I took these two out today to take some measurements. A friend wants to create a pre war K32. Now a prewar K frame cylinder in 32 long is going to be nearly impossible to find. So I wondered why he wouldn't use a pre war K22 cylinder bored out for 32 long . Hence my K22 Outdoorsman and my 1948 K22 came out of the safe and it seemed a shame not to post a picture.

The cylinders are so close in size, I can't see why one would not work, but then l am wrong dozens of times per day per Mrs raljr1.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Nice revolvers, but the real shame would be taking a beautiful Outdoorsman and butchering it.

No, he doesn't intend to do that. Just looking for a cylinder should one be out there. He likes his prewar guns too much. He has a 32 caliber barrel and wants to build one .

And I am not doing anything with either of these.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Good, it's late in the day to be mounting up a posse......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Yep, Rob is talking about me.

I would like to take a very worn, and likely reblued MP Target and turn it into a Prewar K 32 I have a like new bbl, just need a cylinder. Even have a spare King rib laying around.

I am told a post war cylinder both will, or will not work.

Might have to consider looking for a OD parts lot.

"So I wondered why he wouldn't use a pre war K22 cylinder bored out for 32 long."

He will either have to modify the frame lug, since a K22 cylinder is recessed for the case heads or have the rear of the cylinder turned. Either is doable.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Rich, if you have a barrel it might be easier to have a .38 cylinder sleeved and reamed for the .32

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kbgrips.com

we thought about that but the wall thickness of the sleeve would only be .021". Seems pretty thin to me, so I wondered if that would work.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

can anyone detail why a postwar cylinder won't work? When I measured them , there were only minor differences that could likely be accounted for. Yes, the undercuts on the 22 cylinder would need to be faced off. and maybe use the extractor and rod from the 38?

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Honestly, Ben, I didn't even like putting the dial calipers on the Outdoorsman for fear of making a mark.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Ohhh, the humanity!......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

There are at least 2 K-32s for sale at public auctions right now. He should start looking because they come up.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I think it would be tough to find a 32 barrel liner out there today. I sleeved a shot out 32 rimfire Remington Rolling Block to 32 Long years ago and the liner is .45" outside diameter. A pre-WWII K frame is .53" so boring the barrel out would be impossible.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Gary, he has a barrel. It's the cylinder that is the challenge, sleeving the 38 cylinder leaves a very thin sleeve in place that I am not sure is feasible. He wants to build a pre war version. I haven't seen one of those in the places I look..

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I found myself in about the same state of affairs about 8 years ago when I had my Faux Model 16-3 built. I was fortunate enough to obtain a NOS K-32 barrel and built the gun from there. At the time, differences between pre- and post War cylinders was discussed and the general consensus was that about an equal amount of fitting would be required to install it in a pre War frame. Take it as a given that to make the rim fire cylinder “correct” in a CF frame, the rear face must be milled off toe lei instead the rim recesses used only in rim fire and magnum chamberings. With this don, fitting the cylinder to a pre War 38 target frame should require minimal work.

Gary, if you have the proper barrel, the biggest part of your project is already done. Any decent revolver smith should be able to alter a 22 cylinder to 32 and marry all of the parts into the complete copy of the pre War K-32 Target you seek. If you would like, I’ll text you the article I wrote for the CBA Journal documenting the building of my faux Model 16-3. Send me a PM with your e-mail address and I’ll dig it out for you.

Froggie

PS If you’re making a K-32 Magnum of some stripe, it’s simpler to keep the recessed chambers... that’s what I did on Project 616. OTOH, sleeving any chamber for a smaller cartridge, while do-able, is a lot of work. I’d only do that as a last resort.

I only wanted to reply to Keith about the feasibility, I knew he had the barrel. I believe custom made inserts can be made by a machinist and soldering in place will offer more than enough strength to handle a 32 Long.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Gary, just to be clear I’m not making it was just commenting on one possibility to do so. Providing one has a .32 barrel and a donor prewar M&P Target then a .22 cylinder would be the easiest way to go, as long as needed dimensions are present. I have a couple prewar M&P Targets in 32-20 and have contemplated adding a .32 long cylinder. However I’m completely happy shooting my .38 Targets as it is so it’s just something else to dream about. Larry, Jebus here on the forum has a very nice put together prewar 32 that he’s displayed at several of the north get togethers.

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kbgrips.com

Couldn't you use a RP .32 cal cylinder (provided you could find one) for the project?

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

My buddy paplinker is the dreamee on this project. I am just enabling, like we do around here. When I measured the two cylinders, it seemed obvious to me that the post war cylinder would work. The cylinder on my M&P target is .06" shorter than the 22 cylinders. That happens to be the head thickness on the 32 case, so machining that off or counterboring would do the trick there. If you counterbored the cylinder you could use the extractor from the 22, if you faced it off, I think the extractor from the 38 would work.

I have a 1950s K22, maybe I'll pull the cylinder off and see if it fits in that 38 m&p target.

Then I remember that this is Rich's project not mine....what am I doing here?

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Robert,
When I had my Faux Model 16-3 built, there was enough meat on the K-22 extractor star to mill it down with the cylinder face. It worked fine for me so I would imagine it will for him as well.
I’m pleased to see this project taking shape and will be following this thread closely.
Froggie

Once again, this seems to be an interesting project... at least for us enablers!
Gary, while I agree that you can sleeve the 6 chambers of the cylinder, I question whether it would be the best expenditure of time and funds on this project.
Glenncal1, the RP 32 is an I frame, so its cylinder would be too small for a K frame project like the one here.
Raljr1, paplinker and I have crossed paths here before. Just keep being an encourager since he’s on the edge of that precipice... just give him a nudge. . I haven’t actually compared the measurements of K-22 and K-38 cylinder but assume they would differ by only the depth of their rim recesses.
Froggie

Ben, you are stealing my line. Big Larry

Just for the record and to stimulate more discussion, a couple of years before beginning my faux Model 16 project I found a listing for a NOS pre War 32 S&W L barrel for sale. I started planning a project similar to the one in the OP, or perhaps a 32 M&P. Unfortunately the barrel sold a couple of days before I moved on it. I guess it was meant for me to build the 16-3. Sometimes we have good Karma!
Froggie

Nudge him? I was looking for a cylinder at the last gun show I attended, thinking to buy it and send it to him...I may find one yet....I am not an amateur enabler.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760