K-32 large ejector rod knob, with a twist?

[Pre-29Smith]

Thanks to a heads-up from a good friend, I was able to pick this gun up a couple of weeks ago. As you can see from the photos, it has the large ejector rod knob - however it has a few unusual other features given this. The gun has a four line address, and a serial number of K56266. This is obviously unusually high for any LERK gun, and I'm not sure another LERK has been seen with a four line address (confirm or deny, anyone)? According to Mr. Jinks the revolver was shipped in March of 1949 and was part of a shipment of six K-32s.

Anywho, I hope you all enjoy my terribly amateur photos. I still need to get one of those fancy light boxes or just give up and keep on with the cell phone camera. The revolver is in exceptionally nice condition other than a turn-line and one small mark towards the end of the barrel that can be seen under different lighting.

Cheers!

 

[gmborkovic]

If any body wonders why we collect these pieces of mechanical art, just look at the coloration on the trigger and hammer and the fit of the parts. As a retired Mechanical Engineer and manufacturer in the prototype gun world, you can not help but appreciate these pieces. Even the conveyance for shipping is absolutely beautiful. Well, just my thoughts, Im hot on the trail of a boxed RG-10, nickel, un-fired. Mike 2796

 

[Hondo44]

Pre-29,

That's certainly a 'screamer' and a great find. Although it's not a 'Transistional' Model since it has the new post war high speed hammer and Speed Lock (short action), it's clearly an early version and probably 1948 production.

The LERK however is not unusual for that era. There are no doubt earlier produced versions w/o the LERK, although they often show up sporadically in later production such as yours. This is true for all models and all frame sizes. And may be especially true for the slower moving K32. Using the LERK is predicated and necessitated by the barrels with a notch for them. S&W would not scrap notched barrels in inventory just to change over to the small straight post war knob; they would exhaust the barrels in inventory first. And as we well know, parts were not used in any particular order when assembling guns. So it's easy to understand newer un-notched barrels w/straight knobs being assembled first.

In my opinion you have the most interesting mix of new and old features including the panache of the LERK! It's certainly easier on the finger when ejecting empty cases.

 

[Pre-29Smith]

Pre-29,

That's certainly a 'screamer' and a great find. Although it's not a 'Transistional' Model since it has the new post war high speed hammer and Speed Lock (short action), it's clearly and early version and probably 1949 production.

The LERK however is not unusual for that era. There are no doubt early produced versions w/o the LERK, although they often show up sporadically in later production such as yours. This true for all models and all frame sizes. and may be especially true for the slower moving K32. Using the LERK is predicated and necessitated by the barrels with a notch for them. S&W would not scrap notched barrels in inventory just to change over to the small post war knob; they would exhaust the barrels in inventory first. And as we well know, parts were not used I any particular order when assembling guns. So it's easy to understand newer un-notched barrels w/straight knobs being assembled first.

In my opinion you have the most interesting mix of new and old features including the panache of the LERK!

Hey, Hondo. Thanks for the kind words - I did not mean to state that the LERK was unusual for the "era" so much as it being a four-line with such a high serial #

 

[410bore]

Pre-29,

That's certainly a 'screamer' and a great find. Although it's not a 'Transistional' Model since it has the new post war high speed hammer and Speed Lock (short action), it's clearly and early version and probably 1949 production.

The LERK however is not unusual for that era. There are no doubt early produced versions w/o the LERK, although they often show up sporadically in later production such as yours. This true for all models and all frame sizes. and may be especially true for the slower moving K32. Using the LERK is predicated and necessitated by the barrels with a notch for them. S&W would not scrap notched barrels in inventory just to change over to the small post war knob; they would exhaust the barrels in inventory first. And as we well know, parts were not used I any particular order when assembling guns. So it's easy to understand newer un-notched barrels w/straight knobs being assembled first.

In my opinion you have the most interesting mix of new and old features including the panache of the LERK!

Hondo,


how is the LERK NOT unusual for a 4-Line address gun? That is VERY unusual to me.

 

[Hondo44]

Hey, Hondo. Thanks for the kind words - I did not mean to state that the LERK was unusual for the "era" so much as it being a four-line with such a high serial #

The Change order to four line address was in April 1948. Your s/n points to a mid 1948 production (my earlier post is a typo) therefor not that high for a 4 line or seem out of line to me.

 

[Pre-29Smith]

The Change order to four line address was in April 1948. Your s/n points to a mid 1948 production (my earlier post is a typo) there for not that high for a 4 line or seem out of line to me.

Shipped in March '49 as the original post stated. However, again, my original point (I guess) - do you know of many, or any, LERK guns with a four line address?

