K-32 Franken gun?

[Recoil Rob]

While hunting around some stores today for a K22 today I saw what I thought was a nice high condition K-38 Combat Masterpiece, at least that was what the tag said. Target stocks, 4" barrel.

Being new to S&W's I took some notes to do some further research at home. Also, being new, it didn't occur to me that the model was wrong for a 38, under the cylinder the crane is marked 16-3 and SK869XX. This fits the serial number range as a 1969 gun and the K-32 was dropped in 1973.

I took the stocks off and the frame is marked 81873 D5 D2 D9.

So, it appears to me this is a re-barreled K-32, 16-3?

The gun is in VG condition and it's relatively cheap. Are K-32 barrels and cylinders impossible to find to make this gun right again? Is it even economically feasible?

I know they are scarce but thought if possible it might be worth it.

I also have read there were a limited number of K-32 Combats masterpieces made but that would seem to have been way before the -3 model.


thanks,

Rob

 

[mikepriwer]

The serial number is not SK-----, it may be 8K------, or maybe 3K-----.
The 81873 may have been 8.18.73 , meaning a date in 1973.

The answer to this gun is going to require a factory letter. Perhaps its
an original 16-3, and was rebarreled . Maybe its ----- ? Maybe its
right, as it is.

Parts are hard to find - not impossible, but hard. Even if you could
find them, what you wind up with is a parts gun. Its not worth trying
to recreate what it was.

Mike Priwer

 

[Recoil Rob]

Thanks Mike, I'll cal S&W on Monday and see what they know, see if they have any parts!

 

[alaskavett]

How cheap is cheap? Any chance of photos? Why not buy it and shoot it as it is? Just a thought, Kyle

 

[Art Doc]

Mike is correct about the serial. I was thinking you saw 5K but not SK.

Why look for zebras when you hear hoofbeats? Why could it not be what it says it is, a Model 16-3?

 

[505Gibbs]

Thanks Mike, I'll cal S&W on Monday and see what they know, see if they have any parts!

I think you'll find that S&W is on a two week shutdown starting this coming Monday.

 

[Speedo2]

Greetings from the land of "cola-bier" and many villages with the same name (ask me how I know that). Just another thought, sort of along SP's line of thinking (...kind of scary in its own right); perhaps it's just a mis-marked, or mis-read M14-3? I've had it happen to me; I was all excited having been told that a guy at work wanted to sell his M16, which turned out to be only a hard-to-read M14. Sort of doubtful that somebody would turn a 32 into a 38 when there are so many of them around; but as is often the case, there's no accounting for some peoples tastes in guns. I would advise taking a good look at under strong lights, and good luck with it, regardless. -S2

 

[Recoil Rob]

They are asking $399, it looks in VG condition.

I'm new to this so I didn't realize how scarce the K-32's were until I got home, didn't even realize the discrepancy of the numbers but I'll go back and check.

SP, if it really was a 16-3 shouldn't it have a .32 S&W barrel?


thanks,

Rob

 

[DCWilson]

I bet S2 called it -- the gun was mis-stamped (which has been known to happen) or the number misread (which I confess from personal experience is easy to do.)

SCSW says the 3K and 5K serial numbers date from 1972-1974; that's right at the tail end of M16 production, so you can't really argue anything from that. But my feeling is that this will prove to be a righteous K-38 Combat Masterpiece, and the 16-3 label is for some reason unreliable.

Is any part-to-part comparison of serial numbers possible? When did the company cease stamping S/Ns on the undersides of barrels, backs of cylinders, undersides of ejector stars, and so forth?

 

[mikepriwer]

First things first. Get a factory letter, and provide the serial number.
That "S" is a digit - a 3 or 5 or 8 seem possible. Get a magnifying
glass, and figure out what it is. If possible, get two or three people
to look at that serial number, to see if there is some consensus.

Mike Priwer

 

[Recoil Rob]

Mike,

I haven't bought the gun, wanted info before I did. I'll try to get more info and pics next time I'm there.


thanks,

Rob

 

[Art Doc]

Is it in 38 caliber? What does the barrel say? If it's a 38 then it is mis-marked. Happens all the time. Should be 15-3.