This past weekend I looked at a K-32 Masterpiece at a nearby gunshow. It was in the K 350xxx s/n range, in a gold box with sight tool and cleaning rod, about 98-99% finish, and asking price was $2800. I usually am only interested in pre-war revolvers, but this one was so nice it made me wonder if the price was in the ballpark. I would appreciate your thoughts.

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Guy E. Stone

This past weekend I looked at a K-32 Masterpiece at a nearby gunshow. It was in the K 350xxx s/n range, in a gold box with sight tool and cleaning rod, about 98-99% finish, and asking price was $2800. I usually am only interested in pre-war revolvers, but this one was so nice it made me wonder if the price was in the ballpark. I would appreciate your thoughts.

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Guy E. Stone

I looked for one of these for forty years or so and finally gave up. However, when the 16-4 (6") hit the market I immediately bought one (no delay, just BANG!). It has been one of my most enjoyable revolvers. It gets a regular workout.



It now is sporting a Red Dot (much easier to see with my "less than stellar" eyes). However, thanks to that Red Dot, I can shoot it about as well as ever.



Ten shots standing at 25 yards. Hardly any recoil (I mostly shoot a 100 gr Keith bullet ahead of 2.8 grs Win 231 in .32 S&W Long cases. Case life is nearly forever and accuracy is "just fine, I thank you"!

Dale53

I see the newer ones for hundreds instead of thousands. Have you thought about the last run offerings?

Shooter429

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Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Since I was looking for a shooter when I bought mine new, I quit looking. Frankly, I have little desire for an original K -32 as it would represent too much money to use it, as a practical matter.

I also have a 631 4" and shoot it often, also.

Dale53

30 years ago they were being used as door stops.
My! How times change? It is and always has been, a magnificent gun! But at that level in the stratosphere, it's "too" magnificent for me!

I could not find one either and had to settle for this Taurus M-76 in 32S&W long. But its a shooter.

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May God Bless The USA

that taurus dont look to bad im getting a 32 mag barrel for my contender.

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God save the SOUTH

The Supica & Nahas book give $2750 for an ANIB on one of these and that's only a snapshot.
A lot,if you plan to shoot it but these are pretty rare birds given the low production numbers over many years.

This is the one I built, and it shoots GREAT.

I shoot my 16-4 so much that I initally set up a Lee Pro 1000 dedicated to the .32. Now, I use the Dillon 550B (I have one for small and one for large primers) and can turn out 1000 rounds of match quality ammo in a couple of hours.

I have the group buy 100 gr Keith Lee bullet mould and it is near perfect for my purposes. Even tho' I have a good supply of .32 H&R Mag cases, I find myself using .32 Long cases mostly. I seldom load magnum level loads and even hunting I am talking about edible small game (the Coyotes have about wiped out the groundhogs around here). Of course, if I ran onto a Coyote, I would prefer the magnum load for obvious reasons. Nonetheless, a good Keith 100 gr SWC at 800-900 fps through the "good stuff" wouldn't do the Coyote much good, I betcha.

I have hopes of doing some 100 yard work with the .32 mags this coming summer.

Several years ago, I shot Hunter Pistol. I tried a TC Contender in .32 H&R Mag and had good results up to 50 yards but I couldn't get the gun to shoot well at 100 yards. Now, with some other bullet choices, I may do better.

The .30 Carbine did MUCH better for me at 100 yards with 170 gr bullets out of the TC (Custom SSK barrel). THAT one shoots at 100 yards better than I can see with the two powered scope. It shoots quite flat, also.

Back to the topic:
I am a BIG fan of the .32's and it is a dern shame that there is such a limited offering by our arms manufacturers.

Ruger Single Six is a good platform for the .32's but the S&W trigger has it all over the Ruger for shootability.

MY Ruger Sp101 is a good platform but terribly needs fully adjustable sights. I had a Weaver base installed on mine and hung a REd Dot on it. NOW, is shoots VERY nice and is plenty strong for whatever reasonable load a feller or gal wants to use. They, too, need a trigger job.

Dale53

The K32 is a magnificent piece of American craftmanship. Unfortunately by sheer numbers made it's transformed into one that's price meets it's level of quality. The main lesson from the expensiveness of the K32 is to thank God that K22's and K38's of equal quality craftmanship are so financially obtainable.

If the K32 you mention is truely as good as the description sounds then that price is not bad at all. I've seen them sell for $3000+ and for less than $2000. It all depends on condition, accessories and originality.

