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05-07-2014, 07:50 PM
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K-32 Masterpeice (?) for your viewing pleasure...
....if I did my research correct (first time using the SCSW as a source)... It appears to be a .32 S&W Long K-32 Hand Ejector, (postwar), K-32 Masterpiece – “Pre- model 16”, and appears to have a narrow rib; Ser. No K66040.
Serial numbers observed/recorded: K58921-K58970, K67601-K67670, Mfg. 1946-1974 (Narrow Rib pre-1950).
Tell me if I got it right, or to get my nose back in the book
Also, are those the issued grips, or later date?
Cheers,
82ndpara
Last edited by 82ndpara; 05-07-2014 at 08:06 PM.
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05-07-2014, 07:53 PM
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Additional photos:
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05-07-2014, 08:02 PM
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Yeah, I got one of those ****** heavy 32 Masterpieces from 1952. Actually shipped 10-19-1952. 100 % matching, I bought it off a Forum member here in 2011. Got one heck of a deal on it too. Big Larry
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05-07-2014, 08:05 PM
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82ndpara - very cool revolver and very rare 3- piece, factory target stocks.
Thanks for sharing
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05-07-2014, 08:07 PM
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Thanks for the info on the grips!
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05-07-2014, 08:18 PM
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yes, be careful with those stocks. very few of them around
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05-07-2014, 08:20 PM
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I don't think I've ever personally seen a set. Very neat.
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05-07-2014, 08:22 PM
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82ndpara, Sir the upper and lower side plate screws are switched - happens a lot. Nice K32 by the way.
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05-07-2014, 08:26 PM
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Leo, thanks for the info, I'll get right on it! .... The SCSW suggests that this could be a “Quite scarce gun”, did I read that right? It would appear that there are quite a few out there....
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05-07-2014, 08:55 PM
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82ndpara - so that you thoroughly understand about the grips......
Your's are the third pair documented here on the Forum.
The second pair just surfaced a couple months back on another K32.
The first pair were bought and sold a few times and finally fetched $800ish.
Again, Congrats!
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05-07-2014, 09:39 PM
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This one (as you can see from your copy of the SCSW) 'should' have shipped in 1947, but they were slow sellers. A factory letter will tell you this and if the stocks are original to the gun; these usually came with the smaller Magna stocks. As Big Larry implied, the narrow rib/tapered barrel were earlier production, and the wide rib/untapered version was called the Heavy Masterpiece; this version was made so the K-22, -32 and -38 equaled out in weight and balance.
You are on quite a roll with S & Ws recently . Enjoy!
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05-07-2014, 09:42 PM
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Man! You stumbled into quite the RARE hoard of Stocks.....
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05-07-2014, 09:48 PM
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Oh, good God! The hit's just keep coming with this batch of handguns! First all the Ropers on both the Smiths and two Colts, and now this one being that rare!...
Thank you much for the clarification on this, my little collection is turning out quite nice.
82ndpara
Quote:
Originally Posted by VM
82ndpara - so that you thoroughly understand about the grips......
Your's are the third pair documented here on the Forum.
The second pair just surfaced a couple months back on another K32.
The first pair were bought and sold a few times and finally fetched $800ish.
Again, Congrats!
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05-07-2014, 09:50 PM
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I checked the two Colt Woodsman Match Targets last night; they look like they have some crazy kind of Ropers on them also....
I'll post when I get them cleaned up...
Quote:
Originally Posted by 05CarbonDRZ
Man! You stumbled into quite the RARE hoard of Stocks.....
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05-07-2014, 09:53 PM
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Thank you for the info Murphydog, I plaln on dropping some serious cash on Letters for a few of these, and some I haven't cleaned up for showing yet....
cheers,
DB
Quote:
Originally Posted by murphydog
This one (as you can see from your copy of the SCSW) 'should' have shipped in 1947, but they were slow sellers. A factory letter will tell you this and if the stocks are original to the gun; these usually came with the smaller Magna stocks. As Big Larry implied, the narrow rib/tapered barrel were earlier production, and the wide rib/untapered version was called the Heavy Masterpiece; this version was made so the K-22, -32 and -38 equaled out in weight and balance.
