K-32 Combat Masterpiece

[glenncal1]

Was reading the Jink's book last nite. He mentions that S&W made a few Combat Masterpieces in .32. Has anyone seen such a rarity or owned one. Anyone know how many they made? Thanks

 

[bmg60]

K-32 4 inch

Hi
there were two small runs of 4 inch K-32,s made.
One run of about 10 in the early 50,s they were 5 screw models.
one run in the late 50,s they were the 4 screw models.
below is the one I own it was a single gun shipment in 1959.
I hope this information helps.
Jim Fisher

added better picture.

 

[Joe Kent]

Jim, truly a very neat revolver. Looking at the caliber stamping on the barrel, do you know or think that the factory assembled these rare guns by factory cutting the longer standard barrel down to the four inch length? Also while I am asking questions, is there any knowledge of five inch barrels ever being made? Thanks in advance, Joe.

 

[mikepriwer]

Here is a couple pictures of my 5-screw 4" K-32, along with a prototype
4" K-22 from 1947. The K-32 has the higher front sight blade.

These next two pictures are of a much earlier 4" K-32 . This gun was
made in 1910. There were about 6 or 8 made up in 32 long at that
time. Another group of 6 or 8 were made up in 1916.

Mike Priwer

 

[glenncal1]

Somebody on here has one of everything, Thanks for the photos

 

[bmg60]

K-32 4 inch

hi
joe yes I think the barrels were cut from 6 inch.
and I have never seen any information that a 5 inch was ever made.
jim

my gun letters with all the extra,s as shipped. target stocks, red ramp, target hammer and trigger, it is also a wide rib barrel.
condition is 98%. I have owned it since 1985 and have not seen another
one since. I can only account for 2 or 3 of the 4 screw models that are in collections.
jim

 

[mikepriwer]

Somebody on here has one of everything.

Jim

Its what collectors do !

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[H Richard]

Knowing when to be in the right place at the right time. And, I assume a little luck helps along with lots of hard work and networking.

 

[DBWesson]

Jim:
For some reason your gun looks refinished.
Could you post a better picture?
Larry

 

[bmg60]

hi
larry it not a good picture it is all orginal and has been looked at by all the S&W guys that know guns.
It is stored at this time so I can't get a better picture.
jim

added better picture

 

[peyton]

Wow, I have to wonder what S&W worker had that good idea and convinced management to make them? Why were so few made? Could it been the inventory of frames were going to support the 357 magnum craze at this time? Or did they just not sell?

 

[Joe Kent]

Peyton, you ask some very good questions. I was discussing this thread and particularly the "idea" of a 32 cal. Combat Masterpc with my son and his question to me was "why?" There were 22 cal. understudy revolvers available and even in the early 50's the various 38 calibers ie. 357/ 38 special had long since replaced the 32's in police service. Not until present time has there been a valid reason to consider a 32 caliber as a choice for a medium size frame, 327 Federal, and even that is not being accepted by many people. That being said, maybe the K-32's were made simply to drive us to really, really want one 60 years later. As I said before, it is a super neat gun that I wish I could both find and afford. All my best, Joe.

 

[peyton]

Just the other day I was thinking of taking my model 18 and converting it to 327, the thought in my head was "Why didn't S&W make the K-32 with a 4 inch barrel"?? See ya'll got ESP (don't ask me to spell those long words)!!! So who has one for sell????

 

[HappyHunter]

I AM AGAPE!!

VERY NICE, VERY NICE INDEED!

Makes my stable of 6 inchers look ordinary.

Thanks to the collectors for sharing.

Fred

 

[glenncal1]

Hard enough to find a 6" K-32 and you guys post a bunch of 4"ers The .32 is a great round to shoot and a very pleasant way to introduce newer shooters to centerfire handguns.

 

[PMRet]

Makes my stable of 6 inchers look ordinary.

A stable of K-32's is anything but ordinary, regardless of barrel length! If you would care to cut one out of the herd and part with it, I'm sure many of us would be interested...

 

[Hondo44]

Wow, I have to wonder what S&W worker had that good idea and convinced management to make them? Why were so few made? Could it been the inventory of frames were going to support the 357 magnum craze at this time? Or did they just not sell?

Good question. I'll offer my view from the gun market at the time. It was a target gun and nothing else. The factory went to extra lengths to make a K38, K32 and K22 with almost exact weight when loaded for the very popular 3 gun Bullseye matches of the time. And the wisdom of that period was 6" guns could be shot more accurately, longer sight radius, etc. So who would buy a 4"? No market demand. Probably a few distributors ordered them to have something unique or at the request of a few 'weirdos' of the time like me.

