K-32 question
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Saw my first one last week at my LGS (I've only been at this for 5 years). Guy had it as "Make an Offer". According to another member it sold on the 2nd day of the show for an amount that the seller would not disclose.
K-32s are pretty hard to come by. I see them show up a couple of times a year on the major auction sites, and the specialists who serve S&W collectors may each offer one or two more every year. Only 3600 M16s and Pre-16s were made, compared to hundreds of thousands of K-22s and K-38s. The K-32 is easily the rarest of the Masterpiece models. As noted, the .32 Long M&P is not common either.
There are occasional K-32 posts, but I don't recall seeing a thread that is specifically dedicated to them. I suspect that references to and photos of three to five dozen could be elicited from members of this forum. Would you like to start that thread?
They are expensive. Beat-up specimens can bring as much as $1500, and good ones sell in the $2500-3500 range.
There are occasional K-32 posts, but I don't recall seeing a thread that is specifically dedicated to them. I suspect that references to and photos of three to five dozen could be elicited from members of this forum. Would you like to start that thread?
They are expensive. Beat-up specimens can bring as much as $1500, and good ones sell in the $2500-3500 range.
BUFF
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Roy Jinks writes that S&W manufactured 3,630 total K-32 Masterpieces before ending it in June, 1973. That is not a lot of guns.
There were also .32 S&W Long fixed sight Military & Police revolvers made, from January, 1948 until February, 1950, a total quantity of 4,813 revolvers.
A relative handful of guns for a lot of us fans to be chasing 40 and 50 years later.
I would gladly buy a shooter grade, original K-32 or Model 16 for a reasonable price, but I have never seen on in person that was for sale.
There were also .32 S&W Long fixed sight Military & Police revolvers made, from January, 1948 until February, 1950, a total quantity of 4,813 revolvers.
A relative handful of guns for a lot of us fans to be chasing 40 and 50 years later.
I would gladly buy a shooter grade, original K-32 or Model 16 for a reasonable price, but I have never seen on in person that was for sale.
Thanks for your reply Buff.
In your opinion, what would be a reasonable price? I know what the K-38 and 22's sell for, but you I just don't hear much about the 32's. I know David posted some prices, but not sure if those are Cali prices or an average for the entire county.
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Skeetr57
Member
Over the years, I have seen a number of K .32 Masterpiece revolvers, and own one myself, but I have never seen one of the M&P revolvers in .32. Buff in post #6 above says that 4,813 were built between 1948 and 1950, but the one shown in post #3 is a revolver made no later than the early 1920's so there must be more of them than 4,813.
There are actually two variations of the K-32, one with a skinny rib, the other much wider. I think there may also have been a 4" which would be very rare.
It's great fun to shoot and accurate. The M&P, not so much with the fixed sights.
It's great fun to shoot and accurate. The M&P, not so much with the fixed sights.
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They are out there, you just have to do a little searching. In this market I would expect a minimum of $2k for a decent quality shooter up to about $5k LNIB with box and all accessories
Don't forget the 16-4's, only a total of around 8000 of these made in the 3 barrel lengths. They are great shooters and you can shoot .32 H&R mag out of them too. With some work on the cylinder you can shoot .327 mag too. I wish S&W would make some of these in .327.
Don't forget the 16-4's, only a total of around 8000 of these made in the 3 barrel lengths. They are great shooters and you can shoot .32 H&R mag out of them too. With some work on the cylinder you can shoot .327 mag too. I wish S&W would make some of these in .327.
I have seen exactly one for sale in all the years I have been looking at S&Ws in gun shops and local shows. 
I imagine most people who own them do not shoot them, or don't shoot them much. I have seen a couple guns cobbled together from factory parts to make shooters. To be honest, the Model 16-4s seem to shoot .32 wadcutters very well in spite of the magnum length chambers, so those probably make a better target gun if you can hold the weight.
I have a parts gun put together by Hamilton Bowen using a K38 frame. It is a very good shooter and I think it is nice because it has extra-tight chambers, but it shoots no better than my 16-4. Maybe I should say I shoot it no better.
