new wrinkle in development.  And details of S&W's competitors in the marketplace are covered also, like the Colt handguns, the .38 S&W Webleys, and Spanish copies of the 1930's through Rossi and Taurus in more modern times.  

Mr. Mullin and Collector Grade Publications have tapped the resources of many a collector, and pictures of their guns are also included along with some of my own.  I have enjoyed many K-Frame Smiths over the years, carried one in Vietnam, and hope to enjoy many more.   I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Smith & Wesson revolver.

picture of K-Frame Revolver book

The K-Frame Revolver from Collector Grade Publications