You are on quite a roll with S & Ws recently . Enjoy!
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05-07-2014, 10:00 PM
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Rare grips; scarce gun.
"You done good" would be an understatement.
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05-07-2014, 10:48 PM
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If I were a woman I'd say I hate you, but since I'm not, CONGRATULATION'S on some amazing pieces!
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05-08-2014, 12:24 AM
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Very nice pistol. Could you post better pics of the stocks. I'd like them for reference. Thanks.
DW
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05-08-2014, 12:30 AM
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Mine K58963.
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05-08-2014, 11:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DWFAN
Very nice pistol. Could you post better pics of the stocks. I'd like them for reference. Thanks.
DW
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DWFAN,
Here are some pictures of the stocks with grip adapter that are on my K-32. Check your PM's.
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05-08-2014, 12:45 PM
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An all-around great score. Congratulations.
A point on the date: A few salesman samples of the K-32 may have been around since 1947, and a few K-32s may have been shipped as a courtesy or favor in late 1948, but distribution of the model in commercial quantities did not get under way until early 1949. I have K66021, which shipped in February 1949. From February through April 1949 S&W was shipping K-32s numbered in the the K59xxx through K69xxx range. Only several dozen to a few hundred of revolvers with those numbers were K-32s. The K-22 and K-38s were also in production at that time; all Masterpieces were numbered in the same serial sequence.
Total production of the K-32 Masterpiece, both model-marked (Mod 16) and pre-16, came to about 3,600 units over the life of the gun. Compare that to the hundreds of thousands of K-22 and K-38 Masterpieces that were sold. I ignore the reintroduced 16-4, which was differently configured and chambered a magnum round.
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Last edited by DCWilson; 05-08-2014 at 12:54 PM.
Reason: Fix serial number that lacked a K.
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05-08-2014, 04:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Larry
Yeah, I got one of those ****** heavy 32 Masterpieces from 1952. Actually shipped 10-19-1952. 100 % matching, I bought it off a Forum member here in 2011. Got one heck of a deal on it too. Big Larry
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Missed my birthday by a couple of months...(8/19/1952)
Beautiful gun.
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05-08-2014, 05:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bullmack
DWFAN,
Here are some pictures of the stocks with grip adapter that are on my K-32. Check your PM's.
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If any stocks are to be called K Frame Cokes,These are them...
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05-08-2014, 08:01 PM
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82
Congrats on the acquisition of a great gun and rare grips. For reference my K-32, SN K68492 was shipped in March 1949.
Thanks for sharing,
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05-08-2014, 10:18 PM
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Thanks for the shipping info guys, I'll add it to the bio-notes.
Also, for DWFAN: below are some additional photos for your reference.
Cheers,
DB
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05-09-2014, 08:37 AM
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Great stuff in this thread, 82ndpara, and thanks again for posting all of those useful details and pix. Seeing that adaptor in isolation, I wonder whether, with current technology, it could be made fairly easily, and with modern materials be made very durable. Be careful with your original, though as they have something of a reputation for being fragile, especially at the ripe old age of 60+. In its current condition, it is a real treasure!
Regards,
Froggie
PS My birthday is June 16, 1949, so if anybody has a spare K-32 from that time frame they would like to donate to the Green Frog Birthday Gun Project, I would be happy to hear from them!
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05-09-2014, 08:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VM
82ndpara - very cool revolver and very rare 3- piece, factory target stocks.
Thanks for sharing
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VM, What can you tell me/us about those three piece stocks. I have seen nothing like it. By chance is there anyone making them today?
Thanks in advance.
edit: I see others have chimed in with info....one question I haven't seen is what is the 3rd part made of? Is it some sort of Bakelite like our old phones are made of?
