Yesterday I made a GB purchase after watching the S&W 32-20 draw more flys then bidders. My steadfast addiction to anything 32-20 overcame my brilliant common sense and the term PROJECT GUN began blinking in red lights inside my lost mind. Since I have a vast collection of pre-war parts for same, why not! I did the research, the guys that had it answered all my questions. Bore is a bit frosty with small areas of light pitting near the muzzle, there is a B before the serial number on the barrel, all numbers match (sans the grips), timing is good. Plan A, lose the bumper planting. Have it reverse plated and polish all surfaces with #400 grit by hand only, no buffing. Lettering looks fair to good, keep it that way. Could not see a S&W logo. May have been buffed off??? I have done several S&Ws over the years, mostly N frames. I think a slow blue finish is in order. Appreciate your feedback if you have any idea the year it might have shipped, serial number is 86831.
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S&W 32-20 Project Gun Stage 1
- Thread starter delta-419
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I like 32/20's. It's one of my favorites. Have several and enjoy shooting them. If it was mine I would give it a deep cleaning & any rust abatement necessary, check for function and shoot the snot out of it. Just my opinion & worth exactly what you paid for it. YMMV 
austintexas
SWCA Member
Project
I say go for It. I did a project 32-20 about 8 months ago. I got tired of waiting for a 32-20 target to show up for sale and I picked up a brown patina 6" with a good bore, found a M-14 rear sight and patridge front sight in my junk box, and had a local gunsmith install them. Now I have a cheap 32-20 Target. I have a friend that works part time at a gunsmiths and he offered to blue It for free. I have a total of $200 for the revolver, $200 for the rear and front sight install. My friend hasn't found time for the blue yet but I'm not in a hurry
SWCA 892
PS, 4 months later a real 32-20 target popped up in the classifieds here for sale, Now I have two.
I say go for It. I did a project 32-20 about 8 months ago. I got tired of waiting for a 32-20 target to show up for sale and I picked up a brown patina 6" with a good bore, found a M-14 rear sight and patridge front sight in my junk box, and had a local gunsmith install them. Now I have a cheap 32-20 Target. I have a friend that works part time at a gunsmiths and he offered to blue It for free. I have a total of $200 for the revolver, $200 for the rear and front sight install. My friend hasn't found time for the blue yet but I'm not in a hurry
SWCA 892
PS, 4 months later a real 32-20 target popped up in the classifieds here for sale, Now I have two.
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OP
Update on 32-20
I now have hands on experience with this project 32-20. It s nowhere near needing any gunsmith work. It has been mechanically restored to 100% functional operation by the previous owner. Its like a new S&W with bubba doing a very bad nickel finish. The S&W logo on the side plate or where ever it was does not exist. As you can see in the pictures the finish is flaking all over the gun. I want to restore it (logo) to the gun but need a location and type and size of the logo. A slow rust blue finish is in the works. If you have this vintage 32-20 please post a photo that shows the logo for this serial number range (86831). I am also looking for shipping dates for 32-20s near this number, appreciate your help.
I now have hands on experience with this project 32-20. It s nowhere near needing any gunsmith work. It has been mechanically restored to 100% functional operation by the previous owner. Its like a new S&W with bubba doing a very bad nickel finish. The S&W logo on the side plate or where ever it was does not exist. As you can see in the pictures the finish is flaking all over the gun. I want to restore it (logo) to the gun but need a location and type and size of the logo. A slow rust blue finish is in the works. If you have this vintage 32-20 please post a photo that shows the logo for this serial number range (86831). I am also looking for shipping dates for 32-20s near this number, appreciate your help.
There were a few years (1917-1920) where S&W revolvers had NO logo stamp. Get a shipping date first.
There are many ways to get enjoyment out of a gun like this.
Time and effort spent as you've planned will likely be as rewarding as the outcome!
Please share your progress!
Time and effort spent as you've planned will likely be as rewarding as the outcome!
Please share your progress!
I to gave up on finding a nice 32/20 Target that wasn’t priced an arm & leg. I lucked on to one previous owners started on. It was machined for K38 rear sight and had decent reblue The front sight was a bubba job. This is third handgun I have bought with some hi quality machining only to have simple work by bubba.Anyway I made a front sight and replaced the crude piece of .059” blade that was cross pinned in with 3 pins. A bit of over kill. Anyone can file out contour of a sight but royal PIA to equally thin .10” stock to fit .059” slot.
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mine shipped October 1921 per Roy
My 32-20 WCF serial number 105093 shipped October 1921 per Roy. The cylinder heat treating started at serial number 81287 per what I've seen on this Forum and SCSW 4th so you should be good to go.
Small logo on left side frame.
Do you reload? If No where have you found ammo available lately (at any price).
My 32-20 WCF serial number 105093 shipped October 1921 per Roy. The cylinder heat treating started at serial number 81287 per what I've seen on this Forum and SCSW 4th so you should be good to go.
Small logo on left side frame.
Do you reload? If No where have you found ammo available lately (at any price).
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I don't anymore, but at last weekend's gun show a reloader I know had some hollow points loaded to cowboy velocities...He said it was once fired brass, and it looks it...I bought 100 rounds for $100...
...BenI reload mine but a gun shop in Urbana Ohio had about 10 boxes of Winchester manufacture on the shelf for $75 a box monday (better price than I've seen at the gunshows lately) when I was in there. I know they sell guns on gunbroker, might sell ammo too......... Delta Armory
mikepriwer
SWCA Member
Regarding the logo, Gary Lowe has some data that indicates that your serial number is probably in the time period when there was no logo on the gun.
