I was sure what I have, but since I have seen some conflicting info, I thought I would place it here and put this puppy to bed.

I have a S&W 16-2 32 S&W Long 6" barrel with post war adjustable sights and non relieved grips. Would this be the coveted K-32 Masterpiece? What would be it's appx. DOB? Is there anything else you can volunteer?











My dad wore and shot it for years, then he gave it to my cousin, who recently passed it back to me. It will move on to one of my sons one day.

Yes, you do have a K32 Masterpiece. I don't know by model number if it is one with the regulated rib to produce the 38 ounce weight. It appears to have the semi target hammer with the standard service trigger.

Congratulations on your new possession!

If I were you, I would lay in a supply of 32 S&W Long brass, and a bunch of 32 HBWCs or a mold.

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Judge control not gun control!

I currently have 50 rounds of lellier & bellot wad cutters. I do intend to save all of my brass, find a mold, and invest in a reloader. I hope to amass 1000 rounds of s&w long and 32 acp. (My wife uses a 32 auto) would I place it unloaded on a scale to see if it is 38oz?

That is a great shooter grade Model 16-2 and a family keepsake as well. Hope you have someone to pass it on to.

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

I do, in fact, it will be a difficult choice as I have 6 children and 3 major heirlooms...

The K571000 serial number puts it as a 1964 production gun, but they were such slow sellers at that time that it might not have shipped (sold) that year. S & W tracks the ship, not production date - a history letter would tell you the former but requests are on hold until late June.

New Data on History Letters - Post 1 Update

If all six of your children are interested in guns and keeping a family heirloom, you do have a tough decision! Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

For some reason, I cannot open the link that you provided. Thank you very much for the production date!

If it is a 1960s vintage K32, it is in the 38 ounce range.

I would try to amass about a thousand 32 S&W Long cases, to be on the safe side. With a powder puff charge, the brass should last "forever". If you are only loading for the S&W 32 and a 32 ACP, consider getting a Dillon Square Deal B. Or, if you want to be discreet or have space considerations, consider a Lyman 310 Tong Tool with a lube pad and scale.

As an aside, you can never go wrong with a S&W Masterpiece, I have 3, a K22 and 2 K38s ... but I am still looking for another K38!

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Judge control not gun control!

I also own a 30-06, a 12 gauge, and I intend to acquire a 380 and a 9mm in the future. With that known, what reloader or loaders would you recommend? Also, define a "puff" charge. How much weaker than normal would that be if I understand correctly?

Personally, I don't reload the 32 S&W Long, since I have yet to find the K32 of my dreams. In a 38 Special, a powder puff charge is 2.8gr of Bullseye behind a 148gr wadcutter. Light recoil and low velocity, but also very accurate!

If you are looking at reloading several metallic cartridges, you can go with either a single stage press or a progressive press. Which way you go should depend on the volume of shooting you plan to do and your ammunition requirements. You could get a good used single stage press off eBay for maybe a hundred dollars or so, or you could get a new Hornady Lock n Load set for maybe three hundred dollars. Or, you could go with a Dillon 550B progressive press, and load handgun ammo faster, and do the 30-06 on the Dillon as if it was a single stage press.

For the 12 gauge, you need a separate press, and I would suggest a MEC Jr. You could consider a Lee Load All, if they are still made.

On the Dillon Square Deal B, you can switch calibers rather easily, but it is more complicated than with a 550B. The Square Deal B doesn't use conventional dies. How you go should be influenced directly by how many rounds you "need" to produce during a reloading session.

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Judge control not gun control!

Thank you. Both my wife and I are adept marksmen with both triditional weaponry as well as air guns. She has even held world record scores in 10 meter airgun trials. We own a J.W. Whiscombe, A gamo 126, and a custom gripped Daisy powerlne 777.




I digress, however my point being is that reloading would be very economical for us.

It depends on the volume you expect to shoot. If maybe a few hundred a year from each caliber, a single stage such as a RCBS Rockchucker would be O.K. But if you shoot more frequently, with that variety of calibers I would invest in a Dillon 550B or a Hornady. I have a 550 and it handles just about anything and can be switched to different caliber in about 10-15 minutes.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I had a great time at the range yesterday.

The solution is obvious! Buy three more major heirlooms that YOU can enjoy until you pass on. Then you have have one for each offspring.

After all, you're doing it for the children.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Funny thing.. I had completely forgotten about the airguns.... hmmm. Does that mean I get to collect 6 more heirlooms?! * rubs hands together*

Back to your reloading question... you can seldom go wrong with a good, basic single stage press . Just about all the major makers of reloading equipment make or made one or more of them and they let you set up for a given caliber and work through the loading process one step at a time so you can safely track what you are doing while turning out first class ammo as well. Then, when you want to change calibers, you just change dies and shell holders and there you are! Lots of people get into reloading to "save money" but they find instead that they just are able to shoot more for the same money (or a "little" more. )

Specific to your Model 16-2, there have been many good moulds in round nose, wadcutter, and semi-wadcutter made over the years. At the range, the K-32 will really shine with wadcutters and semi-wadcutters. I personally like a load of 2 to 2.5 grains of Bullseye behind a WC or SWC of around 95 grains in my 32 revolvers including several smaller I-frames and my custom-built Project 616 (go to Project 616) which is a 4" stainless version of your gun. I refer to these as my "cat sneeze" loads and you could shoot them in your gun virtually forever without noticeable wear.

I heartily approve of your decision to acquire more guns to make it equitable to all of your heirs... but of course I could be accused of "enabling" in some circles. I figure acquiring at least one good handgun, rifle, shotgun, and of course air gun for each would keep me, at least, busily "doing my duty to my family" for a while!

Regards,
Froggie

Thank you! I am very fond of wadcutters. I see that it will be a challenge to locate a wadcutter mould without paying out the nose for a custom.

NOTICE: This is probably old news but, Aguila rounds, at least the .32 s&w long lead round nose I purchased and shot at the range the other day when I ran out of my S & B wadcutters, suck.
The brass was all charred after firing and I had some split as well. From what I understand, charred brass is a sign of uneven seating and or crimping.
My S & B brass were all still shiny and in perfect condition.

I finally got around to dying my green gun belt black last night. Looks MUCH better.

I have a lot of luck with the .32 Long ammo I get from Georgia Arms. I also buy their .45 auto rim and .38's. I still have bags of .45 ball that I got when my brother died, they are priced at $10,so you know they've been around a while. He was a hard core shooter and reloader, but he would buy from them if he wasn't up to reloading.

Thank you, I will check it out.

NOE makes a hollow base wadcutter in 2, 4, and perhaps other numbers of cavities, but if I were only going to buy a single mould, I'd probably go with the semi-wadcutter style. Any decent mould you buy now will cost between about $60 and $125 new, but in the long run will be worth the money. I went "whole hog" and bought the HBWC wadcutter mould in brass, 2 cavity with interchangeable plugs for solid base wadcutters as well... this ran at the high end, but I just wanted to reward myself.

FWIW, I think Hornady still makes swaged HBWCs that it sells in boxes of 500. They also make/made some really nice 95 gr swaged SWCs.

Froggie

Found this sign in a roadside petting zoo and gift shop etc. In Florida.