The .32-20 Hand Ejector Thread

[DWalt]

Giving warnings about not using .32-20 HV rifle ammunition in revolvers is just a topic that everyone seems to want to bring up for no other reason than to show they know about it. For the most part, there is no hazard, at least for any revolvers made within the last 100 years in reasonable condition. The chances of running into any HV ammunition in the first place is fairly slim, as it is now mostly in the ammo collector's realm. Much like shooting .38-44 ammo in an old K-frame .38 Special. That was done a lot also, and I don't ever remember hearing of any revolvers blowing up. I have calculated (using Quickload) the MAP of the .38-44 to be very likely in excess of 25,000 psi.

[Plain Old Dave]

Good gouge on the Dominion ammo. Wasn't aware they made "rifle only" ammo, and this makes a good case for consigning any loose DCC .32-20 to the rifle only pile or collectible only.

Regarding damage, you do see K frame .32-20s with cracked forcing cones and bulged cylinders Around Here. And the old-timer gunsmiths will tell you damage like THAT only comes from the "rifle only" .32-20s. About like a steady diet of full-house .357s in a Model 19, you might get away with it from time to time but is sure isn't healthy longterm.

I have seen one posting somewhere on the Web. IIRC it was a Colt Police Positive, and the shooter shot ONE HV shell and the gun locked up tight. The force from the HV shell sprung the crane it seems like, but the PP is a very small revolver. Saw a .32-20 PP the other day and my first thought was that it was a .32 Long.

[Xfuzz]

Late for the party.
One I found today...Serial..42362

[noviceman]

Need help. Trying to determine manufacture date of Smith & Wesson 32-20 CTG.

Serial# on butt: 112889.

Barrel length: 6".

Gun length from tip of barrel to back end of handle: 11".

Printed on top of barrel:
"SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS. U.S.A. PATENTED
Oct.8.01 Dec.17.01 Feb.8.06 Sept.14.09 Dec.29.14".

Printed on left side of barrel: "SMITH & WESSON".

Printed on right side of barrel: "32-20 CTG".

Printed on left side beneath cylinder release: Smith & Wesson trademark symbol.

Printed on right side beneath cylinder: "MADE IN U.S.A.".

# engraved on hinge of cylinder: 68424.

3 screws on right side of frame.

Wood handle. Large diamond in center of handle on each side. Screw in center of diamond on left side. Screw on inner slope of handle.

Thanks.

[DWalt]

Dating from the SN alone is far from an exact science, but I have numerous SNs close to that one which shipped in 1923 and 1924. You may or may not know that M&Ps in .32-20 were serial numbered differently from those chambered in .38 Special. Production of .32-20s ceased in 1929-30, but continued to be sold until about 1940.

[BPG]

I am posting this to this thread as a monument to S & W durability and downright toughness. This little gun is not as pretty as any other gun posted here. In fact, I am sure it will be the roughest little gun to be posted here.

First off it is a Model 1903 Hand Ejector Serial # 812XX in .32 Long. As far as I can tell it seems to have been made between 1906 and 1910. I have of course identified it as an I Frame. You guys already know this, but this old an S & W was a new one for me.

When the customer brought it into my shop I thought it was beyond all hope. I cleaned it, replaced a few parts on it. Cut a new muzzle crown and I will be danged if it did not shoot straight, had an awesome lock up and the timing was excellent. I was still able to get the parts for this project through Jack First and Numrich. The customer was ecstatic and brought in four more of his oldies in for rework/repair.

I had made a friend for life. Well, enough of the build up. Here are some of the before pictures:

[BPG]

Here are the after pictures. Once again, I was impressed with the quality of the machine work and how well this little pistol operated after I gave it a little TLC. I hope you have enjoyed my first post here. I hope to have many more.

[turnstyle]

Originally Posted by BPG

Here are the after pictures. Once again, I was impressed with the quality of the machine work and how well this little pistol operated after I gave it a little TLC. I hope you have enjoyed my first post here. I hope to have many more.

I hope you have many more, too. This is great. I love the 1903. Feels great in the hand and as reliable as the day is long.

[Hondo44]

Originally Posted by BPG

Here are the after pictures. Once again, I was impressed with the quality of the machine work and how well this little pistol operated after I gave it a little TLC. I hope you have enjoyed my first post here. I hope to have many more.

Welcome to the forum.

Your post should have its own thread, since your in a K frame thread your rescue project will not get enough of the exposure as it should.

[oneofsixreborn]

Hi all,
Wonderful wealth of info in this thread alone, I had a great time learning new things about my latest trade.

Poor finish, 5 screw with unmatched walnut(?) grip panels (stamped inside with a different serial #). The grips have a gold medallion.
Serial# on butt, bottom of barrel and the back of the cylinder- 138641 followed by a star- date stamped under the left grip panel 12-44
Barrel length: 5"
Printed on right side of barrel: "32-20 CTG".

