M15, a .38 special no mo'

[mtgianni]

There are really no flies on the 32 Mag in a strong gun. I sold my 327 Fed as the 32 Mag really met all my needs.[target, small game, fun inexpensive plinker]

 

[george_lehr]

While S&W will not likely produce another .32 revolver, Ruger has a couple good looking Lipsey's Distributor Exclusive guns in .327 Federal magnum:
Model 1769 - 7 shot, blue, GP100 with 5" half lug barrel.
Model 8164 - Bisley single seven, satin blue with 5.5" barrel.

George

 

[cherrypointmarine]

I am a fan of the .32 family , have a M30-1 lnib waiting to be picked up at my FFL . I have a M31 also , great shooters . I bought my wife a ruger sp101 in 327mag , also fun to shoot , but the trigger stinks . I don't have the patience like you guys to buy the pieces and wait to build it , guess I'll have to wait til Muley tires of one of his . In the other guns and knives part of the forum someone posted about Charter Arms new 7 shot 327 mag , looks sweet .

 

[Green Frog]

Hey Muley Gil,

We definitely need to get together and compare notes. I think we have established that we travel in some of the same circles from time to time. My two custom K-frame builds, the Project 616 and the faux Model 16-3 have both been a joy to have and to hold (not to mention to shoot! ) When I had the latter built, I made a conscious choice to have it built "old school" in 32 S&W Long, but since I was "plowing new ground" with Project 616, it got the full 327 FM treatment. Together, they cover the range of K-frame 32-ness.

My next 32 project (still in the chawin' and jawin' stage) is to build a sort of copy of the rare 4" I-frame target model that was made in the late '50s from leftover pre-War parts. What I have in mind is to take an orphan Regulation Police 32 I've got laying around and replace its 6" barrel with a 4" and add a Model 34 adjustable rear sight. An appropriate front sight and a set of J-frame targets (also from a Model 34) and I should have the ultimate 32 S&W L carry gun. Sound crazy? Blame my insanity on Hondo44 and others for posting pictures of their "real" ones.

Froggie

PS I agree that a 6" blue K-327 should be labeled a Model 16-5. Go for it!

 

[SuperMan]

Last year I was checking the completed auctions on GunBroker and came across an auction that had just finished...a 4" 1962 Model 53 .22 Jet that only had the Long Rifle cylinder with it...and it SOLD FOR ONLY $800.00!!!!! The last Model 53 .22 rimfire cylinder I saw sell on eBay was $800!!!.

If I had seen that gun I would have given a grand to get it and another $450 to JRH to rebore/rechamber to .327....

Irritated to say the least....

...and Muley...still interested in the fitment between the Model 53 barrel and the Model 16 cylinder in the 15 frame....

Bob

 

[Muley Gil]

"...and Muley...still interested in the fitment between the Model 53 barrel and the Model 16 cylinder in the 15 frame...."

I pulled the .38 special barrel from the M15 last night. I screwed in the .32 barrel and then installed the M16-4 cylinder. Right now, the barrel/cylinder gap is about 1/4"


I think I need to set the barrel back a tad!

 

[SuperMan]

..that is what I figured you were going to say....

Jack Huntington had to do the same with mine not because it didn't fit perfectly, but because there had been so much Jet ammo through the barrel that the forcing cone area had become brittle....

I think the easiest way to do one of these is get a K22 (17 or 18) cylinder and a Model 17 or 18 barrel and have them rechambered/rebored to .327 and fitted to a Model 14....would look just like an original Model 16....

Bob

 

[Muley Gil]

"I think the easiest way to do one of these is get a K22 (17 or 18) cylinder and a Model 17 or 18 barrel and have them rechambered/rebored to .327 and fitted to a Model 14....would look just like an original Model 16...."

Oh, I agree. That would have been a lot easier. But I'm a bit ornery (well, maybe a LOT). I wanted the half lug ejector shroud, like a Model 19. I even bought a K17 cylinder years ago, long before I bought the M16-4 cylinder. The re-bored Jet barrel was bought from a forum member this year.

 

[SuperMan]

I agree...since it is a "MAGNUM" (although a midget Magnum) it still deserves a K-frame underlug like the Model 19/53/66....

Bob

 

[Walkingwolf]

Be careful with loads, 327 federal is about 45K pressure. 357 mag is around 35K, the model 15 was built for around 19K. The model 19 built, and heat treated for magnum loads suffered problems with excessive use of 35K ammunition.

 

[tennexplorer]

" But I'm a bit ornery (well, maybe a LOT). "

Can I get that signed and notarized?

 

[Muley Gil]

Can I get that signed and notarized?

YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!

 

[SuperMan]

Any further progress on the Magnum??

 

[Green Frog]

With regards to barrel lugs, MG, it worked out that I used a 4" full lug barrel for Project 616 and a no lug K-32 Masterpiece barrel for the recreated Model 16-3. I don't get all that excited about an under lug anyway, so I'm good with those. Besides, the K-32 Masterpiece fits well with the K-22 and K-38!

Froggie

 

[Muley Gil]

Any further progress on the Magnum??

My shop is a metal building that I haven't air conditioned yet, so I'm waiting a bit for cooler weather. Plus, I've have a few other projects that I haven't completed yet that I'm working on. Trying to finish up a knife that I started on about 18 months ago.

 

[S.B.]

I sent a K22 barrel up to Alan Siegrist to have it rebore and rifled to 32(one years wait), already owned a LEO model 15 and an old K22 cylinder. Sent the whole mess to Andy Horvath and chambered the cylinder to Frederal .327 and fitted eveything else, now I've finally got a shooter .32. Will shoot everything from .32S&W to .327 Federal magnums, haven't tried .32ACP yet but, they do catch in the cylinder? Very versatile handgun.
All I can say is you're going to like this!
Steve