Yesterday I had a chance to put a few rounds through what I've called my Grail gun: a S&W K-32 Target Masterpiece(this isn't the one)
Short version: S&W decided to make the world's most accurate revolvers for target competition, and did it. It's a K-frame, 6-inch barrel, adjustable sights, trigger stop, polished action, the whole works. They were made in .22LR(K-22), .32 S&W Long(K-32), and .38 Special(K-38). And, since each of these was a different class, they were made so as do duplicate weight & balance as much as possible so you could sort-of shoot the same pistol in each.
I first read about these a disgustingly long time ago and thought this sounded like a really neat pistol. Over time read a bit more, then at a couple of shows actually saw one(which you couldn't handle, only drool at: 'New In Box!' and all that. The problem with wanting one: there are lots of K-22s and K-38s, finding a good shootable one is easy*; in 30-some years of production they made less than 4,000 K-32s. Which means the prices are high. Last time I browsed around the 'NIB' or 'Like NIB' ones started between $3500 and $4000. The usual solution is to look for one that's been used**. I laugh. Those are in families and almost never turned loose of. I spoke with a big S&W collector at the big Tulsa show once and asked about them; "Every once in a great while one of those comes available, and it gets grabbed fast."
Which brings us to yesterday. Guy had one at the range and let me put a few rounds through it, so got to actually handle and try it out.
Result: Oh baby. I really desire it now. Action as smooth as silk, trigger breaks like the proverbial glass rod. He was shooting handloads using a 100-grain semi-wadcutter bullet over Bullseye, which in this was like shooting a .22. One load double-action at ten yards, one at 15 yards single-action. Bleep. Very accurate and pleasant.
No pictures of it, this one had a few wear marks but had been well cared for, and ought to be shooting out bullseyes for a long time to come. I doubt it'll happen, but would be nice if S&W made some of these again.
*And not too expensive. I had a K-38 that a man had used in competition for years; all that used had done nothing I could tell but polish the action a bit smoother, and it was either the most accurate pistol I'd ever fired, or it let me shoot better than with damn-near anything else.
**There's also the definition of 'used' some people have. Another collector at that show the next year, I mentioned I wanted to find a used one so I could shoot it: "That one is used." Thing looked like it'd just walked out of the factory, so I asked how it was 'used'. "There are a couple of spots on the finish on the other side, so I can't call it new." His price on this: $4k.
4 comments:
I have a K-38 made in 1973 that I picked up at a gun show in OKC a few years back. It's the most accurate revolver I own and is probably my favorite gun that I own.
I am fortunate enough to have 3 of the K-frame series:
A 1951 vintage K-38
A new K-22 (Model 17 Masterpiece Classic)
A Model 19 (.357 Magnum version of the K-38)
All with 6" barrels. Great guns for target shooting. The Colt fanboys can keep their overpriced snake guns.
I scored a K-22 Outdoorsman in 2002 from my neighbor for $100. Roy Jinks the historian from S&W sent me a letter about my gun. Made in 1935 it was sold at a gun store in Harlem and whereabouts were unknown until I wrote him. Last time I looked up prices it was worth $1625. It is the handgun I have my 1st time shooters start with. Most people tell me I need to keep it in the safe and not shoot it, but all my guns are shooters
My favorite pistol is a K frame model 65 .357 Mag with a 4" barrel. The majority of what I shoot through it is low power 357 loads and just beyond 38+P loads.
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