The worst thing about K32s, other than the lack of them, is that the chambers seem to be big enough that they work the brass pretty hard. I asked Hamilton to have a special "match" reamer made to chamber my gun's original K22 cylinder using dimensions from my handloads. It is much more satisfactory, from a handloader's perspective, than the chambers I am used to seeing in older S&W .32 revolvers.
The gun is a nifty little item for shooting indoors. With a mild charge of 700X you can hardly hear the gun go off through your hearing protectors, and before the price of primers when up, you could shoot it for next to nothing.
I imagine most people who own them do not shoot them, or don't shoot them much. I have seen a couple guns cobbled together from factory parts to make shooters. To be honest, the Model 16-4s seem to shoot .32 wadcutters very well in spite of the magnum length chambers, so those probably make a better target gun if you can hold the weight.
I have a parts gun put together by Hamilton Bowen using a K38 frame. It is a very good shooter and I think it is nice because it has extra-tight chambers, but it shoots no better than my 16-4. Maybe I should say I shoot it no better.
The worst thing about K32s, other than the lack of them, is that the chambers seem to be big enough that they work the brass pretty hard. I asked Hamilton to have a special "match" reamer made to chamber my gun's original K22 cylinder using dimensions from my handloads. It is much more satisfactory, from a handloader's perspective, than the chambers I am used to seeing in older S&W .32 revolvers.
The gun is a nifty little item for shooting indoors. With a mild charge of 700X you can hardly hear the gun go off through your hearing protectors, and before the price of primers when up, you could shoot it for next to nothing.
Green Frog
Member
At the risk of being redundant here, I got so tired of looking for an "original" K-32/Mod 16 after my interest in S&W was reignited, that I built my own (see: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/260686-project-616-a.html) I had owned one of the 6" Model 16-4s when they first came out, but in a case of terminal stupidity had sold it years ago. I went through the trials and tribulations of having a Model 66 converted to 327 Fed Mag with a 4" full underlug barrel. It is a fire breathing, ground shaking monster when loaded to full 327 potential, but is a joy and a pleasure to shoot with 32 S&W Long target loads (which I suspect it will get in larger portion!) 
Anyway, back to the OP's question and the thread topic, I am now thinking that a narrow rib 6" K-32 would be so desirable to go with my vintage K-22 & K-38 that I have begun to accumulate parts to build my own. I already have... just the barrel - an early K-22 barrel to be rebored like my 617 barrel was. I'm looking for a beater K-38 for the "donor gun" and either a Model 17 or 18 cylinder or the money for one of Hamilton Bowen's custom cylinders to complete the package. When I get it all together, I'll probably ask Andy Horvath to do the work for me since he did a similar project for Jebus35745 and of course did an outstanding job on Project 616. I'll probably surprise a lot of people here by saying that this proposed gun will be chambered in 32 S&W Long, but it will be more of a "Gentleman's Piece" rather than the small bore cannon I've already built.
Somebody suggested that it would be possible to set up a sort of upgrade production line and make a bunch of these, but I don't know whether it would be worth the cost and effort. With the cost of suitable donor guns as high as they are now becoming, the additional price of conversion would put these guns out of the price range of all but the most determined buyers, and they still would't be "original." Something to ponder, though.
Froggie
Anyway, back to the OP's question and the thread topic, I am now thinking that a narrow rib 6" K-32 would be so desirable to go with my vintage K-22 & K-38 that I have begun to accumulate parts to build my own. I already have... just the barrel - an early K-22 barrel to be rebored like my 617 barrel was. I'm looking for a beater K-38 for the "donor gun" and either a Model 17 or 18 cylinder or the money for one of Hamilton Bowen's custom cylinders to complete the package. When I get it all together, I'll probably ask Andy Horvath to do the work for me since he did a similar project for Jebus35745 and of course did an outstanding job on Project 616. I'll probably surprise a lot of people here by saying that this proposed gun will be chambered in 32 S&W Long, but it will be more of a "Gentleman's Piece" rather than the small bore cannon I've already built.
