My latest 32-20 aquistion..... Just under the 1500 serial number range, w/factory letter showing it shipped just as you see it....
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My latest 32-20 aquistion..... Just under the 1500 serial number range, w/factory letter showing it shipped just as you see it....
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Nice early gun. I'm glad it came your way.

Good for you!

Can't have too many .32-20s.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Someone will have to write a letter to SCSW, and perhaps others, explaining that
this is not a 32-20 1st model. The factory never made anything like that. What it did
make was a Model of 1899. It was offered in two calibers, .38 and 32-20 . I think what
you have is a Model of 1899, in 32-20 caliber. At least, that is how the factory described
it in the catalogs, from 1899 well into the late 1930's .

Is the gun nickel, or blue ? The combination of the lighting in the picture, and
some rare sunlight shining on my pc screen, make it difficult to identify the finish.

Later, Mike Priwer

Nickel... Here is the letter....
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I love the factory letters. Doesn't matter whether or not the gun is desirable or the original destination is historically significant. Thanks for showing us this one along with your nice revolver.

Thanks to Roy Jinks as well!

There are reasons why the historian writes the letter the way that he does.

However, direct from the 1900 catalog, we have

38 Military Model 1899
The ammunnition adapted to this arm is the .38 Smith & Wesson Special,
United States Service Cartridge( listed as .38 Long Colt)
and the .32 Winchester Repeating Rifle Cartridge.

As you can see, the letter is inconsistent with the catalog offering. Only one
model of gun is being offered; the caliber is optional, as is the barrel
length, finish and grips.

Over the years, there has developed what has come to be known as the collector
descriptions. There are good reasons for the differences - nonetheless the
factory did not describe the gun as a 32-20 anything. Its very clear that it
was always a .38 Military Model 1899 .

Later, Mike Priwer

The letter does state "model of 1899" is that not your argument?

EDIT) I see your point the First Model 32-20 HE designation is what is misleading....

Sounds like S&W was inconsistent between there own company departments since the 32-20 guns had a separate serial number range (i.e. duplicate serial numbers) from the 38 special guns. The advertising people who wrote the catalogs etc called them the same gun, but the manufacturing people who assigned the serial numbers obviously thought they were two separate models. In this case I am going with the manufacturing people; there were two separate models manufactured, and it just took a little while for the advertising department to catch on to that fact.

This view is very different from that of the catalogs - and I can't imagine that the engineereing and
manufacturing departments were completely oblivious to what is in the catalogs. Furthermore, the catalogs
change dramatically over the 40 years from 1900 to 1940. Small, large, black & white , colors, etc.

Over this entire period of time, there is never a reference to the 32/20 as being a model. It is always
an optional caliber to some Military & Police variant.

In 40 years they never catch on ? They had to be smarter than that !

Later, Mike Priwer