Would you... Could you...

[bufalobill]

I am in a predicament...

So I am talking to this fellow I know, and he says " Well, I have a Kreighoff K32 I'll sell you. It's got the trap stock, (straight monte carlo) and has two sets of barrel's. Both trap and skeet."

What's a price on something like this?

I think the price he wants is a great deal, but the forend has been modified by a previous owner to include finger notches. The good news is that they seem to fit my hand fairly well.

I am going to take her out for a few rounds this weekend to check the fit a bit closer, and find out if she bites.

Thanks for any help.

Bill

 

[Claybuster]

It's always tough to put a value on a gun without seeing it. That disclaimer aside, I shot a K-32 trap gun for several years and here's what I learned in the process.

Not all K32s are alike. The serial numbers range from 001 to around the 11500 mark when Krieghoff switched to the K-80. The K32, a derivative of the Remington Model 32, was steadily improved throughout it's production by Krieghoff. So the higher the number the better the gun.

There's a lot of debate on the U.S. sites about what numbers are best avoided. Mine was in the 6 thousand range, the ones I've seen that I would be hesitant to buy were below 1500. Look for the barrel selector system. If it is a little tab just before the trigger that moves right and left it is better than the push button system in the earliest versions.

The K32 ejectors and latching mechanisms were also upgraded in later versions. Mine had the older versions and they worked fine.

Another thing to look for is the position of the top lever. Krieghoffs can be developing a headspace problem while the lever is still right of center. The proper position of the top lever is directly over the seam where the metal meets the wood on the right hand side looking from the rear. Check this on both barrels.

The good news about Krieghoff is that their service is excellent. I had my gun rebuilt to address a headspace problem. The local distributor handled the shipping and the gun came back like new for a very reasonable price. This was pre 9/11 and while I imagine the shipping issues are more complicated but Krieghoff does stand by its products.

As a very rough guess I would put the value at this gun with two barrels anywhere from $3,000-$5000 depending on condition and when it was made.

I liked my K32 a lot. It had 32" fixed IM, F and an upgraded, adjustable stock, not the red coloured stock seen on them most often. I sold mine for $2,500 which was what I had in it. The only reason I sold was to fund a subgauge Perazzi that I just couldn't live without.

Let us know what you decide and how it works out.

 

[bufalobill]

Thanks Claybuster.

It has the rocker switch for the barrel's in front of the trigger, and the action is tight as you would ever need. The top lever is not to the centerline yet, and it's been around for quite a number of years.

There are only two things "wrong" with it, and that's the finger dents in the forestock, and the prevoius owner was quite sloppy with his refinishing after taking a file (or side grinder) to the forestock. Your numbers seem to be in line with what I had initally thought for a value.

Thanks

Bill

 

[bufalobill]

Update: Upon further inspection and Claybuster's recommendations, I have found out a bit more about this gun.

Three digit serial number (she's older than I thought)

Non matching S/N between the receiver and the two barrels

The skeet barrel is tight, but the trap barrel is a hair sloppy. It's a blonde hair, but still a hair.

 

[Claybuster]

Update: Upon further inspection and Claybuster's recommendations, I have found out a bit more about this gun.

Three digit serial number (she's older than I thought)

Non matching S/N between the receiver and the two barrels

The skeet barrel is tight, but the trap barrel is a hair sloppy. It's a blonde hair, but still a hair.

Mine had a non-matching serial number on the barrel too. That's not a huge deal as long as the barrels were properly fitted to the receiver. When I asked a Krieghoff technician about it at The Grand in the 90's he laughed and said that was quite common but if I wanted they would be happy to restamp the barrels to whatever number I chose.

The three digit gun would make me cautious. But without knowing it's history or how it was cared for I wouldn't rule it out entirely. I'd drop my price estimate though by about $1,000 even for a two-barrel set.

 

[bmcrae]

I don't have a whole lot of hands on experience with them, but I have come across some info that may be helpful or at least informative.

http://www.halkguns.com/newsletter/k80vsK32.htm Differences between the K80 and the 32.

A quick ebay seach for Krieghoff will currently show a lot of Krieghoff 32 wood available.

I could be absolutely wrong on this point, but I was under the impression that the serial numbers on new K80 receivers don't match the barrels anymore.

Brad.