Field Note
Smith & Wesson M&P, Target & Masterpiece Names Explained
One revolver may be described by its factory catalog name, a later model number, or modern collector shorthand. The words may sound interchangeable, but they can describe a family, a configuration, or a distinct model. Knowing which kind of name you have makes the serial lookup much easier to use.
The Short Answer
Military & Police is a revolver family name. Target usually describes a sighted or cataloged configuration. Masterpiece belongs to specific postwar K-frame target models. Combat Masterpiece is a specific shorter-barreled Masterpiece variation, not a general name for every target-sighted M&P.
In 1957, Smith & Wesson began stamping model numbers inside the frame under the yoke. Many established named models continued with a number; the name change did not necessarily represent an immediate redesign.
What the Names Describe
| Term | What it means | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Hand Ejector | A broad factory and collector term for Smith & Wesson revolvers with a swing-out cylinder and hand-operated ejector rod. | It does not identify one caliber, frame size, model, or serial sequence. |
| Military & Police / M&P | The long-running K-frame service-revolver family introduced in 1899. The postwar fixed-sight .38 M&P continued as the Model 10 in 1957. | The initials alone do not establish a particular change, barrel length, target variation, or shipment date. |
| Target | A catalog or configuration description commonly associated with target sights and other target-oriented features. | It is not one universal model family, and adjustable sights alone do not establish the exact model. |
| Masterpiece | A factory name used for specific postwar K-frame target revolvers, including the K-22, K-32, and K-38 Masterpieces. | It is not merely a grade of finish or a synonym for every target revolver. |
| Combat Masterpiece | A distinct Masterpiece configuration designed around a handier barrel and ramp-style front sight while retaining an adjustable rear sight. | It is not a generic description for an M&P with target stocks or sights. |
| Pre-model | Collector shorthand for a named model made before the corresponding model number was stamped on the gun. | “Pre-Model 15,” for example, does not mean every older .38 revolver that resembles a Model 15. |
Named Models and Their Numbered Continuations
The following crosswalk is a starting point, not a substitute for examining the firearm. Early and transitional examples can require closer comparison with catalog features and factory records.
| Earlier name | Numbered continuation | Useful identifying clues |
|---|---|---|
| .38 Military & Police (postwar) | Model 10 | .38 Special K-frame service revolver with fixed sights; found in several barrel and butt configurations. |
| Prewar .38 M&P Target | No automatic one-to-one model-number translation | An earlier target configuration within the M&P story. Do not identify it as a Model 14 solely because it has target sights. |
| K-38 Masterpiece | Model 14 | Originally a 6-inch, ribbed-barrel .38 Special target revolver with a Patridge front sight and adjustable rear sight. |
| K-38 Combat Masterpiece | Model 15 | Originally a 4-inch .38 Special with a ramp-style Baughman front sight and adjustable rear sight. |
| K-32 Masterpiece | Model 16 | .32 S&W Long K-frame target revolver. |
| K-22 Masterpiece | Model 17 | .22 Long Rifle K-frame target revolver, commonly associated with a 6-inch target barrel. |
| K-22 Combat Masterpiece | Model 18 | .22 Long Rifle companion to the Combat Masterpiece concept, originally with a 4-inch barrel. |
Which Family Should I Choose?
- Look inside the yoke cut. If a model number is stamped there, choose that model or its appropriate family.
- For a fixed-sight .38 Special service revolver without a model number, begin with .38 Military & Police (M&P), 1899-1967.
- For a K-prefix revolver with adjustable sights and a Masterpiece description, begin with K-Frame Targets, then choose the chambering and named model supported by the gun.
- For a prewar M&P Target, begin with the broad M&P family. Do not force it into the later Model 14 or Model 15 name.
- If the model is still uncertain, search the full serial number without a family and use the suggested families as possibilities to investigate.
Common Identification Mistakes
- A K-prefix identifies a serial family; it does not identify one Masterpiece model by itself.
- A 4-inch barrel alone does not make a revolver a Combat Masterpiece.
- Target stocks or an adjustable rear sight can be changed and should not be used alone to assign a model.
- A later model number can be useful collector shorthand for an earlier gun, but the shorthand should not replace its historically correct factory name.
- Serial ranges can narrow the possibilities, but shared sequences and overlapping production mean the firearm's markings and physical features still matter.
Reference and Documentation
This terminology crosswalk is based on the model continuations and identification descriptions in the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 5th Edition. A factory letter can add original configuration, destination, shipment information, and other surviving factory-record detail for an individual firearm.