 

[Hondo44]

Hondo,


how is the LERK NOT unusual for a 4-Line address gun? That is VERY unusual to me.

Hi Kris,

The LERK presence is something I've tried to observe carefully. Of course there's not many K32s to observe, but K22s are fairly plentiful as well as all the other models observed with LERKs.

I've seen many more 'one liners' with straight knobs than with LERKs. They seem to show up later than the very earliest post war production, therefore overlapping with the '4 liners' post April 1948. Someone probably has a database that could substantiate this if they documented LERK usage.

 

[410bore]

Hondo, I agree that there are a lot of One Liners that have straight knobs vs. LERK, that's because (most of) the LERK knobs and barrels were used up and they still had One Line frames to use while they transitioned into the new style of extractor knob. That's really irrelevant here as THIS gun has a LERK with a 4-line address frame.

Please, show me another one if it is common.......

 

[Engine49guy]

Could have to do with the fact that the K22 and K38 outsold the K32 so perhaps they had left over LERK cut K32 barrels,
S&W didnt waste good frames or barrels so if they needed to put together some K32's in 1949 when supply dwindled the newer 4 line
K38 & K32 frames were interchangeable .

 

[wordsmith]

I'd add, that----- having seen and handled quite a number of LERK-equipped models over the now (way too..) many years, my experience has been that there are more one-liners than 4-liners----and yes, I could surely be wrong in terms of the total mfd. of either one, but the 1's definitely outnumber the 4's that have come and gone from this pine-studded North Central Alabama hilltop....

Congratzzzz, Morgan !!
DLC

 

[Hondo44]

The Change order to four line address was in April 1948. Your s/n points to a mid 1948 production (my earlier post is a typo) there for not that high for a 4 line or seem out of line to me.

Shipped in March '49 as the original post stated. However, again, my original point (I guess) - do you know of many, or any, LERK guns with a four line address?

Yes, shipped March '49 but I was speaking in terms of mid 1948 "production". Which gets us into the prod vs. ship date dilemma. The K32 is probably the 'poster child' for this discrepancy being the slow seller that it was!

Yes, I do. I'll search my database for photos.

 

[Hondo44]

Hondo, I agree that there are a lot of One Liners that have straight knobs vs. LERK, that's because (most of) the LERK knobs and barrels were used up and they still had One Line frames to use while they transitioned into the new style of extractor knob. That's really irrelevant here as THIS gun has a LERK with a 4-line address frame.

Please, show me another one if it is common.......

Kris, You're assuming the LERKs were used up before the straight knobs were used, but that wasn't the case in my observation. That's why I believe it is relevant to 4 liners.

 

[410bore]

Kris, You're assuming the LERKs were used up before the straight knobs were used, but that wasn't the case in my observation. That's why I believe it is relevant to 4 liners.

Yes, I do assume that and I am sure that was the general practice at the time. But I will also acknowledge that some LERK-cut barrels and rods were found in the parts bin at a later date and then assembled; That is obviously the case here.

I have just never seen a LERK gun with a 4-line address before. But, I agree with others that since the K-32 was a slow seller that there were probably lots of extra parts lying around and with S&W's "waste not, want not" mentality, those parts were used.

 

[Hondo44]

Ok here's a .44 1950 target we know has a 4 line with a LERK, post #9:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...778-what-does-pre-model-24-box-look-like.html

Looking for more.

 

[Hondo44]

Yes, I do assume that and I am sure that was the general practice at the time. But I will also acknowledge that some LERK-cut barrels and rods were found in the parts bin at a later date and then assembled; That is obviously the case here.

Yes that's exactly my point.

 

[410bore]

Yes that's exactly my point.

Ok, I read the below post as if you were insinuating they were using the LERK parts and the new straight rods at the same time, at random.

Kris, You're assuming the LERKs were used up before the straight knobs were used, but that wasn't the case in my observation. That's why I believe it is relevant to 4 liners.

Most of us are aware there were "parts clean up" guns manufactured when batches of parts were discovered at later dates. This gun shipped in 1949, over a year after most LERK's were used up.

 

[Hondo44]

Ok, I read the below post as if you were insinuating they were using the LERK parts and the new straight rods at the same time, at random.

I don't think we can rule that out. With several assemblers working simultaneous that one may assemble a gun with a LERK while others assembled guns w/o it.

Another example, John's (PALADIN85020) POST WAR KIT GUN:

 

[410bore]

I don't think we can rule that out. With several assemblers working simultaneous that one may assemble a gun with a LERK while others assembled guns w/o it.

Another example:

Yes, the Post War Transitional Kit guns are a well known and well documented parts cleanup production.

 

[jsfricks]

What a beauty! That would look so good with my K22 LERK. But, alas, I don't see that ever happening.