First thing, this gun is refinished. Considering the fact that I only have $300 into it and the condition of the finish I'm more than satisfied. All the markings are deep and clear. All four pins on the left side are sharp and there is no pitting under the grips and no dishing around the screws. Under the left grip is inscribed, bought by A. R. Martin, Apr 10, 1905. The right grip is inscribed, D. L. Hampton, 7/1/65. I bought the gun at auction so am possibly the third owner. The hammer and trigger are buffed. The gun is as tight as a swiss clock SN 12838. It's fun to shoot but the sights are WAY to narrow. I am not asking for permission to like it. It's a blue collar gun owned by a blue collar guy.
DW

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DWFAN,

I always like to see the .32-20 Hand Ejectors. That one looks graceful with its long barrel. Good choice of barrel lengths for the round.

So what if it has been refinished. I'd a been all over it myself for three bills. The last .32-20 Target I saw for sale (M&P 1905) had a $1200 tag on it. Should be a nice shooter.

Neat gun.
What's up with the rear sight? Is it an aftermarket job?

Curious gun. From what I see, the gun is an M&P. It still has the
original milling for the rear end of the rear sight slot. If it were a
target, that would all be milled away, to provide space for the rear of
the sight leaf to set in. Someone has milled some kind of slot on the
top strap, to hold that adapted rear sight configuration. Also it looks
like the front sight is a solid forging.

Another thing that is interesting is that, effectively, the gun has a
raised rear sight (assuming it was an M&P), and appears to have a lowered
front sight. Ie, the front sight looks low. I wonder if the gun was
shooting way high, and this was an attempt to make it shoot lower.

The logo on the side plate looks to be very deep, and overall the finish
looks good. I'll tell you what this gun "almost" looks like. David Carroll
and a couple others have a couple of guns with a drift-adjustable rear
sight blade. I recall that the guns are M&P's, but have this blade that is
forward of the rear sight notch. I say "almost", because of the appearance
of the rear sight blade standing up forward of the rear of the frame.

Regards, Mike Priwer

Mike, I have one of the guns that you speak of and David has the other. I also have a line on another that is like mine and have seen another that is like Davids.
Davids



mine



I will retake the pictures later as the ones I posted are from when I wasn't to good at it.
DW

These are a bit better. The front sight is dove tailed. Looks like I have some kind of conversion to target here.
DW

Thats a neat .32-20, DW. I love the ones that you "just don't see em everyday".

Pretty big coincidence here. I logged on to post a recent arrival and started reading this thread, and in it is what I wanted to post about. Not the .32-20 though so I'll start another thread so not to hijack from this cool gun. Hope to see ya there.

Paul

Yes - that is exactly the gun I was thinking about.

That dove-tailed front sight, on your 32-20, was a common technique for mounting
rifle sights. I recall talking to Dave Chicoine about it, and he noted that it
was common.

Recently I was asking about 78222 . I found the picture:



If you look carefully at the top strap, you will see a very small projection above the
top strap, towards the rear of it. That is not an aberation - there is actually a very small
pieces pressed into the M&P sight slot, and it has a very small groove across its top, that
lines up with that Lyman front sight blade. A similar configuration to your gun.

Later, Mike Priwer

I really have to get my pictures together once I can...but, this sight...


Is extremely similar in style to the rear sight found on early Wesson percussion target pistols.

Coincidence? I don't know.

These revolvers are beautiful!!!

Here's a couple of original 32WCF targets. The round butt is a 1902 2nd mdl 1st change shipped in 1904. The square butt is a 1905 4th change, shipped in 1918.

Love the 32-20 HE pictured here. Would be cool if S&W made a few new ones as part of the Classic line.

Here is my 1899 target 32-20.

John, I think you should start a new thread with this gun. Should bring some interesting comments.
DW

DW we did do one on it about a year ago. Mike and I talk about the gun along with Lee that there was less than 100 of these were made. The letter doesn't say that. It was shipped on May 23, 1901 to Philip Bekeart Co., San Francisco. It is rare that has turned brown with age. I was going to send it off and have it refinished, then I change my mine on that. I think it will tell more stories this way, and have more respect.