Somebody suggested that it would be possible to set up a sort of upgrade production line and make a bunch of these, but I don't know whether it would be worth the cost and effort. With the cost of suitable donor guns as high as they are now becoming, the additional price of conversion would put these guns out of the price range of all but the most determined buyers, and they still would't be "original."
Something to ponder, though.Froggie
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The 4" prewar M & P above is a .32/20; technically a ".32 M & P" but not a .32 Long, if that makes any sense 
.
One of the Forum members has several .32 M & P examples that he has shown in previous posts. If there were nearly 5000 made, most of them were probably exported, because from what I have seen they are nowhere near as "common" as K-32s.
.One of the Forum members has several .32 M & P examples that he has shown in previous posts. If there were nearly 5000 made, most of them were probably exported, because from what I have seen they are nowhere near as "common" as K-32s.
DWFAN
US Veteran
This example is a narrow rib gun and cost me dearly seven years ago. Now just a drop in the bucket. Last I looked it was the fifth know oldest exiting post war example. K58963. I do have a box but they are easier to come by than the gun itself.
DW
DW
Hello
As David has said only about 3600 of them were made through out their entire period offered from S&W being about Twenty Five Year's total, so they do not show up Very Often. I came into one about Eight Year's ago now that I had been chasing for almost two year's before I got a hold of it. I found out about it in a conversation about the .32 S&W Long Cartridge on another forum. The owner of it contacted me saying that he had one that he had bought many years ago. I hit him right back with an E-mail asking how much he wanted for it, but he said that it was not for sale.
I kept contact with him for almost two year's before we finally worked out a Trade on it. I sent him a Rarely seen Dayton outdoor Sport's Model 14-2 revolver that I had which was a model marked 14-2 with a Heavy Barrel on it of 4' length. I also offered a model 34-2 snub revolver, and we made the trade. At that time I had about $600.00 in both revolver's and although the Dayton Gun was rare with only 2038 of them ever being made, I wanted a K-32 more so than the Dayton gun so we made the swap.
I remember the night before he shipped me the gun I asked him to send me a picture of it. I was shocked to see that his K-32 was a Pre-16 K-32 in five screw form. I had not asked him a bunch of question's about it, prior to our Trade as I did not want to soil the trade deal by acting Pushy. It showed up and I was very Pleased with it. I shoot it on Occasion and it is very accurate. I like the Rarely seen Factory Rosewood diamond Target stock's on it more so than the Factory Magna's that it shipped with. Here is my Pre-16 that left the factory in March 1951. Regards, Hammerdown
Green Frog
Member
Hammerdown, that K-32 is enough to bring my little amphibian heart up to a high race speed! One question, though... compared to your custom chambered 16-4, which has the tighter chamber at the brass? That is, does one or the other "work the brass pretty hard" as M29since14 describes? I would be curious as to whether his experience is an outlier, but since there are so few available from which to draw data, every bit of information becomes important. If and when I am able to continue my proposed K-32 recreation, I intend to get tight, matched chambers that are also right for the bore. I really think that is a key ingredient in building an accurate revolver in any caliber, don't you?
I hope this won't be regarded as thread drift as was the case elsewhere, but then again, I'm not sure another "How I Built My Custom 32 K-frame" is needed either. BTW, Hammerdown and others of us are starting to discuss loading the 32s of all lengths in a thread appropriately located in the Reloading Forum. Those who are interested in actually shooting the 32s should check it out.
Froggie
One question, though... compared to your custom chambered 16-4, which has the tighter chamber at the brass? That is, does one or the other "work the brass pretty hard" as M29since14 describes? I would be curious as to whether his experience is an outlier, but since there are so few available from which to draw data, every bit of information becomes important. If and when I am able to continue my proposed K-32 recreation, I intend to get tight, matched chambers that are also right for the bore. I really think that is a key ingredient in building an accurate revolver in any caliber, don't you?I hope this won't be regarded as thread drift as was the case elsewhere, but then again, I'm not sure another "How I Built My Custom 32 K-frame" is needed either. BTW, Hammerdown and others of us are starting to discuss loading the 32s of all lengths in a thread appropriately located in the Reloading Forum. Those who are interested in actually shooting the 32s should check it out.
