Quote:
Originally Posted by peyton
I do not understand why they quit making these fine revolvers, did the demand die when the .357 came out??
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.327, do you mean? It's true the .32 Long is kind of wimpy compared to more recent magnum versions, but the problem is that S&W .32 offerings in any chambering just didn't sell very well in the K-frame. According to SCSW, fewer than 4000 K-32 Masterpieces and Model 16s were manufactured between 1947 and 1974, when production was suspended. In 1989 the Model 16 was re-introduced as the 16-4 chambered in .32 H&R Magnum, but it was discontinued again about four years later with fewer than 9000 manufactured.
Compare this to the .32-20, which was manufactured from 1899 to 1940; the company turned out nearly 150,000 of those. That sounds impressive, but it is still only a small percentage of the .38 Special K-frame production in the same period. The company pretty clearly said something about the market when it decided not to reintroduce a .32-20 after WW2. Looks like they were willing to go with a target .32 on the K-frame in the hopes it would do as well as the K-22, but that never happened.
The company was very successful with its I-frame and later J-frame .32 offerings, but it turned out that only the afficionados would go for it in the larger K-frame guns.
I should disclose that I kind of ignored .32 revolvers for a long time because I considered them unnecessary in-betweeners. But I have recently picked up a .32 Regulation Police (I-frame) and a shooter-grade .32-20 that I feel great fondness for. In the next few days I will take delivery of a K-32 (Pre-16) that will complete my Masterpiece troika (22/32/38). So I am coming belatedly to like guns in this caliber.