So, from what I've read, it seems to be a late 20's production. Refurbed at the factory and returned 12-44.

Story from the previous owner is this- his grandfather owned the pistol, carried it in Korea, then carried it again as an auxiliary policeman in his hometown. While I never would have traded away a family heirloom, I don't knock the previous owner as I'm the new owner! It came with a police style holster and 7 rounds. My son and I promptly fired them as soon as we got home and were suitably impressed.
Since then, I've gotten the dies for reloading, so I can at least reload the brass I have until I can get some more.
Pics when I can...and thanks for the great info here!

[DWalt]

"So, from what I've read, it (138641) seems to be a late 20's production."

Correct - but it also could well have shipped at any time throughout the 1930s. I don't think I'd have been interested in carrying a .32-20 in Korea unless I was stationed in a rear area and unlikely to have any need to use it. Not to say anything about the difficulty of finding an ammunition supply in Korea.

[tep]

Here's mine. Model of 1905, 4th change. S/N 112XXX. It's a family heirloom to me. Has a lot of holster wear, but still shoots great!

[finloq]

Very nice, I'd be proud to call that lad a member of my family.

[oldgraycat]

I have a sw32-32 nickel plate 5screw pinned barrel sn 1644xx,excellent condition from my fathers estate, can anyone id this . love to know more about it. not for sale, dad had it for a long time, also got his colt45 army issue 1917 revolver he paid $12.50 for gun holstier and a box of ammo,. had ti longer then he had me, im 65 . no pics but will post in the future

[Alk8944]

Originally Posted by oldgraycat

I have a sw32-32 nickel plate 5screw pinned barrel sn 1644xx,excellent condition from my fathers estate, can anyone id this . love to know more about it. not for sale, dad had it for a long time, also got his colt45 army issue 1917 revolver he paid $12.50 for gun holstier and a box of ammo,. had ti longer then he had me, im 65 . no pics but will post in the future

Assuming it is a Smith & Wesson it is probably a .32 Hand Ejector, not a .32-20 as is the subject of this thread. SN is ca. 20,000 higher than the highest .32-20 Winchester Model revolver.

[Muley Gil]

Originally Posted by oldgraycat

I have a sw32-32 nickel plate 5screw pinned barrel sn 1644xx,excellent condition from my fathers estate, can anyone id this . love to know more about it. not for sale, dad had it for a long time, also got his colt45 army issue 1917 revolver he paid $12.50 for gun holstier and a box of ammo,. had ti longer then he had me, im 65 . no pics but will post in the future

Welcome to the Forum.

Please check your serial number again. The main number is located on the butt. It will also be located under the barrel and on the rear of the cylinder. Serial numbers on the .32-20s only went into the 144xxx range. They are in their own range, separate from the .38 Military & Police revolvers.

If the serial number under the barrel has a "B" prefix, it was shipped with a blued finish. Many of these were refinished in nickel.

Please post pictures. We love pictures!

As above, you probably have a .32 Long revolver or a "3" looks like an "8".

[Alk8944]

Originally Posted by oneofsixreborn

Poor finish, 5 screw with unmatched walnut(?) grip panels (stamped inside with a different serial #). The grips have a gold medallion.
Serial# on butt, bottom of barrel and the back of the cylinder- 138641 followed by a star- date stamped under the left grip panel 12-44

I have guns in my SN list either side of yours that shipped June 1927 and November 1928, Your stocks are from the 1910-1920 period assuming they have the large deep recessed Gold medallions and not later Nickel plated brass ones that the plate has peeled off of. You are correct that the 12-44 denotes that the gun was back at S&W for some service in December 1944.

Referring to DWalt's comment that the gun could have shipped in the 1930s. This is correct, but it could have shipped clear into the 1960s! The last .32-20 shipped from S&W, SN 141611, and two others, shipped sometime in 1965! Info. is from SCSW as I recall.

[DWalt]

SN 1141611 should be SN 141611. I have it on my list. Allegedly there were a few .32-20s that shipped in the late 1940s also, but I have no details.

[oneofsixreborn]

pictures as promised...

[Alk8944]

Unfortunately the stocks you picture are post 1968 Plain Clothes (P.C.) Magnas, AKA Modified Magnas. Those are Nickeled Brass medallions. The yellow color is the stock finish that was sprayed over the completed stocks and has yellowed.

These (smooth top) are what should be on your gun. (Stolen from tep's post!). The other is what a real Gold Medallion (1910-1920) looks like. (Lifted from badshot48, post 233)

[DWalt]

"Poor finish, 5 screw with unmatched walnut(?) grip panels (stamped inside with a different serial #). The grips have a gold medallion."
If you haven't already tried, it might be possible to improve the finish appearance by using a good metal polish such as Flitz or Mother's Mag. 1920s-era stocks appear on eBay every so often if you are interested.