Froggie
Skeetr57
Member
They can be hard to find, but sometimes they just fall into your lap. I had always desired one, but couldn't afford the ones I saw, until about 10 years ago. I was at the gun show in Birmingham, AL with two friends, one of whom was on the lookout for a K-22 Masterpiece. I had finished looking and was waiting near the entrance for the other two guys, and walked a short way down the first aisle, when I saw a Masterpiece in a glass case. Thinking it might be a .22 for my friend, I asked to see it, and it turned out to be a K-.32. It was in good shape mechanically, but had some freckles in the finish. The price was about half the lowest I had seen at that time, so I bought it. It came with the correct period box that I have never checked for matching serial number.
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Green Frog
Member
I think the problem is that the various K-32s are now so rare and expensive that many of the people who can afford to buy them are getting them as possessions and investments more than as working guns. After announcing that you have bought it and showing off a picture or two for the group to "ooh and ah" over, there's not much left for folks to say, once they are in the safe. They just aren't changing hands all that often.
The I- and J-frame 32s are common enough for mere mortals to possess and actually enjoy shooting, so we know the caliber has much to recommend it; and those of us who have gotten K-frame guns for the purpose of shooting them have indeed shown that they are a pleasure to shoot, so either the majority of the old original (and many of the later release as well) seem to be "enjoying" the life of safe queens. More's the pity. I can say with authority that there is nothing unpleasant about shooting a K-frame S&W in any of the 32 pistol calibers from 32 S&W and ACP, to 32 S&W Long, through the 32 H&R semi-Mag to the true 327 Fed Mag. As the younger folks were saying a while back, "It's all good!"
Froggie
Hello Froggie
Well, That depend's on how Hot I load my brass for either weapon. The K-32 Pre-16 that I have I mainly have Remington brass to load for it, and Remington brass is well known to be soft in taure so if loaded hot the cases will stretch some. I have never had any extraction issues out of either gun being my Pre-16 or my 16-4. The brass I have used in my 16-4 has been Federal & Starline in the .32 H&R Magnum round and Just Federal in the .327 Magnum Cartridge with just a hand full of Speer Cases that are nickel plated.
I have found the Pre-16 a little more touchy as far a shooting group's go compared to my 16-4. I think because it seems to have a snug bore which slugs at 0.310". I do on occasion shoot some lead cast bullet's but if Pushed hard they will lead the bore. Most time's I have had real good luck shooting Rainier Bullets in it. Here are some result's shot with my Pre-16 K-32 Materpiece @ the 25 Yard line shot off a sand bag. This is 50 round's hand loaded with Rainier bullets. Regards, Hammerdown
Thanks guys. Good to hear from you again Kurt. I haven't been on here for almost 3 years.
I have a K-32 coming since I started this thread. I should have it in a week and a half or so. The serial number suggests 1958 as ship date compared to one that is very close numerically in the database.
I will start my search for a correct period box in good shape next.
I will shoot this some, and I do handload. Nothing hot since I don't need to, and the warmest loads are not always the best for accuracy.
Kurt, check the throats of your K-32. If they are oversized more than a thou or two, it could be the biggest source of your leading issue.
I have a K-32 coming since I started this thread. I should have it in a week and a half or so. The serial number suggests 1958 as ship date compared to one that is very close numerically in the database.
I will start my search for a correct period box in good shape next.
I will shoot this some, and I do handload. Nothing hot since I don't need to, and the warmest loads are not always the best for accuracy.
Kurt, check the throats of your K-32. If they are oversized more than a thou or two, it could be the biggest source of your leading issue.
The 4" prewar M & P above is a .32/20; technically a ".32 M & P" but not a .32 Long, if that makes any sense
True enough. And given the 32 W.C.F. legend and the lack of Made in U.S.A. on the frame (and the early style knob), this one must be from before 1923, notwithstanding what appear to be incorrect stocks on it.
Looks like it would be a dandy little shooter!
Jack
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