Saw today, at a LGS, a 5" 32-20 hand ejector (sorry, not yet capable of telling you the model # at first glance that was pretty good shape. Since I don't yet own a 32-20, I took a look.

It has a star symbol stamped ahead of the serial# on the butt. I've never seen that before.

Does it mean anything special - any ideas?

The factory rework star stamps I've seen were usually placed after the SN; with a prewar HE that would be toward the muzzle end of the bottom of the grip frame. This indicated a return to the factory for work (including but not always a refinish) so the gun could not be sold as new afterwards.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The star indicates the factory did some work on the gun at some point in time. The month and year of the work will be stamped inside the left grip panel on the steel frame. By the way that is a 32 M&P revolver. They were all made by 1930. They were slow sellers and didn't completely sell until just before World War II.

Guy

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Don't feel bad, nobody can.

By the time model numbers came along, the .32-20 was long out of production.

Alan's information is correct. In addition, under the stocks on the left hand side of the grip frame there should be a date code that looks like x.xx or xx.xx. That will tell you what month and year the work was done by the Service Department. Sometimes, but not always, there are marks in that same area that indicate what work was done.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I went back today with my SC S&W and figured out it was a 1905 1st model that was most likely factory refinished. Very early serial #. BUT, upon putting it through the standard protocol, found out it pushed off full cock real easy

The proprietor had to pull it from sale. I offered to buy it as a parts gun but, to no avail.