Although I respect the rarity and value of my K32 I do not let it rot away in a safe. It's a gun, use it. That doesn't mean beat on it and shoot ****/dangerous handloads out of it but hell, use it. The thought of a gun sitting in a safe for eternity and a barrel seeing nothing but stale air and dust go down it saddens me. I shoot mine on occastion. I use name brand, trustworthy ammunition that isn't super hot and I make sure to take extremely good care of it while in the field. I see it as an honor to be able to shoot it.

Here's a pic of mine and a video of it in action...



Link to the video.

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~ S&WCA No.2159 ~

After I got my 16-4 (6") I have pretty much satisfied my needs:

2" S&W 30-1 (as new)
4" S&W 631
4" Ruger Sp101 with trigger job and Red Dot
6" S&W
10" TC Contender with SSK barrel (proper barrel
dimensions for the .32's).

Mine shoots extremely well up to an including 50 yards which is just fine for target (most of my use) and edible small game. You could hardly ask for better. I probably put 3000-5000 rounds per year through mine. Every shot brings a smile to my face. I shoot the .32's nearly as much as my 625's.

Did I mention that I LIKE 32's?

Dale53

Yup, it's the Model 632 Carry Comp Pro and is already up on the S&W website.

Link To The New .327 Magnum S&W

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~ S&WCA No.2159 ~

Now let's see:
We take an extremely noisy cartridge ("put you in the hospital, noisy") and THEN we add a short barrel AND a port . It's supposed to give a woman a really good defense pistol with light recoil. When an untrained woman shoots that thing the first time, it'll be "ALL SHE WROTE"! Obviously, I don't understand these marketing types.

On the other hand, in the right platform (I vote for a "K" frame in both 4" and 6") it'll make a JIM DANDY sporting revolver. For now, I'll walk around smug with my 16-4 6" in the field (it is safe and easy to drive a 100 gr cast SWC well over 1200 fps).

FWIW
Dale53

+1000

30 years ago was 1979. By then, I had been looking for a decent, affordable K-32 for 5 years. They were really hard to find even then and have never been cheap.

Mebbe I should have looked behind more propped-open doors...

I'd pay $2,000 for a decent K-32 in the original box so fast my wallet might catch fire getting it out of my pocket. I have never been in the same room with a K-32 that was for sale.

I have recently learned to love the 32 S&W long.

Have a K-32 and a 16-3, and several I and J frames as well.

What interests me is a 4 inch 631 with target sights. This would be for my wife, her hands are too small for the K frame, even with round but (guns not hers).

S&W's new 632 seems wrong for carry and wrong for target work, they missed both possible uses!

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ineedannudernewgun

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May God Bless The USA

I'm glad I found mine a while back. I started looking in the mid 70s but it wasn't until the late 90s that I statrted finding them.
Here's a 16-2 standard hammer and trigger in the box.
Along with a 16-3, full target.

HappyHunter;
I have a 631 (4" with target sights) and have been extremely happy with it (it's not for sale). It has accounted for a few bunnies. That's the most sporting way to take edible small game. You don't get as many as with a shotgun but the satisfaction is MUCH greater.

It gets even better when you take them home and the family ALL get this big grin when they realize it only had one hole in it and they don't have to worry about possible shot in their meal.

I can testify that your wife would love it.

I would like to say that a good "J" frame that is now available (either the 3" Model 60 with target sights or the Model 60 5" with target sights) should also work well for your wife. She can practice with .38 Wadcutters then use standard or plus "P" HP SWC's for a home defense gun. If she likes small game hunting, then the wadcutters do a wonderful job on rabbits, etc. AND-D-D, they are available new from your friendly dealer. It would be a great post Christmas present.

I have the 3" and can do as nearly well at 25 yards as I do with the longer barrels. As an example, I have fired as high as a 96x100 at 25 yards on the NRA 25 yard timed fire target. When carrying it in a belt holster in the field, you hardly know it is there. Make no mistake, the 3" target sighted Model 60 makes few compromises regarding practicality.

FWIW
Dale53

Dale53,

Not for sale...darn.

Thanks for the suggestion on the M60, got me thinking about it.

My wife and I shoot in an informal PPC league and 6 shots is necessary. She uses a custom built 45 now and is doing very well. I just want here to use a wheel gun for a change as it is my preferance.

Until I can find one for her I get to tease here for using a bottom feeder.

Regards
Fred

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ineedannudernewgun

HappyHunter;
My local club meets twice a week. Nearly always, there are goodies on the trade tables. I recently bought a really nice "shooter" - it was a S&W Model 15 Combat Masterpiece (4") .38 Special. It was a police trade-in (Orange County California) and about 95-98% at a very reasonable price. I am making a gift of it to my son. He and his wife will train with it and use for a house gun. My son is a gifted shooter while his wife will be a new shooter (+ another pro-gun voter).

