Good thinga come to those who wait!

[Bret4207]

Had a rather grisly murder up here and I got called in off vacation. This allowed my partner and me to stop at a shop we rarely get by on our way home. Got talking with the owner about my search for a 32 S+W Long or Magnum in a S+W revolver. " A what?" he says. "Like a Model 16 or K-32." says I. "Oh! Like this one?" he replies. NO way!!! A pre- model numbered K-32 6", ser # 236XXX! Only problem is it evidentially spent it's life someplace where moisture was an issue. The previous owner figured sandblasting was cheaper than a re-blue apparently. Thus, the finish appears parkerized, but to the touch it's sandblasted, not even bead blasted. At first I thought it might have been in a fire, but the springs feel good and the inside of the barrel and sides of the hammer, trigger etc. are blued. You can make out some pitting on the right side if you hold it to the light. For $250.00 I wasn't quibbling. Took a quick bit of thinking, but by not eating lunch and sticking to the $1.99 breakfast for a couple months it'll be financed alright. Or I can sell a kid. Lord know there's enough of them around here.

So finally I have it. We'll see how the rest works out.

[MT Gianni]

Nice going there. Gianni

[trooperdan]

Bret, sounds like a great find! Ramen noodles for lunch is a small sacrifice for that item!

Sorry to tell you there just isn't any resale value in a kid though! Too bad to as I have three of them and I'd quickly convert 1 or 2 of them into cash is the demand was there! :)

[lathesmith]

My dad found an I frame 32 S&W Long a few years back. Nickel plated, beautiful little gun, I believe it wears a 4 inch barrel. He even found some reproduction, vintage-looking, oversize (plastic) grips for the thing. I love those old 'Smiths, they make fine shooters as well as being easy on the eyes. The way this gun looks I doubt it has been shot hardly at all, probably been tucked in someone's sock drawer for 50 years or something. We plan to change that, though...that is another great thing about these old guns, shooting them some don't hurt the value at all, and it sure is a blast(pun intended)!
That sounds like a good find TB, and you can shoot it all you want and not have worry about collector appeal at all.

[Dale53]

I hunted for years for an original K-32 without success. When the 16-4's came out I jumped on one with both feet.

Sounds like you got a nice revolver. Sometimes, it is not all bad when you find one with a "little use". You won't feel guilty using it and it'll make a dandy shooter.

I wish you nothing but luck with that revolver. I sure do like those .32's. You'll have a ball shooting it (as you well know it [smilie=1:).

Dale53

[Jon K]

Bret,

Nice find.
Sell a kid, you say? LOL.......In your dreams!......AND THEY ONLY COST MORE THE OLDER THEY GET! In other words Kids Will Keep You Broke!

Jon
[smilie=1:

[Glen]

Very nice find Bret! I seached for years to try to find a good 6" K-32 and I just couldn't find anything. Eventually I had one built using a K-38 frame, a rechambered .22 cylinder and a new Model 16 barrel. You will enjoy shooting that sixgun!

[fatnhappy]

you catch the guy?

[9.3X62AL]

SCORE!

The K-32 in 32 S&W Long is the Holy Grail for S&W collectors. In the postwar Masterpiece series, only 1,600 of them were made--so they are scarce scarce scarce.

I got all excited at last year's Reno Gun Show, thinking I found one like Bret's there. It turned out to be a 6" M&P in 32-20, which don't exactly grow on trees, either--but I passed, having a M&P in better shape with 5" barrel.

Great find, bro.

[Bret4207]

The bad guy(s) are still on the loose. It's a whodunnit that greater minds than mine are working on.

Thanks for the kind words. I had a chance to clean it up good. I'm thinking it was REAL rusty at one time. I cleaned a lot of crud outta the innards. No signs of fire damage, but I wonder if it was in a house fire or something like that. Sometimes the smoke and fumes will cause rust like this. Regardless, there's signs of pitting all over. I showed it to my local shop owner and he says it's bead blasted, not sandblasted. Maybe, but it was darn sharp beads. The S+W Forum says it was made around '55 and it is a 5 screw, so if in minty condition it would be worth a bundle.

