M&P .32/20

vonmazur · #1 03-09-2021, 04:28 AM

Guys: I found this today, Serial is: 1286XX. Good bore, 5 screw with the usual numbers on the crane, barrel and cylinder. I was wondering when it was made?

Dale

DGNY · #2 03-09-2021, 08:48 AM

Someone with detailed knowledge will be along shortly to work on your question. Meantime, please accept this welcome and plan on sticking around for good conversation and much information on Smith and Wesson topics!

Only a rough guess, the stocks/grips are the type used, say, between 1920 and 1930 for factory installation. Of course they're easy to change and may be a false clue to its age. 32-20s ranged up to 144,000+ from 1915 through 1940, but yearly sales not mathematically proportional.

22hipower · #3 03-09-2021, 09:33 AM

I have SN 138956 which I show as 1928 but as DGNY noted these were shipped as late as 1940 with no attention as to which was made when. Yours was likely made in the mid 1920s but you'll need a S&W letter to know exactly when and where to it shipped. Welcome to the Forum.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Hunter Keith · #4 03-09-2021, 10:27 AM

My .32-20 WCF, Serial #122308, lettered as shipped in 1925

glowe · #5 03-09-2021, 10:42 AM

You need to show the other side? If you have a MADE IN USA stamped there, it is post 1922, but with the mushroom shaped ejector rod knob, most likely pre-1928. These guns did not sell well and inventory was high so using close serial numbers will not help one determine when a 32-20 was shipped. S&W did not log guns by manufacture date, but rather by ship date. Manufacturing dates can be best estimated by looking at all changes made in design and manufacture and comparing with known engineering change dates. I recently purchased a 32-20 Target that I was certain was manufactured very close to 1910, looking at the configuration, but found out it did not ship until 1917.

Averaging out sales, the factory only shipped out 3,500 32-20s a year on average from start (1899) to end of production (1940). Of course they were much more popular in the early years of production, than later years closer to WWII. The fastest sales period of this model was from 1910 to 1915, when 20,000 guns were shipped, or about 4,000 a year. Looking at 38 M&Ps for that same time period, almost 100,000 were shipped.

vonmazur · #6 03-10-2021, 08:37 PM

Made in USA is stamped on the right side of the frame.

vonmazur · #7 03-10-2021, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DGNY

Someone with detailed knowledge will be along shortly to work on your question. Meantime, please accept this welcome and plan on sticking around for good conversation and much information on Smith and Wesson topics!

Only a rough guess, the stocks/grips are the type used, say, between 1920 and 1930 for factory installation. Of course they're easy to change and may be a false clue to its age. 32-20s ranged up to 144,000+ from 1915 through 1940, but yearly sales not mathematically proportional.

Grips are original to the weapon, never changed.

Dale