[ddeanjohnson]

Acquired by trade at a gun show in 20143, a S&W .32-20 Hand Ejector Model of 1905 (Fourth Change). It has a four-inch barrel and all matching numbers (66928), including a penciled number on the right grip panel. The blue finish is in about 97% condition. The gun appears to have been fired little.

I obtained a factory letter on the gun, which states that "your handgun, with serial number 66928 was shipped from our factory on January 1, 1915, and delivered to Judge P.R. Price, no address listed."

Using Google, I quickly found many references to only one judge in the U.S. who went by the name "P.R. Price." His full name was Perry Riley Price, but in both court documents and news stories that I found, he was always referred to as "P.R. Price." He got his law degree in 1902 in Missouri. He moved to El Paso, where he became county attorney and, starting in 1914, a state district court judge. (I found a reference to one of his decisions in a story from the El Paso Herald of Oct. 30, 1915.) This is a trial court handling criminal matters, among other things, and at that time El Paso was not too far removed from the wild west. It was during the period that Price presided over this trial court that my revolver was ordered (perhaps as an under-robe backup to the baliffs?).

Price was later appointed to a state appeals court based in El Paso, on which he became chief justice. He remained a judge on that court until his death in 1953.

Douglas D. Johnson
SWCA No. 2404

[KENGUN]

That is a most interesting story and yes being a criminal trial Judge, most likely was carried for his own protection at a time when court were underprotected.
Odd that such a historic family piece ever found its way to a gun show! But so lucky for you...enjoy!

[Plain Old Dave]

Minor polishing on the .32-20 I posted previously. And a set of $10 Pachmayr Presentation grips.

[oldgraycat]

alk8944 and muley gil rechacker ser # it is 1164xx try that one

[Muley Gil]

Originally Posted by oldgraycat

alk8944 and muley gil rechacker ser # it is 1164xx try that one

That could be a .32-20 revolver. Can you post the markings that are on the barrel?

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by oldgraycat

alk8944 and muley gil rechacker ser # it is 1164xx try that one

If a .32-20, it would likely have shipped sometime in 1923. .32-20 CTG should be stamped on the barrel, although it is possible that the barrel stamping could be be .32 W.C.F. CTG (a different name for the same cartridge).

[Alk8944]

I've got numbers both sides of the 1164xx that were all mid-late 1923. This is assuming the gun with this number is a .32-20 as others mentioned.

It should be marked .32-20 CTG as the transition from .32 WCF to .32-20 is reported as occurring during 1922.

[oldgraycat]

is stamped 32-20ctg , anyone know the value, need for insurance purpose. not for sale

[dogngun]

Just read through this thread and I guess I should put up a photo of my S&W .32 - 20 WCF Hand Ejector, # 98954, 5" barrel...



I bought it with these old, and real, MOP's on it, but have since replaced them with a correct set of the all wood service grips...I believe this one is from late 1921. Shows its age, but still very tight and a GOOD shooter!
I had been thinking of selling it, but...no.

[finloq]

I have 96441 which I have been told is 1921 as well. If that is correct, you are probably pretty close.

[finloq]

I still have not found any factory Ammo with bullets above a .308 diameter.
Georgia Arms uses a .308 bullet.
Does anybody know if Black Hills or Ultramax uses a .312-.313 bullet? Or any other manufacturers?

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by finloq

I still have not found any factory Ammo with bullets above a .308 diameter.

Did you pull bullets and measure them? I have reloaded .32-20 with half-jacket .308 bullets which seem to group reasonably well.
The SAAMI bullet diameter spec is 0.3095"-.0.3125" so 0.3095" should be the very smallest used.

[dogngun]

Originally Posted by finloq

I have 96441 which I have been told is 1921 as well. If that is correct, you are probably pretty close.

They were REALLY well made back then...Mine does not look like much, but it is really fun to shoot and is far more accurate than I am.

[atc250r]

Glad I found this thread. Probably between 30 and 35 years ago my father got a S&W 1905 32-20 from his cousin in a trade. He's basically had it sitting in a safe for all these years although when he first got it he put a few rounds through it. I've recently become interested in both pistols and long guns and it seems to have reignited Dad's interest in them as well. Having no paperwork on it he assumed there was no way to make it "legal" and was considering turning it in to his local PD. Fortunately he discussed it with me before he did and I did some research and found it was a simple process to get it on paper so we're going to do it in the near future. From reading here the serial number (612xx) seems to be from around 1915 or 16. I've seen a few others here and in Google images with this metal attachment on the front of the grip. Can anyone tell me about that? I'd love to hear any and all input on this cool pistol. I'm looking forward to getting it to the range for a few hours with him. I'll probably get a history certificate from S&W for him as well.

