Model of 1905 32 WCF

nksmfamjp · Sep 5, 2020

Well, I went to the gun store to buy powder....

Then I see this old S&W. . . and I think that would be cool. It looked rough, but not as rough as the price. It might as well of had a free tag on it, I felt bad bargaining, but I knew they would never sell it due to their clientele. It looked unmolested, but shot quite a bit, and a little more patina than I normally go for. I thought, ok, I'll bite and figure it out later.

I couldn't wait. I was into it before the garage door closed! Well after cleaning (detail strip) it up, I found rifling, albeit pitted. Running the first patches through the bore made me think it had no rifling! I'm like omg, how did that happen! More brushing, cleaners, patches and time showed me rifling albeit pitted pretty heavily. The corrosion on the outside and innards mostly wiped off, except for light freckling all over.

So, what do I have? Any reason not to shoot it?

I read 32 wcf is 32-20 and that I can use the 16000 cup data I find on Hodgdon or other load data at that level. I'm guessing I should use lead bullets?

I can't see shooting more than 50-100 a year, maybe squirrel hunt with it.

If I throw a serial number in here can I get a year made possibly?

daddio202 · Sep 5, 2020

Looks to me you got a pretty good deal, that one cleaned up nicely. You can find ammo online for it. It is a fun to shoot, snappy little round. The gun may have it's original grips -if you look on the back of the right grip at different angles in high light you may see it's serial number written in pencil there. Your gun was made in early 1920's maybe in 1920. We can narrow it down with a number or most of a serial number. That gun should shoot just fine. Enjoy

JP@AK · Sep 5, 2020

Not a bad looking .32 Winchester revolver. Only a range trip will tell you how much the pitting affects how it shoots.

Two features indicate it was produced before about mid-year 1922:
1) 32 WCF was used from roughly 1913 until about May of 1922. After that, the barrel was marked 32-20 CTG

2) Starting in about May, 1922, "Made in U.S.A." was stamped on the right side of the frame, below and ahead of the cylinder.

Assuming the stocks are original (probably), this one shipped after January, 1920.

If I throw a serial number in here can I get a year made possibly?

Not exactly. But we can make a guess as to when it left the factory. The problem is they were not shipped in serial order and, with the .32-20 particularly, there is a lot of slippage. But we can give you a ballpark. For precision, you'd have to purchase a letter, an expense this gun really can't justify.

But do give us a try. And please post the whole number. There is no reason not to and it will help those of us who try to keep track of these units as they show up. Patterns emerge that help us to provide information to people like you who want a guesstimate on the age of their guns.

glowe · Sep 5, 2020

It was almost certainly manufactured between 1920 and 1922 as noted above. The round top convex stocks were introduced in 1920. Three year ship date guess is pretty standard and is about as close as one can get even using the serial number.

The revolver from that era is usually called 32/20 Hand Ejector, 4th Model. The year named models were used in the early 1900s but the catalogs printed starting in the late-teens stopped using Model 1902 and Model 1905 names, and simply called them Military & Police revolvers.

Standard manufactured ammunition is just fine in these guns and lead bullets are also standard. I shoot SWC and HBWC in my early M&Ps at around 700-750 fps and they shoot very well. I think you might have to get quite close to a squirrel to be sure you will be able to hit one with that 4" barrel.

bill-in-texas · Sep 5, 2020

Looks to me like a great little packing gun.

I seriously doubt you overpaid for something that you can slip into a backpack and plink at cans with, while out on a hike in the woods. Even if a little rough, I bet the quality of your century-old piece exceeds that of most other modern revolvers.

Enjoy it!

Hawg Rider · Sep 5, 2020

Yes, that looks like a pretty nice .32 WCF Model of 1905 4th Change. I assume that you used some lead remover to really clean out the rifling grooves. A light application of lube in the guts and it should be a fine and smooth shooter. As daddio202 mentioned, there is plenty of .32-20 ammo available online, primarily for Cowboy Action Shooting. Most is relatively soft shooting ammo loaded with lead bullets. Enjoy!

Wiregrassguy · Sep 5, 2020

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! I read in another thread that S&W employees back in the day called the 32-20 the "Winchester Model."

nksmfamjp · Sep 5, 2020

JP@AK said:
But do give us a try. And please post the whole number. There is no reason not to and it will help those of us who try to keep track of these units as they show up. Patterns emerge that help us to provide information to people like you who want a guesstimate on the age of their guns.

98692 is the number

JP@AK · Sep 5, 2020

nksmfamjp said:
98692 is the number

I list a couple in that range. Both shipped in April, 1921.

Again, no guarantee yours shipped at or around the same time, but there is a ballpark for you.

bmcgilvray · Sep 6, 2020

nksmfamjp said:
Well, I went to the gun store to buy powder....

Then I see this old S&W. . . and I think that would be cool. It looked rough, but not as rough as the price. It might as well of had a free tag on it, I felt bad bargaining, but I knew they would never sell it due to their clientele. It looked unmolested, but shot quite a bit, and a little more patina than I normally go for. I thought, ok, I'll bite and figure it out later.

I couldn't wait. I was into it before the garage door closed! Well after cleaning (detail strip) it up, I found rifling, albeit pitted. Running the first patches through the bore made me think it had no rifling! I'm like omg, how did that happen! More brushing, cleaners, patches and time showed me rifling albeit pitted pretty heavily. The corrosion on the outside and innards mostly wiped off, except for light freckling all over.

So, what do I have? Any reason not to shoot it?

I read 32 wcf is 32-20 and that I can use the 16000 cup data I find on Hodgdon or other load data at that level. I'm guessing I should use lead bullets?

I can't see shooting more than 50-100 a year, maybe squirrel hunt with it.

If I throw a serial number in here can I get a year made possibly?

Your .32-20 gives a nice appearance.

Trimmed a squirrel out of a tall (for this part of Texas) oak tree with a .32-20 revolver while on a late season duck hunt back in January. Works a treat!

Used to tote it and a predecessor .32-20 Hand Ejector afield quite often. Felt like old times.

This one's from a little further into the 1920s.

DWalt · Sep 6, 2020

Closest SN I have listed to 98692 is 99052 which shipped in 4/21. Note that otherwise identical S&W revolvers chambered in .38 Special used a different serial numbering sequence. S&W ceased .32-20 revolver production in 1929-30 due to low market demand. The main problem with any .32-20 gun is finding ammunition. Which is why most .32-20 aficionados load their own.

Model of 1905 32 WCF

nksmfamjp

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daddio202

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JP@AK

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glowe

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bill-in-texas

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Hawg Rider

Wiregrassguy

nksmfamjp

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JP@AK

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bmcgilvray

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DWalt

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