Some where around late 1974 or early 1975 I asked Jack Roy if he could order me a Smith & Wesson K-32 Masterpiece. I had read that they were to stop or already stopped making them.
Jack Roy knew alot of people who could pull alot of strings but even with those connections, a K-32 could not be found.
One day Jack says to me that we had pretty much hit a dead end on the search for the K-32. If we would have found one it would have been a 16-3.
Not wanting to disappoint a customer, especially a younger one, Jack said that he had something that I might be interested in. Then he went in back and pulled out this brand new in the box model 35-1, 1953 Kit Gun Target. This one was shipped 2/74 so it must have sat in back of Jack's shop for a while.
Jack told me that it was a scarce item to be found and that they were going to stop or already did stop making the model 35s. He could have very well sold it for a premium but allowed this young shooter to put it on lay away for the list price of that time. I still have the receipt some place.
Remember layaways?
I did finally get a K-32. Finally found a pre 16 after posting an ad in Shot Gun News in 1999, some 23 years later. And that K-32 model 16-3. If I could have ordered one I would have ordered it with full target accessories TT, TH, and TG. Found this one which was shipped in 1972 to Petersborough Guns in Ontario Canada.
I think Jack would have approved.