Frankly, the Model 15 is one of the true "Classics" and since they were police issue for most of the country they are readily available in good used condition for reasonable prices. Further, this revolver is NOT an anachronism but is just as practical today as the day it was king.

Dale53

I bought this K-32 8 years ago at a Houston gun show. It has been nickel plated with gold trigger and hammer, and the chambers bored out to accept 32 Mag. But for $390 what the heck!!!

sw44spl,
That's what I did too...I have a 10" barrel I got off GB for $140

I then went out and bought a Ruger Vaquero and a Ruger Single-Six...both chambered in .32 Mag...I likee!!

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

Dale53,

For years my wife had a combat masterpiece under the bed. Recently I gave my son and his new wife a 4 inch model 19, they will load it with plus p's and keep it in a safe in bedroom. K frames where the backbone of S&W revolver line.

My favorite is the target masterpiece line.

For PPC and Bianchi I use a built up 686.

I still want your 631!!!

The perfect gun for my wife would be a 5 inch stainless J frame round but 32 long with adj. sights. Do you think it possible to make one from a 5 inch 63? I think a post in the smithing section is needed.

Regards,

Fred

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ineedannudernewgun

Fred;
I have no doubt that one of our better pistolsmith's could make a .32 from a model 63. However, I suspect that you could buy TWO 631's for the same money (IF you could find one).

If it wasn't for the fact that you need a six shooter, I would just go buy the Model 60 (5") but it "ain't" a six shooter.

There IS another possibility. Buy a 4" Model 30 and have a pistolsmith add an adjustable sight. That would cost a LOT less than a full conversion and should be just what the doctor ordered. I believe used Model 30's are still available for a reasonable amount.

You know, you may be underestimating your wife's ability with a "K" frame (hand size, etc). With the proper grips most women that I have met have been quite able to handle these. And, as I stated above, there are still a good number of police trade-ins around (they DO need to be inspected properly) at reasonable prices.

Dale53

The short answer is "NO" because the 63 is a Rim Fire and the .32 S&W Long is a Center Fire. And the firing pin will not align properly. At least, without lots and lots of work - so the answer is also Yes but only for lots of Dollar$$$.

Why not purchase one of the Model 60-18s with a 5 inch barreled .38 Specials and use light loads???

There is a Model 631 listed in the "GUNS - For Sale" section but the Seller seems to thing it is Solid Gold or something considering the 1K price tag but I guess some of that is because he's got a bunch of stuff with it. He has decided he'll sell the bare gun for $850.00 but that's still got to be Solid Gold since it is nothing more than a "Shooter Grade" gun with none of the box or accessories etc.

I'd look around for a Model 33, this gun already has adjustable sights, which is the Blued Steel version of the .32 S&W Long and is available in several barrel lengths.

Buff,
Somehow and for some reason back about that time frame a fair number of K frame .32's came to the market in the upper midwest. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan for sure and probably Ohio? It was just at the time newer shooters were starting to go to auto's. And the WWII era shooters were just beginning to (sadly) fade a bit in physical ability of eye or hand. I've wondered from time to time about how many estates of similarly aged enthusiasts went on the market within a short period of time. They still seem to happen that way. Perhaps with more frequency in more densely populated locations? Don't forget, great lakes industrial midwest has a LOT of people!

KKG,

I never considered the 33. I even have the loading dies for this round but have not used them as .361 is difficult to find (recently learned Graf & Son have it).

Is the 38 S&W an accurate round as is the 32 S&W?

Is the model 33 a six round gun?

Thanks for the thought, research in needed.

Fred

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ineedannudernewgun

Originally posted by HappyHunter:

"Is the model 33 a six round gun?"

Nope, the Model 33 (.38 Regulation Police) is a 5 shooter, I and then J frame. They have fixed sights and 4 inch barrels.

As for accuracy, I don't see any reason the .38 S&W can't be accurate, it's primarily a matter of load development and bullet selection. There hasn't been much done with the cartridge since WWII. A friend has reloaded it with hollow base wadcutter bullets and Bullseye powder and he says it shoots them great, as the soft lead bullet swages up the .003" difference just fine with a quick jolt from a quick powder and the hollow skirt of the bullet.

I often wondered why S&W made the M-33 with a 4 inch barrel but never offered a 4 inch barrel on the Chiefs Special. Add Kit Gun sights and you'd really have something!

swca1000

A K-32 sold at a Tx gun show recently for $2200. I held it and examined it before it was sold. It was 99% and had an original box.

If you want a good shooting revolver look for a model 16. I got mine from Buff and it is so accurate it is boring. My kids could not believe me shooting the bullseye out of the target at 25 yards.