And Green Frog, I am with you wondering if there is a market for a modern version.
Last edited by MrTrolleyguy; 05-09-2014 at 09:44 AM.
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05-09-2014, 09:07 AM
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82ndpare, You sure have our attention. The Wow factor is at work here.
How did you come upon this beauty? I can't see that gem sitting on a table at a gun show. Or at least not for long. I am wondering what advantage the three piece grips or grip adapter gives it.
Have you considered lettering the gun? I am wondering if Roy could shed some light on the run of those grips.
Best of luck with it.
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05-09-2014, 09:16 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 82ndpara
Oh, good God! The hit's just keep coming with this batch of handguns! , my little collection is turning out quite nice.
82ndpara
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You must have done something really nice in your life.
What you got in that one batch "many" wont be blessed with in their entire lifetime.
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05-09-2014, 12:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 82ndpara
I checked the two Colt Woodsman Match Targets last night; they look like they have some crazy kind of Ropers on them also....
I'll post when I get them cleaned up...
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Get some pictures of the front sights on them too....just a hunch
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05-09-2014, 03:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrTrolleyguy
VM, What can you tell me/us about those three piece stocks. I have seen nothing like it. By chance is there anyone making them today?
Thanks in advance.
edit: I see others have chimed in with info....one question I haven't seen is what is the 3rd part made of? Is it some sort of Bakelite like our old phones are made of?
And Green Frog, I am with you wondering if there is a market for a modern version.
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Trolly: I got this revolver in a collection of guns my friend and I bought recently, and although there were quite a few zero's in the cost at the time, I will be making some adjustments based on the feedback here, in the interest of fairness, in the near future. That one piece on the grips looks like fairly modern palstic to me but it wouldn't be any later than the '50s given the age group of "the batch" (of guns, that is).
I plan on doing some lettering in the near future; there are some gems in this group of guns.
DB
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05-09-2014, 03:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by weatherby
You must have done something really nice in your life.
What you got in that one batch "many" wont be blessed with in their entire lifetime.
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I'd like to think I try to do the right thing most of the time, perhaps some karma coming back..
There appears to be no randomness in this collection we bought; the collector was a part time gunsmith with friends in the Springfield, MA gun community throughout the '30s-'60s...
I am truely blessed with the way this deal came to me as well as the opportunity to take care of the person that made it possible.
DB
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05-09-2014, 03:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrTrolleyguy
82ndpare, I am wondering if Roy could shed some light on the run of those grips.
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MrTrolleyguy,
I acquired K-32 #K2244 in early March that also has the same stocks with grip adapter. Mine is a very early gun - much before actual production started. I sent in a letter request on 3/17 in which I asked Roy to supply as much information as he could about the 3 piece stocks. The general impression at this time is that only a couple of dozen were produced. Also check out the link below
The RAREST Target Stocks
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05-10-2014, 07:43 AM
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Correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that Target stocks did not become available until the early 1950's. Assuming that information is correct, how do we explain these late 1940's guns showing up with Target stocks. Are they later add ons or is it that Target stocks were not a cataloged item until the early 50's but available as early as 1947,8,9???
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05-10-2014, 11:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunBass
Missed my birthday by a couple of months...(8/19/1952)
Beautiful gun.
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I have a minty LERK one line K22 that was shipped 9-23-1947 which was my 5th birthday. Close, but so far away. Big Larry
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05-10-2014, 01:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSR III
Correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that Target stocks did not become available until the early 1950's. Assuming that information is correct, how do we explain these late 1940's guns showing up with Target stocks. Are they later add ons or is it that Target stocks were not a cataloged item until the early 50's but available as early as 1947,8,9???
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Good question - I did exchange emails with Roy on the gun and stocks. His reply is linked as a pdf. We'll have to wait and see if he has any further info when he gets to my letter request.
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