I also put a few rounds through it. Only 32 stuff I had on hand was factory Remington 32 S+W. Not the stuff i'd use for bullseye competition, but the gun functioned fine. A little load developement and a decent target and I'll know foor sure. All in all I'm very happy. This is a bit anti-climatic. A 20 year search ends, just like that! I suppose now I'll have to assign something else, a Krag perhaps, Holy Grail status.

[Bret4207]

Ok, this gun is growing on me like an ugly zit the day before the prom! It's got a sweet single action trigger of maybe 2 lbs. Double action isn't quite as nice as my M-19, but this ain't for combat shoots anyways. The sights are great, it hangs like a dream, I'm even getting used to the finish. Sorta like a parkerized Victory Model in appearance. I do want to find some nicer grips and WILL get a nice flap style holster for it. I may even add a lanyard ring (no drilling and tapping type) since this will be a woods and field gun.

I'm picturing a nice 90-115 gr fn boolit at 850-900 fps. Look out Mr.Porky, Mr. Woodychuck, Mr. Cottontail! Is that you Mr. Wile E. Coyote? Don't come closer than 50 yards or I'll plug ya, ya varmint!!! Mr. Tree Rat, you'd better hide too. And all youse bad boy snappin' turtles whut delight in eatin' me baby Mallards and Black Ducks- well, we're gonna have a leetle sur-prize one of these days.

Happy Feets! I got those Happy Feets! (Picture fat bald guy doing a Snoopy dance around the room. No wait, lets forget that part....)

[trooperdan]

OK OK! We get it already! Do you hav'ta keep rubbing it in now! SHEESH!! Yes, i am envious!

[Dale53]

Tpr. Bret;
You might want to get in on the Group Buy at:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=6883&page=8

They are trying to crank up another GB .32.

I have both the GB .314" RF and the 100 gr .32 Keith and like them both in my .32's. My favorite of the two is the 100 gr Keith. However, both are good bullets in my .32's. You might want to ask around on the board if someone wants to sell one of their moulds.

These little .32's are the "cats meow" for an old woods loafer. Just about the best edible small game load of all time (in a revolver or light rifle) and big enough (with the correct load and bullet) to take care of feral dogs or coyotes.

I must say, when I saw of your acquisition, I had an immediate smile on my face. Welcome to the club!

Dale53

[scrapcan]

Tpr. Bret,

I have to agree with Dale. You will love the little 32s. I recently aquired a colt Police Positive that needed some work. Those threads are elsewhere on the site.

But what I can say is that you will thoroughly enjoy the 32 S&W long. I am having a hard time keeping cast bullets and loaded ammunition as I take it every time I go to the range.

The GB mould that is being worked on would be a good choice and I am really thinking about getting onboard for one.

[Bret4207]

Well thanks guys! Like I needed help spending money! I currently have the Lyman 311316, 311631, 311313(? 90 gr WC), GB120RF, and maybe a couple others. All to feed the various 32-20s, and other 32 S+W's (Savages, Marlins, Remingtons, and an IJ 6") around the hacienda. I'll take a gander at the Keith GB too. Little short at the moment, but some OT may come in and those kids eat too much anyway.

[Dale53]

Tpr Bret;
The GB 120gr .314" sized .313" (one of my revolvers won't accept a .314" and the .313" work fine in ALL of them) works just fine in both the .32 S&W L and the .32 H&R. You might want to get a Lee Factory Crimp die. I use the Lee FC die and crimp in the middle of the top band for my revolvers. It works just fine. I haven't yet shot any varmints with it but believe it will do just fine.

Dale53

[Bret4207]

Yupper Dale, we're on the same boat here. Got the FCD and I think the collet die for the 32WCF, would expect simlar results with the 32 S+W Long. We should keep mum about this stuff though, or everyone will want one, or two, or.....