Colt New Army 32/20

[raylesworth]

Who can tell me about Colt New Army .........32-20, a direct competitor to the S&W 32-20 series?

 

[Muley Gil]

Who can tell me about Colt New Army .........32-20, a direct competitor to the S&W 32-20 series?

Are you talking about the Colt Army Special, that later became the Official Police?

The New Army was chambered in .38 and .41.

 

[DWalt]

I believe you are referring to the Colt Army Special, which was available chambered in .32-20. It was the immediate predecessor to the Colt Official Police model. There is very little difference between the Army Special and the Official Police beyond the model name. I have a very nice .32-20 Colt Army Special. Not often seen.

 

[rockquarry]

I had an Army Special .32-20 with 5" barrel made in the late 1920s just before the name change. In pristine condition, I was disappointed in that I could never get it shoot with any degree of accuracy using several cast bullet designs, powders, and different bullet diameters. Never found the problem, but I think my situation was the exception and certainly not the rule. I'd buy another if I found a nice one.

 

[glenncal1]

The Army Special is very similar to the K-frame Smith's in .32-20. Good guns, Colt triggers which are a little than a S&W in D/A. IMHO .32-20 is a great caliber, it has gotten difficult to find and pricey when you do. I don't think Colt ever produced a .32-20 target revolver like S&W did.

 

[raylesworth]

Thanks for the correction, yes Army special, sorry. I should never speak or write without checking . The one in my care was my Grandmother's, and sat next to her bible (reading every evening) and a claw hammer on top of the closed bible. Not a good place to break in, or steal gas from on our farm back in the day! The S&W H E's in 32-20 were a separate range, was this also true of the Army Special, and if any other calibers (presuming 38 spl for example) were made in this gun. Mine is 6" blue #3410XX. Was this serial number part of a bigger series?

 

[pawncop]

Not to hijack the thread, I have a Colt Official Police from 1937 in 32-20. It is a fixed sight revolver and is a tack driver. 5 inch barrel and a joy to shoot. As others have mentioned, ammunition is scarce and pricey.

 

[Buford57]

My recollection is that the Army Special did not have separate SN runs by caliber and the standard calibers were .32-20, .38 Special and .41 Long Colt.

 

[Muley Gil]

I also have a 5" Colt OP in .32-20. I shoot it better than my S&Ws in .32-20, due to the better sights.

Plus, I have a 4" Police Positive Special .32-20. It is another good shooter.

 

[Bob Smalser]

The high density of long barreled 32-20 Smith and Colt revolvers favored by ranch hands and foresters early in the last century is related to the western grouse habit of flushing into the trees then turning to look down at you. Author Norman Maclean describes this in his western novels. These revolvers weren't about bad men or rampaging animals. They were about dinner. Smith Model 1905 4th Change ca1917.

 

[KenTheHunter]

Who can tell me about Colt New Army .........32-20, a direct competitor to the S&W 32-20 series?

Do you mean, a Colt Army Special ?

 

[robertrwalsh]

I also have one in 32-20, blue, 4". It shoots far better than I can hold. Every now and then I load up a batch and take it out for some exercise.

 

[DWalt]

I can’t say anything about how well my .32-20 Army Special shoots, as I have fired it only a few times. It is in very high condition so it remains a safe Queen. The Colt Officers Model revolvers (several variations) were the target sight versions of the Army Special, and later, Official Police, revolvers, and were made only in .22 and .38 Special, none in .32-20. The Colt Police Positive Special and the Single Action Army revolvers were also available chambered in .32-20. I believe there were more .32-20 Bisleys made than in any other caliber. Colt’s fondness for the .32-20 greatly exceeded S&Ws.

 

[Warren Sear]

For those interested, I have this Colt Police Positive Special made in 1911, caliber 32-20 WCF. The finish is a little worn, but the gun is in great condition otherwise and shoots great.

 

[glenncal1]

I can’t say anything about how well my .32-20 Army Special shoots, as I have fired it only a few times. It is in very high condition so it remains a safe Queen. The Colt Officers Model revolvers (several variations) were the target sight versions of the Army Special, and later, Official Police, revolvers, and were made only in .22 and .38 Special, none in .32-20.

The Officer's Model was also made in .32, and like the K-32 is the rarest and now commands the highest price of all the calibers. Especially if you can find the hen's tooth 7.5" barrel model.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Skeeter Skelton wrote of a cowboy he called "Print Reed" who carried a 32-20-"Don't kick as much as a 38." Skeeter also had a Colt SAA in 32-20, said the one time he fired "rifles only/high velocity" ammunition it kicked too much, didn't hit where it was aimed.

 

[DWalt]

The Officer's Model was also made in .32, and like the K-32 is the rarest and now commands the highest price of all the calibers. Especially if you can find the hen's tooth 7.5" barrel model.

Indeed, a few of the pre-WWII Officers Models were available chambered in .32 New Police. But not .32-20.

 

[Outpost75]

This .32-20 OP is one of my most used guns on the farm. I load 3.5 grains of Bullseye with Accurate 31-105T and use the same load in my Savage 23 boltgun.

 

[hkcavalier]

The high density of long barreled 32-20 Smith and Colt revolvers favored by ranch hands and foresters early in the last century is related to the western grouse habit of flushing into the trees then turning to look down at you. Author Norman Maclean describes this in his western novels. These revolvers weren't about bad men or rampaging animals. They were about dinner. Smith Model 1905 4th Change ca1917.

This definitely checks out from what I've seen of the guns that come available. There are plenty of "sock drawer" .38s and I've owned a couple M&Ps like that, but very few .32-20s. Most seem to have lived a rough life out-of-doors and performed double duty as a tack hammer or lug nut loosener (I kid...slightly). I'd like to run across a high-condition shooter M&P Target in the caliber, but I may be waiting a decade or two for one to appear.

 

[glenncal1]

HK they are out there, but high condition guns are $$$. Mine is not high condition but a fun shooter.