Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns My Holy Grail Revolver Came. Pull up a Chair, It's Gonna be a Long One

Howdy
Most of you that Know me know I Eat, Breath, & Live S&W revolver's. I Can't Help it, It is just what I Like in Life Best. I have always Been a Lover of The .32 Caliber in a Revolver. I have a few small I frames that S&W Made many Moons ago, and even had a couple of -J-Frame stainless ones in the .32 H&R Magnum Caliber, But they were not what I really wanted. I Pounded the Pavement and Internet Four Years ago, to find the Model 16-4 revolver. This is a K-Frame sized revolver chambered in the .32 H&R Magnum round, and has been Pictured here before. It is a super nice one, But the One I alway's wanted but could Not Locate was The Elusive K-32 Target Revolver in .32 S&W Long Caliber.It is the Middle one of The Famous Masterpiece Series Built by S&W and The Hardest to find. I met a Guy on another Internet Gun Board almost 2-1/2 Years ago now, and he saw I Liked the Newer Model 16-4 I have in .32 H&R Magnum and during our thread discussion I had commented on how what I really wanted was The Elusive K-32 masterpiese to round out my Collection. He shared with me that he had an older K-32 but did not want to sell it. He also said if he ever did decide to let it go, That I would be first in line for it. Now, I was Born at Night, But not certainly Last Night. I also have had Others tell this in the past, and out of the woodwork when you least expect it, come's Uncle Melvin and I was sadly told by a sellers one time on another gun that Once Old Mel heard I was getting rid of that Old Pistol, He threw a fit, so I had to give it to him.. "Ya'll" Know what I mean ? if you are a serious Gun Collector, This has had to happen to you as well in the past. Anyways, Let's Jump Forward to late last Summer. I attended a Gun show that was Huge in Louisville, Kentucky. I ran Into a serious collector that had a Model 16-2 on his Table. It looked very nice but a Five sided star on the butt of the gun, had told me it had been back to the factory for a refinish, and when I asked the seller I was Dead right on what I had suspected as he had a factory letter telling how it had been back for refinishing. The seller's price was $2100.00. I looked close at it, and my wife who was with me said to Buy it. I almost did, and this other one I had been promised if the guy ever was going to get rid of it Popped into my mind while I was Looking at the refinished one in front of me. I set it back down and walked away like a Kid Being told to leave the candy Store without one sample of Candy.. My wife asked after we left why I did not buy it as she knew how long I had been looking for one of these and never came across one ? I explained I had Met this guy that told me when he was ready to sell his K-32 He would give me first crack at it. After seeing that refinished K-32 I came home and tried to offer this guy more revolvers in trade through last fall and Into this spring, to only be told.. "I am Not ready to let it go yet" I Backed off but kept in touch with him through E-mails. This Spring I offered him that Rare "Dayton Outdoor Sports" Revolver I showed here awhile back which is a model 14-2 Nickel finish and a heavy 4" Barrel with Baughman sights. They Only made 2038 of them, But I wanted his K-32 Bad now, and I did not care if he wanted my Dayton Gun. That got his attention, But again, he said he was Not really ready to swap it Yet. I came across a Nice S&W-J-Frame model 34 snub revolver a few weeks ago.It is a small-J-frame revolver with a snub Barrel in .22 caliber and adjustable sights. He saw Pictures of it and sent me an E-mail saying the worse Mistake he ever made was to sell off his years ago, as he could not find another Like it. I then Offered him Both revolvers Being The Dayton and the model 34. This was in November. He responded and aid he would have an answer after The New Year. I waited Like a Fox at the Hen House door, and E-mailed him on New Years day. He finally agreed to swap with me, But wanted to send me Pictures to make sure I wanted his gun. I opened the Picture E-mail he sent, and almost fell out of my chair. This was No Model 16 This was a Pre-16. It was an early Five screw gun with The Narrow rib on top of the barrel. I said send your's, and I will send Mine, This deal is Chiseled in Stone. It showed up Yesterday and Looked as good as it did in his Pictures. I took it all apart down to the Frame last evening. I Oiled the Internals and replaced the small factory Diamond Magna grips with a set of factory Large Diamond Target grips. I took it to the range today and shown is the first Target I fired it at from the 25 Yard line with factory Loaded ammunition. I am now working up a good Hand load for this revolver. I found out today this gun shipped In March 1951. They have made this Model from 1938-1974 with only 3530 of them ever being built, and I am sure glad my Search for one is Over. Oh, By The Way.. This will NEVER be For Sale...Regards, Thegeneral.

Sa-weeeeet!!! Congratulations on a real find. Oh, I'd love to shoot one of those one day. Enjoy my friend, that's one hell of a cool revolver you have there.

Hey Kevin
I will allow you to shoot this one... If you come to Knoxville. I have the Key to the Range on closed days as I am a NRA Range Safety Officer. My offer stands good with Ya'll, Just Name the Time & Date, and after you are done shooting it, I will let you do a Cover story on The Elusive K-32... Thegeneral.

