S&W K32 Project...

by Boge Quinn, Friday, August 24, 2012, 09:50 (4421 days ago)

Lately I've been really jonesin' for a K32, to go with my K22s and K38 - have y'all SEEN what K32s are bringing these days?!?! JEEZ.

Murbach has told me a few times about a K32 he had made up by Bowen many moons ago after his own fruitless search for an affordable original, and hinted that he had an extra brand-new K32Mag cylinder and original in-the-white K32 barrel laying around, which could be had for a specified sum if I could find a base sixgun. That proved to be easy, as our pal Matt Olivier told me he had an old K38 that had finish issues and a slightly-bulged-but-still-shootable barrel, which said sixgun could be had for a song. Furthermore, Matt offered to send Terry a brand-spankin'-new Ruger SR22 in exchange for Terry sending me the K32 parts (!), and it all came together yesterday when the K38 landed at the Hardware Store and the K32 parts landed in my mailbox. I had thought about having some nice custom stocks made for my K32 project, but the K38 arrived with a nice set of Diamond Targets numbered to the sixgun, so I'm thinking that will be about right.

Terry also had a brand-new K22 cylinder/ejector, and sent it along. I had already corresponded with Bowen about the project, and he seemed genuinely excited about the prospect - he said it was one of his favorite sixguns in two of his favorite calibers: the K32 cylinder will be rechambered for 327 Federal, and the K22 cylinder will be rechambered for 32 WCF, making a neat little combo gun (able to shoot 32 WCF, 327 Federal, 32 Magnum, 32 S&W, and 32 ACP).

Good news / bad news on the Bowen front: GOOD NEWS is that he is a bit short-handed in his Shop, especially for S&W work, so he'll have to do the work himself; BAD NEWS is that he is a bit short-handed in his Shop, especially for S&W work, so he'll have to do the work himself. In other words, my sixgun will be built by the Master, but it may take a while.

Anyway, thanks to Terry and Matt (and Hamilton) for their contributions to this project! Now to send the parts off to Bowen and WAIT...........

Y'all see a future Gunblast article?