Several weeks ago I was surfing GB and tagged several 32s as watch items just to get an idea of market price ranges. This one caught my attention as a good one to consider. It's a brown/blue gun and shows very little use although it has the holster wear signs on the muzzle. An interesting feature is the front sight modification with an ivory insert into the front blade. I have not seen this type modification before. The gun has all matching numbers, including the penciled serial on the right grip panel. It is "as new" as far as the mechanics are concerned with no cylinder play and tight lockup to include a bright bore and chambers. Starting bid was $325 as I watched it for the last hour of bidding and I made it a "hail mary" bid and it came home for $355 plus freight/taxes/fees? There was only one other bid. She needs a good cleaning and a wax/polish finish which is on schedule for this weekend. A range report will come later, truly you cannot stop the 32-20 addiction with only one gun, this makes #8 (5 S&Ws and 3 Winchesters)!
Another Sock Draw S&W 32-20
- Thread starter delta-419
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A very nice purchase at an excellent price. I show two with nearby serial numbers that shipped in 1923. That year would align with the features we see.
austintexas
Member
32-20
Your right about 32-20's being an addition, I have 6, I've been looking for a 32-20 target. The last one I saw for sale was $2200. I just picked up a brown 6" 32-20. I had a K frame adjustable sight and patridge front sight in my parts stash so I decided to make me one. Revolver $200, rear sight $ 0, front sight $25 and labor ? A friend of my nephew is a machinist and amateur gun repair man. He has repaired several firearms for my nephew and he works cheap. Gun repair is a hobby with him.
SWCA 892
Your right about 32-20's being an addition, I have 6, I've been looking for a 32-20 target. The last one I saw for sale was $2200. I just picked up a brown 6" 32-20. I had a K frame adjustable sight and patridge front sight in my parts stash so I decided to make me one. Revolver $200, rear sight $ 0, front sight $25 and labor ? A friend of my nephew is a machinist and amateur gun repair man. He has repaired several firearms for my nephew and he works cheap. Gun repair is a hobby with him.
SWCA 892
I was watching that one myself. I’m glad someone on here got it. Good luck trying to keep to a couple. I’m up to 9 now 6 revolvers(4 targets) and 3 rifles. I’m working on rifle number 4 as soon as I sell a few orphans in the safe.
Cotis
Member
Excellent purchase! A 32-20 has intrigued me, but the ammo seems to be problematic. Do you reload? I do, but have read about the difficulty reloading due to paper thin case mouth. Am I overly concerned?
Any old S&W at that price is a steal - nicely done!
Ivan the Butcher
Member
I have loaded probably 12,000 32-20's. Never crushed a case. I use RCBS standard dies and spray Hornady One Shot lube. If your cases are reasonably the same length (+/- .003") You won't have a problem with the crimp bulging the thin walls.
Lyman mold #3118 is the traditional mold. Mine is the gas checked version. I have bullet sizers in .308, .309, .311, and .314. I lube two grooves with SPG which is a black powder lube but great with smokeless too. Do not load Jacketed bullets in these old revolvers and don't use "High Velocity" rifle loadings!
Over the last 35 years I have used W231, Unique & Trail Boss, I like W231 the best. Many like the Bullseye loading.
Ivan
Alk8944
US Veteran
You are overly concerned and have read too many posts by "keyboard commandos" who simply parrot the complaints of others that have never loaded this cartridge! I have been loading this for about 60 years and have rarely lost a case during loading, and when I did it was most likely my fault.
My very first "range pick-up" cases were 2 .32-20 cases, about 1948, when I was 4 years old. I probably still have them. I was thrilled to find some real ammunition items to go with my budding cap gun collection
.They were found on the south side of the Florence pumping station on Pershing Drive in Omaha, Neb, where someone had probably been shooting at floating debris on the Missouri River.Just be reasonably careful and you shouldn't have any problems with the .32-20. You will love it!
Just watch closely for squibs, for some reason there are many .32-20 revolvers with ringed (bulged) barrels, my first .32-20 has one. At one time I replaced the barrel with a NOS 4" my dad had picked up. It didn't shoot as well as the original bulged barrel, so the original barrel was returned to the gun.
Invariably someone will warn about "High Velocity Rifle loads. Well, you're extremely un-likely to see any of these since the last ones loaded were about 1960. ALL .32-20 ammunition is "rifle ammunition" since it is really, and always has been, a rifle cartridge! I believe Remington is the only one putting "Hi Speed" on its boxes. Simply stick to lead bulleted ammunition, or flat-point bullets if shooting factory, (I don't think any of the majors currently load jacketed bullets of any type). The ammunition everyone warns about is loaded with a jacketed, round-nosed hollow-point bullet. Again, you will never see any, and then only at collector prices.
