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Old 09-13-2017, 02:19 PM
tat719 tat719 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Hatboro, PA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DCWilson View Post
Serial numbers on S&W revolvers are confusing because until recent years the same number could be found on different specimens from different product lines.

Collectors would call your revolver a .32-20 Military & Police Model of 1905/Second Change. Serial numbers of this configuration run from 33501 to 45200. One of these with the serial number slightly over 36000 was shipped in early 1908, so that's an approximate date for your gun as well. In all, about 145,000 units of all varieties of all models of the .32-20 K-frame revolver were made between 1899 and 1940. They were numbered in a serial number range of their own. Most of them were fixed-sight revolvers, but maybe five percent of them were configured as target models with adjustable sights.

The rare K-32 target models you inquired about were actually numbered in the .38 M&P serial number sequence for reasons that may have made sense to somebody at the factory at the time. I haven't recently looked at the serial numbers found on these uncommon revolvers, but I think the lowest was somewhere in the 663xxx range and the highest perhaps 10-12,000 greater.

Just to start a conversation about value, since that was one of the implied questions in your poll, I would think a .32-20 target revolver of that age and in that condition might bring $1000-1200 from a collector. Others here may put lower or higher values on it, so average whatever answers you get and you will probably be pretty close to a reliable number.

EDITED TO ADD: Ah, while I was typing slowly Chris got in with much of the same info.
Ok, that's great info., however, what do you make of the fact of the weight of the gun as comapred to others similar or exactly like it? This one weighs 2 lbs, 2 ozs., the others are only 20 ozs.
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