I would have bought one, I've always been able to shoot short barrels better, but I was in grammar school at the time! And that's what makes them so desirable now!

 

[mikepriwer]

S&W has always been influenced by special interests. The whole idea
of the 22/32 was Phil Bekeart in San Francisco. Wolf & Klar, in Ft
Worth, was behind either 2nd or 3rd model 44. Ed McGivern was
behind the gold bead front sight blade. King was way ahead of S&W
with sights and barrel ribs. Bill Jordan was the pusher for the .357
K-frame, and Elmer Keith( and others) behind the .44 magnum.

Target shooters, collectively, all wanted the same loaded weight gun
across .22's, .32's, and .38's . After WW2, and the redesign of the
K-frame line, they eventually got exactly what they wanted- in 6"
barrels.

The factory was not necessarily the most innovative, but it certainly
was responsive !

In the K-frame line, the factory had been producing a 32 caliber model,
in 32-20, from 1899 to about 1940. Towards the end, its popularity
approached zero ! Still in all, they did produce the .32 long model
after WW2, but sales were never all that great. I think something
like 5000 to 7000 units were produced, and it was eventually dropped.
It did come back, for a bit, in 32 magnum, but that full-lug barrel
made it very heavy .

It would appear that there was never any intention of making a 4" K-32,
as a production model. All the ones that I am aware of are special
orders.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[pre16]

K-32 41/2"

hi
joe yes I think the barrels were cut from 6 inch.
and I have never seen any information that a 5 inch was ever made.
jim

my gun letters with all the extra,s as shipped. target stocks, red ramp, target hammer and trigger, it is also a wide rib barrel.
condition is 98%. I have owned it since 1985 and have not seen another
one since. I can only account for 2 or 3 of the 4 screw models that are in collections.
jim

Jim A factory invoice of 1 K-32 4.5" was discovered recently.

 

[Pre-29Smith]

5 screw 4" K32 - bear with me on photos. Getting the entire gun is proving a challenge, but up close I seem to do better (playing with a new light tent..playing being the key term).

 

[Green Frog]

Coming in from left field here, when I had my custom stainless built (Project 616) the only barrel I could find to have rebored was a 4" (Model 617) and I was a little bummed. Now that I have had it done, I don't think I would want to change it, even if I could. Remember that the vast majority of the service revolvers carried by uniformed LEOs for decades were 4" M&Ps and Model 10s. Mine carries quite well in a an old break front Bianchi service holster.

I guess the K-32 with 4" barrel was regarded as too short for targets and too puny for self defense; so being "neither fish nor fowl" it was allowed to die. More's the pity.

BTW, I'm beginning to really lust after these 4" K-32s being shown in this thread. You can't beat class!

Froggie

 

[paplinker]

S&W has always been influenced by special interests. The whole idea
of the 22/32 was Phil Bekeart in San Francisco. Wolf & Klar, in Ft
Worth, was behind either 2nd or 3rd model 44. Ed McGivern was
behind the gold bead front sight blade. King was way ahead of S&W
with sights and barrel ribs. Bill Jordan was the pusher for the .357
K-frame, and Elmer Keith( and others) behind the .44 magnum.

Target shooters, collectively, all wanted the same loaded weight gun
across .22's, .32's, and .38's . After WW2, and the redesign of the
K-frame line, they eventually got exactly what they wanted- in 6"
barrels.

The factory was not necessarily the most innovative, but it certainly
was responsive !

In the K-frame line, the factory had been producing a 32 caliber model,
in 32-20, from 1899 to about 1940. Towards the end, its popularity
approached zero ! Still in all, they did produce the .32 long model
after WW2, but sales were never all that great. I think something
like 5000 to 7000 units were produced, and it was eventually dropped.
It did come back, for a bit, in 32 magnum, but that full-lug barrel
made it very heavy .

It would appear that there was never any intention of making a 4" K-32,
as a production model. All the ones that I am aware of are special
orders.

Regards, Mike Priwer

I have been wondering if the rib on the k22 third series was inspired from Kings super target sight rib. Seems very plausible.

 

[stu1ritter]

hi
joe yes I think the barrels were cut from 6 inch.
and I have never seen any information that a 5 inch was ever made.
jim

Roy's letter for the "K.32 Masterpiece Pre-Model 16 Five Screw Variation"
4" barrel that I had for awhile stated that "This was a special order for 10 units with the 4 inch barrels and there was an extra charge of $6.00 for cutting the barrels and fitting them".