And, BTW, if you take up loading this cartridge, only Remington makes (or did
) full length cases. StarLine and Winchester cases are .040" short at 1.275", full length is 1.315" Just a loading issue, doesn't affect shooting.
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You picked up a nice .32-20 M&P (1905 4th Change) at a great price! Mine (s/n 118705) is from the same time period, mid-1920s, but I paid a little more than you did a couple of years ago. The front sight inserts must have been a popular thing that they did back then...I have a copper bead instead of a nice ivory insert like yours! .32-20 ammo is problematic, mostly due to shortages because manufacturers are concentrating on more popular calibers like 9mm and 38 Spl. I do not reload, so I am at the mercy of online sellers (local gun stores do not carry .32-20). I have picked up some boxes of Cowboy Action ammo, lead RNFP (round nose, flat point). The .32-20 is a fun and accurate round to shoot, you will enjoy your revolver!
Attachments
I load 32/20-25/20- 22 Hornet on single stage press with standard RCBS dies and have never had any of the “published” trouble. I load RCBS 98 & 115gr bullet/ Unique.
I’ve had a bunch of 32/20s over the years. Win, Savage, Marlin, ect and S&W, Colt & Spanish revolvers. One thing they all have in common is their preference for cast bullets. I have boxes of jacketed bullets that I bought over 40yrs ago, that’s when I gave up and went to cast. Never hot rodded
32/20 in any gun.
I have looked at a lot of 32/20s and I have never seen a plague of ringed or bulged barrels. I do remember seeing a Spanish job ringed. I don’t know how many times I have encountered people selling a 32/20 as a 32. So if there is a bunch of ringed 32/20s I suspect it’s a function of wrong ammo or old ammo. Both of which might have caused bore obstruction, the only way it can happen.
I’ve had a bunch of 32/20s over the years. Win, Savage, Marlin, ect and S&W, Colt & Spanish revolvers. One thing they all have in common is their preference for cast bullets. I have boxes of jacketed bullets that I bought over 40yrs ago, that’s when I gave up and went to cast. Never hot rodded
32/20 in any gun.
I have looked at a lot of 32/20s and I have never seen a plague of ringed or bulged barrels. I do remember seeing a Spanish job ringed. I don’t know how many times I have encountered people selling a 32/20 as a 32. So if there is a bunch of ringed 32/20s I suspect it’s a function of wrong ammo or old ammo. Both of which might have caused bore obstruction, the only way it can happen.
OP
Reloading the 32-20
My very first lever gun was an 1892 Winchester 32-20 rifle that was being used as a window prop (before A/C) in an old farm house in the bayou state. It must have shot more black powder as the bore looked more like a shotgun than a rifle. The butt stock was on the floor and the tang screw laying next to it. That was 1961! After a good cleaning she shot true to her old sights, my 32-20 addiction was born. I have been reloading for over 30 years and the 32-20 is not that hard to reload. I agree with Ivan that W231 is the way to go and I also have a sweet spot for Bullseye. As stated above lead bullets are a "must" when loading for your S&Ws. The new High Tec (red) coated lead bullets are a new trend and will prevent leading in your revolver/rifle. Graf & Sons has the coated lead at a good price! The S&W 32-20s were very popular in the 1920s and they had the reputation of the gun that would "shoot plumb thru a man." Time to reload!
My very first lever gun was an 1892 Winchester 32-20 rifle that was being used as a window prop (before A/C) in an old farm house in the bayou state. It must have shot more black powder as the bore looked more like a shotgun than a rifle. The butt stock was on the floor and the tang screw laying next to it. That was 1961! After a good cleaning she shot true to her old sights, my 32-20 addiction was born. I have been reloading for over 30 years and the 32-20 is not that hard to reload. I agree with Ivan that W231 is the way to go and I also have a sweet spot for Bullseye. As stated above lead bullets are a "must" when loading for your S&Ws. The new High Tec (red) coated lead bullets are a new trend and will prevent leading in your revolver/rifle. Graf & Sons has the coated lead at a good price! The S&W 32-20s were very popular in the 1920s and they had the reputation of the gun that would "shoot plumb thru a man." Time to reload!
I like the cartridge too. Have 3 right now. I know where a Savage sporter is if I NEED a rifle. When I loaded my first 32-20 I crushed about 3 cases...till I figured what I was doing wrong. Since then..no problems. That I remember anyway. I have one from about the same time as the OPs. I also happened to pick up an early (1905-08) target. Probably me but I shoot the non adj sighted one better. Have a few boxes of older ammo but since I still had dies and cases I've only shot reloads. BTW at least some of the older ammo is generally anemic in my opinion. I shot an old mail box with some lead Win and at about 80 yds it wouldn't shoot through the front of the box....with either the handgun or the aforementioned Savage. Have to add... I have to look but I remember having a partial box of jacketed ammo(Remington?) and seem to think it was HPs. Got to go down in the vault.
Nice grab, Jim!