Thanks.

John

[HeyJoe]

that is a tyler t grip. they are still made. its purpose of course was to provide a better grip than just the stock grips which many find too skinny to grip properly. there are two metal tabs that go under the grip panel.

[Gordyf808]

Originally Posted by DWalt

SN 1141611 should be SN 141611. I have it on my list. Allegedly there were a few .32-20s that shipped in the late 1940s also, but I have no details.

Dwalt Just a housekeeping thing, I know you keep a data base.
I have a 5"K frame 32-20 Serial 107392
Aloha
Gordy

[RPHSHIELD9]

So what kind a value is on these guns, I took my to a gun show and was offered $200, I said no.
SN# 397xx 5 inch barrel

[merl67]

Originally Posted by RPHSHIELD9

So what kind a value is on these guns, I took my to a gun show and was offered $200, I said no.
SN# 397xx 5 inch barrel

Welcome to the forum! Depends on condition good pictures are necessary to say whether or not it was a fair offer. Here is mine I got for $280 11 months ago and I think the price was fair. If you were selling to a dealer keep in mind he is in the business of making a profit so he has to buy below retail also keep in mind ammo availability unless you are a handloader the 32-20 is a expensive round to buy.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by RPHSHIELD9

So what kind a value is on these guns, I took my to a gun show and was offered $200, I said no.
SN# 397xx 5 inch barrel

Unless you tried to sell it to another attendee in the parking lot or walking down an aisle between tables, you were probably attempting to sell to some type of dealer. Gun shops, gun show dealers, and pawn shops might give you about half of what they think they can sell it for. Value depends almost entirely upon condition, and since we have no idea about the condition of yours, $200 could have been a generous price.

[RPHSHIELD9]

It is a hand ejector
Bartel is 5 inch and says 32 Winchester CTG or it could be OTG
5 screw with the strain screw and it has fixed sights.
SN 37821
Please help, not sure if it's a 32-20 or a 32.

Thanks all

[DWalt]

Yours is not in collectible condition, and I'd say that in a private sale to an individual, you might be able to get $300, maybe a bit more, for it, depending upon where you live. The wood grips appear to be original, and that's a plus. It seems someone may have taken a file or a grinder to the front sight. Yours left the factory in about 1907-08. Collectors would call it a Model of 1905, as it has a square butt. The .32 Winchester barrel stamping is correct for that time. The .32 Winchester, .32 WCF, and .32-20 are all names for the same cartridge.

[Flesh Wound]

Here's my submission to the .32-20 thread.

1922 1905 4th change. It's a shame the bore is nasty. The exterior of the gun looks better in person than the photos show.

[DWalt]

That's somewhat better, but it looks like someone may have given the grips a varnish treatment.

[Flesh Wound]

DWalt: When I first saw the gun I thought the grips might have been bakelite. But removing revealed wood and matching serial number.

[merl67]

Originally Posted by RPHSHIELD9

It is a hand ejector
Bartel is 5 inch and says 32 Winchester CTG or it could be OTG
5 screw with the strain screw and it has fixed sights.
SN 37821
Please help, not sure if it's a 32-20 or a 32.

Thanks all

It is indeed a 23-20 and given its condition and apparent modification of the front sight I don't think $200 was a unreasonable offer. Did you counter offer ?

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by Flesh Wound

DWalt: When I first saw the gun I thought the grips might have been bakelite. But removing revealed wood and matching serial number.

No question they are period-correct, even without the SN on the back. During that period, the stock SN was normally penciled, not stamped. And often, it is difficult or impossible to see.

[RPHSHIELD9]

Thanks for the information, I got the gun from my dad and not looking to sell it.
Now I know what kind of ammo to buy so I can shoot it.
I'll pass it down and keep it in the family.
I really appreciate your help.

[Muley Gil]

Originally Posted by RPHSHIELD9

Thanks for the information, I got the gun from my dad and not looking to sell it.
Now I know what kind of ammo to buy so I can shoot it.
I'll pass it down and keep it in the family.
I really appreciate your help.

Welcome to the Forum.

The .32-20 is a fun cartridge. I've owned at least one since 1974.

[merl67]

Originally Posted by RPHSHIELD9

Thanks for the information, I got the gun from my dad and not looking to sell it.
Now I know what kind of ammo to buy so I can shoot it.
I'll pass it down and keep it in the family.
I really appreciate your help.

Don't know where you are located but if you have a Cabela's near you you can order it from their website and have it shipped to their store saving you shipping 50 rounds is $32.00 this who I got mine through now I have dies and bullets for reloading but if you just wanted some to have buy a few boxes and call it a day.