32-20 Hand ejector

L

Luckylineman1970

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2022
Messages
13
Reaction score
5
Hello all & thanks for having me as a new user
I have a 32-20 hand ejector that I found in my dads machine shop, disassembled and with patches of pitting.
I am looking a source for a good drawing of the pistol as it seems to be missing a few internals most notably the mainspring & crane retaining ring.
Serial# appears to be 132665 help with approximate dating would be greatly appreciated.
The bore is good and I would like to make it back shootable then parkerize it or ceracoat or something similar to make a backpacking gun.
Any thoughts, ideas or advice from S&W experts such as yourselves would be listened to carefully
I'm no stranger to firearms & working on my own I'm just not very experienced with S&W revolvers


Many thanks in advance


I'll post a few pictures in a few
 
Register to hide this ad
There shouldn't be much difficulty in finding the parts needed, as they are mostly the same as used in most S&W K-frame revolvers made until the mid-late 1940s. I am not sure what a crane retaining ring is.

Your M&P's SN indicates that it likely shipped around 1926-27. That is close to the end of .32-20 M&P production at around SN 144000 in the late 1920s.

In case you are unaware, .32-20 ammunition is not the easiest to find even in normal times, let alone today, and will be expensive if you find any. I would discourage spending much to refinish it, unless you can do it yourself. Using some good cold blue is about as far as I would personally go.
 
Last edited:
32-20

Thanks for the replies. The assembly numbers do not match on crane & yoke & since the crane will slide out and come off when the revolver is opened I assumed that there was a snap ring of some sort that went in the groove at the end of the crane rod
If I’m not using proper terminology for the parts it’s from ignorance of S&W revolvers.
 
Luckylineman1970 said:
Thanks for the replies. The assembly numbers do not match on crane & yoke & since the crane will slide out and come off when the revolver is opened I assumed that there was a snap ring of some sort that went in the groove at the end of the crane rod
If I’m not using proper terminology for the parts it’s from ignorance of S&W revolvers.
Click to expand...

A screw through the front of the sideplate secures the yoke. No snap ring.
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the forum.

Crane is a Colt part name. On a S&W it’s a yoke. It does not have a retaining ring, it’s retained by the front side plate screw which is fitted to the groove you’re referring to.
 
The front screw on the right side not only holds the side plate down but also retains the cylinder. Those side screws mostly look the same from the outside -- but they are not. The front screw is longer and slightly different, and specifically intended for that hole. Often, someone will disassemble a revolver and replace the screws in the wrong holes upon reassembly, leaving the cylinder and yoke free to slide forward when the cylinder is swung out.

Remove the side screws and compare them. The correct one may be there, but in the wrong hole.
 
Yes, the front sideplate screw has the same thread size as the other sideplate screws, except there is a protrusion in the end which goes into the groove on the yoke shaft. If you get a new screw, it may need to be filed down little by little so that it does not contact the yoke shaft inside the groove when tightened. A caution, the sideplate screws used on new guns are not the same as used on older ones. You might check on eBay for parts.
 
Last edited:
DWalt said:
Your M&P's SN indicates that it likely shipped around 1926-27.
Click to expand...
DWalt is correct, but .32-20 ship dates are quite jumbled up in that period.

I show the following:

131452 shipped in April, 1930
132446 shipped in August, 1927
136670 shipped in June, 1927

Only a letter from the SWHF can tell you for certain when your revolver left the factory.
 
Lots of helpful info here
All of the side plate screws are Missing as well
In reference to the availability of ammunition
As long as there is a source for brass I can roll
My own so to speak.
What is all of your opinions on refinishing it for
An outdoor revolver? The surface pitting would be
Too much to remove for a decent reblue but not
So much as beadblasting & parkerizng could
Conceal it. Not sure about the thickness of cera-
Coating interfering with tolerances
I took a few photos but having trouble with posting
Them,
 
Refinishing. Personally, I prefer blue but with pitting etc. sometimetime a hard chrome (not bumper chrome) is a good option.

The easiest way to cover pitting is to engrave the piece. Not cheap but most of the pitting is chiseled away. For a woods loafing revolver, blue or hard chrome. Not fond of parkerizing or that paint stuff.

Kevin
 
One last question
I just ordered Jerry Kunhausens
S x W book, can’t wait for it to get here
Would this revolver be considered a first change?
 
Last edited:
DWalt said:
Yes, the front sideplate screw has the same thread size as the other sideplate screws, except there is a protrusion in the end which goes into the groove on the yoke shaft. If you get a new screw, it may need to be filed down little by little so that it does not contact the yoke shaft inside the groove when tightened. A caution, the sideplate screws used on new guns are not the same as used on older ones. You might check on eBay for parts.
Click to expand...

I just found what appears to be all of the internals including hammer, trigger, side plate screws all of it on eBay
Advertised as 1902 hand ejector 32-20
But it says for 1st change,and the back side of the side plate
Is not the same
Is this one of the change variations? Will the other parts interchange?
 
Luckylineman1970 said:
In reference to the availability of ammunition
As long as there is a source for brass I can roll
My own so to speak.
Click to expand...

Brass and lead bullets (.312-.314) are somewhat easier to come by than loaded ammunition. Of course you will need .32-20 dies. Lee dies are good. Most everyone who shoots .32-20 rifles or handguns in any quantity will reload.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

kscharlie
.32-20 Hand Ejector Model of 1905-4th Change
Replies
9
Views
677
SS336
S
jsfricks
S&W 32-20 Hand Ejector Model of 1905 Fourth Change 5”
Replies
6
Views
660
DWalt
DWalt
D
32-20 info please
2
Replies
24
Views
630
Swissfan
S
B
32/20 Hand Ejector
Replies
10
Views
716
brskeoch
B
E
32-20 Hand Ejector & Nickel Model 15
Replies
0
Views
187
Eddietruett
E

Latest posts

Back
Top