Been reading and enjoying these forums for a few months and decided to join today after getting my letter from S&W about a revolver I inherited from my father. He got it from his father, so I figured it was old, but I didn't know it would turn out to be 90 years old. And it still shoots pretty good!

At any rate, thought I say hello and share this .32/20. It was shipped to Schoverling Daly and Gale Co. of New York City in 1921, according to the letter. I just find that amazing.

I've been shooting Remington ammo, but am thinking of switching to some cowboy loads to try to calm things down a bit. The only handgun I shoot regularly is a .22, so this thing feels a little "hot". Any suggestions?

Take up reloading. Only way to save money and tailor your loads to any level you desire.

Welcome to the forum! Thank you for posting your family heirloom. I think many of us have been amazed to discover how old a familiar revolver can actually be.

You can shoot modern ammo in your revolver unless he box is marked "For Rifles" or something like that. The rifle loads for .32-20 are too hot for these early revolvers. I have shot cowboy action loads in my .32-20 and find that the gun handles them well and offers a great shooting experience. I understand why the experience might seem stout compared to shooting a .22, but there is nothing wrong. The .32-20, even in a load developed for a revolver, is a fairly fast .32 round and makes a bit of noise.

You probably know or suspect that the stocks on your gun are replacements. These are Jay Scott grips manufactured after WWII. The revolver was also refinished with a new nickel surface at some point. The evidence for this is the nickeled hammer and trigger. S&W never nickeled or blued these parts on production revolvers, allowing them to show the streaky colors you get from a case hardening process.

It is a pleasure and wonderful responsibility to be the current caretaker of a family firearm. My parents were not gun people, and the only inherited pistol I have is a small Colt semiauto that belonged to one of my uncles. I can imagine what a connection you feel to the past when you shoot your grandfather's revolver.

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David Wilson

DSM34, One of the fun things about having a 32-20 is the little extra zing. The K frame 32-20 has some left over metal from shrinking the cylinder hole and barrel hole to a 32 cal. so it will handle the newer pistol loads. I shot the Remington in mine before I got enough brass to reload them.
As David said, it is a pleasure to have the old family guns. I have my Dad's pistol and even though my brother has my Dad's Browning patient Remington "Speedmaster" .22, I was able to find one of them at a local gun show several years ago and get the same warm fuzzy from shooting it as if it were the original.
Welcome to the Forum and enjoy your pistol and the memories.
Larry

Thanks for sharing these thoughts and observations. I thought the revolver might have been re-nickeled at some point (it's flaking off in places) but didn't realize that the hammer and trigger were originally case hardened. I've been very lucky and inherited from a couple in-law relatives too, a benefit of being in the one household out of five in my generation that's not anti-gun.