Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 5-screw S&W K-32 Masterpiece

At 12 Noon Sunday 04 June 2017 Steve Ritter Auctioneering will start selling about 13 firearms ahead of a large collection of other antiques and collectibles. The firearms include a late 1940s - early 1950s Smith & Wesson K-32 Masterpiece, 6-inch barrel, 5-screw frame, diamond Magna service grips, in a gold-colored S&W box with a S&W style waxed paper. No mention of paperwork or tools. There is also an Irwin-Pederson U.S. Cal .30 M1 Carbine, made in April or May 1943. These are full-fledged collector's items, and both are stated to be in new condition. The auction will be at the Earnest Shepherd Youth Center, 610 E. Shepherd Rd, Liberty MO 64068. For more information, see Ritter's web site, www dot ritterauction dot com.

I have specifically mentioned these two firearms because the S&W K-32 Masterpiece deserves a new owner who will regularly shoot it precisely on a decent range and because the Irwin-Pederson M-1 Carbine is so rare. Depending on your personal interests, others may be more interesting to you. Note that I have no connection with Ritter or the owners of any of the property offered for sale, and that I have not personally seen or handled any of the property offered for sale.

But when I saw "S&W K-32 Masterpiece" in the Ritter ad, I had to learn more! I admit that I'm a financially frustrated Smith & Wesson revolver loony.

I haven't posted this in the Smith & Wesson Forum because, if I correctly understand that site's rules, posting about sales not my own is forbidden.

I did a copy and paste of the OP in an email to my son in Missouri, with a reminder that Friday is my birthday. Unfortunately, he has to work this weekend....

WOW, the K-32 is a really rare gun. I got to shoot one once, and OMG was it a fantastic revolver to shoot. First of all, it was WICKED accurate, and second... the .32 Long is soft shooting, tack driving, and just crazy fun to shoot. It's also about the easiest metallic cartridge of ANY to reload.

S&W put some serious effort into the Masterpieces, K-22, K-32, K-38. Not only were they capable of full on Bullseye competition accuracy which is sub-3" groups at 50 yards, but S&W profiled the cylinders and barrels in such a way that the three guns all weighed within one ounce of the others, and balance between the three is exactly the same.

The Irwin-Pedersen's are a bit rare also. Out of all the M1 Carbine manufacturers, only two were actual gun companies, and Irwin-Pedersen was a train-wreck of a company. The vast majority of IP receivers were destroyed because they didn't pass quality inspection. It finally got to the point to where IP only made receivers, and nearly 50% of them failed. Finally the government got tired of them and they took over the company and assigned (IIRC) Saginaw Steering Gear division of General Motors in charge, so all the IP's after that were Saginaw guns.

IIRC those were stamped Saginaw S'G'
I was fortunate enough several years ago to buy one of each from CMP.