General:

Great find.

BMT

General, you're tastes simulate mine for revolver's. I have many like you'res. Iam a S&W fan having many. I haven't counted lately. I just purchased a Colt Match Target Heavy barrel.Just becaused it seem such a waste to watch a fine handgun go unappreciated. 275.00 out the door. I guess since it was blue and steel nobody wanted it
coop

good post.

it would have been better (and much easier to read) if you had laid off the bold letters.

Sorry for the missed pronunctiationns, Being a man that never learned learned to type has kept me from posting, Youu're missing a lot of experienced and now how. I will refrain from posting, my lack of schooling will endoudtedly show
Coop

sorry about that sugarfoot...i was referring to the original post by generalstuart, with the bold letters.

maybe it's just me, but when i read text like that, the little voice in my head screams the bold words and reads the others at regular volume (same thing with all caps).
i guess it may just be a personal pet peeve.

No big deal, there is a lot of good stuff on this board; I'm in my late 50's and has watched this stuff reguritated many times.Watch for the guy that doesn't post often, afraid to embarras his self has a lot of knoweldge and isnt trying to impress anyone.
Coop

we share the same pet peeve

that is a nice revolver an a way cool way to aquire it too

It's a great revolver but when you get it home and you'll think what will this will do that the 38 special does'nt. But if every one was practical the gun business would die.
Coop

General, one of these days it would be fun to see a "family" photo of all your Smith's. The good ones always seem to come to live with you. Good find on the latest one.

Hello Coop
The .38 Special is a fine round if that is what you want. it also is the most common round S&W ever put into a handgun and I don't care to fool with it anymore. I Like Oddity and this revolver and caliber is certainly that. As far as being a Rarer gun my Dayton Outdoor Sports revolver I traded for this was only produced Three years and had a toal of 2038 of them made making it more rare than this Pre-16, but again I Like the .32 S&W Long Caliber due to it's Low recoil and supreme accuracy that is why I Opted to own this revolver. Sorry if you or anyone else feel I was trying to Brag here, or that my Posts with Bold print Bothered you, God, Knows I did not mean to rock the boat for you or any other members, and will keep that in mind in the near future. Let's see some of your's I Like to look at them all no matter what they are, and wouldn't view them as feeling you are bragging only sharing your Love with us all on guns, or Possibly wanting to show us some we have never seen before as I thought that is what these Gun Forums were supposed to be all about ? I see from your Age we are not Far apart but I will share with you, when I was raised I was taught if I didn't have something nice or good to say to a person, or about them It was considered Good manners to just keep it to myself.. Regards, Thegeneral..

I wish I had'nt made the remark about the 38. Gettig older and harder to get excited about a new gun Im glad you still can I
have mods, 57 29 36 [19, one 4 screw], 24 4 inch, 686 17 63 66 629 cant remember right now, wife could tell you, duplicates in many also just bought a colt 1909 45 colt in great condition a shooter cant post pictures with out wifes help? somaybe not a good idea
coop

Hello Coop
Get your Wifes help soon and start Posting Pictures as it sounds like you have some very desirable S&W's There. I would Like to see them all as I can never get my fill of any S&W revolver. Best regards, Thegeneral.

Well dammn,
It was just a friendly suggestion.
Brag all you want; that's what we're here for.

Nice gun.

Paragraphs make long posts much easier for people to read; that's not a complaint, just a friendly suggestion

Hello
You Guys are Killing me. I Barely made it through High school let alone be a scholar or Typist.I was completely Computer Illiterate until a few years ago It is Lucky you are able to even make sense out of my Posts, now you want me to Line them up in a Paragraph so it is easier reading ? Go Buy a magazine for $5.00 if you want Perfect editing . Regards, Thegeneral.

Sweet find and great story. Just think without the internet you might never have found one.

Gotta agree with mdv, the bold letters make me want to skip to the pictures. Really not trying to pile on General, I enjoy all your posts and seeing your collection. Just don't see what purpose the bold serves.

Oh yeah, good shooting too!

GeneralStuart,

A great find of a great revolver in great condition in a rarer chambering!Apart from taking a look see at my copy of the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, the H&R chambering was one I've never seen..or noticed anyhow..

Took me four readings of your initial post to get the gist of what you'd acquired tho..:)....

and I am an old S&W revolver afficianado..and interested..

Your pictures and knowlege and your collecting always are enjoyable.Don't stop..:)
I have quite a few rarer M27 S&W's with letters from Mr Jenks on their history..

FWIW,
I also was dragged kicking and protesting into the world of computers and internet less than 15 years ago..and I still type with my two index finngers..:)..so don't be abashed about that.

Breaking up your writing-posts with spaces and paragraphs does help us old timers best read and absorb what you lay down here tho..Regards, Jim( model 27 man)