Mike Priwer
Mike Priwer
Almost certain that the original configuration would be without the logo and would have had gold medallion stocks. Two examples in the 86,XXX serial number range shipped in December 1919 and January 1920, so likely manufactured in late 1919.
One observation for glenncal1. Your 56,XXX serial number indicates the revolver shipped around 1913 and would have had gold medallion stocks, not the 1920s stocks you show.
I wanted to add that there is a product on the market that does a great job removing nickel. Metal Nickel Stripper has worked for me and is available as B9 Nickel Stripper. For around $40 shipped. I used an old stainless steel pot, with a stainless screen with corners turned down to keep the parts off the bottom of the pan. Have a cheap hot plate and find that the lowest temperature setting heated the water and kept the liquid circulating. A little slow, but worth a try if you do not have an economical source of de-nickeling.
Lastly, 400 grit and rust bluing (assume that is what slow blue is) will give a satin to matte finish. Period guns had a polished blue finish.
One observation for glenncal1. Your 56,XXX serial number indicates the revolver shipped around 1913 and would have had gold medallion stocks, not the 1920s stocks you show.
I wanted to add that there is a product on the market that does a great job removing nickel. Metal Nickel Stripper has worked for me and is available as B9 Nickel Stripper. For around $40 shipped. I used an old stainless steel pot, with a stainless screen with corners turned down to keep the parts off the bottom of the pan. Have a cheap hot plate and find that the lowest temperature setting heated the water and kept the liquid circulating. A little slow, but worth a try if you do not have an economical source of de-nickeling.
Lastly, 400 grit and rust bluing (assume that is what slow blue is) will give a satin to matte finish. Period guns had a polished blue finish.
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I don't want to be a Debbie Downer but I attempted to have a nickel plated 32-20 re-nickeled. What I was not aware of was that if the original nickel is badly pitted, especially if the pits show any signs of rust extreme care must be exercised. The rustification will extend under the nickel and can look much worse than expected underneath the nickel. The revolver I had was in a similar condition as yours, excellent mechanics, pitted nickel finish. I talked with a refinisher who felt he could remove the nickel and possibly Cerracote or re blue depending on surface condition once nickel was removed. He had difficulty removing the nickel to his satisfaction, had the piece for six months or more and when finally finished I was very disappointed with the results. The poor old thing sits out in my shop in a case, just in case. I wasn't out a bunch of money on the original purchase and out of guilt the guy cut his fee radically.
OP
32-20 AMMO
I have been reloading for about 25 years now and could not have the broad spectrum of calibers that I own and shoot if I didn't. Its really simple and easy to learn this skill because it is a very repetitive task and becomes a natural rhythm after awhile. That be as it may I limit my time at the bench to about 20 minutes between pauses. I reload for calibers such as 44/40 45/70/ 25/35, 25/20/, 38/55, 32/40, .455 Webley, 45acp, 45LC, 44mag, 22 hornet and countless others.. I enjoy it as an adjunct to a hobby that expands its parameters. The history of ammo is just as important as the gun itself. So the question was asked do I reload 32-20 and the answer is yes indeed I do. If you get into it, it can be as addictive as the guns themselves. Enjoy the full extent of the hobby.
I have been reloading for about 25 years now and could not have the broad spectrum of calibers that I own and shoot if I didn't. Its really simple and easy to learn this skill because it is a very repetitive task and becomes a natural rhythm after awhile. That be as it may I limit my time at the bench to about 20 minutes between pauses. I reload for calibers such as 44/40 45/70/ 25/35, 25/20/, 38/55, 32/40, .455 Webley, 45acp, 45LC, 44mag, 22 hornet and countless others.. I enjoy it as an adjunct to a hobby that expands its parameters. The history of ammo is just as important as the gun itself. So the question was asked do I reload 32-20 and the answer is yes indeed I do. If you get into it, it can be as addictive as the guns themselves. Enjoy the full extent of the hobby.
I don't anymore, but at last weekend's gun show a reloader I know had some hollow points loaded to cowboy velocities...He said it was once fired brass, and it looks it...I bought 100 rounds for $100...
Seems like a waste to load hollow points at cowboy velocities, BUT it better than having no brass or ammo at all.
I'll probably never shoot it...I just like having it at hand when I display my guns, and folks like to argue that ammo for one of mine can't be found...I like reaching under the table and disproving their claims...
...BenThe nickel finish looks pretty good at least in the pics.
There's a good chance the metal surfaces underneath are in decent shape too,,no deep pitting, etc. that would show even with the nickel over the top.
There is a way to laboriously copper plate and then flat polish it down leaving the copper plate to build up in the pitted areas till it's level with the base metal. Then copper plate once more and then do the nickel.
That done well, will hide the pits.
So will filling the pits with the 95/5 soft solder that is tin/silver. The alloy will accept plating well and the technique is much easier than the former.
I understand that some mfg'rs used to 'save' some frames and major parts by filling voids and scars with 'braze' (brass). Same idea as above and plate over it.
It might take a bit more polishing than starting with 400g to get the surface you want.
Re-establishing edges and polishing flats, you might have to start back a couple grits, but if rust bluing, there is really no need to go much finer than 320g. That unless you can juggle the bluing technique to save the higher polish along with getting the bluing. It can be done.
Neat project!
I'm working (slowly) on a 1917 that was terribly buffed and reblued and the Military markings removed with files.
25+ hrs of polishing to get it to the point of 'what to do with it now'..
I like to use those Diamond Lap sticks for a lot of polishing. They don't load up and used with a bit of oil they cut smoothly, aggressivly & keep things flat.
There's a good chance the metal surfaces underneath are in decent shape too,,no deep pitting, etc. that would show even with the nickel over the top.
There is a way to laboriously copper plate and then flat polish it down leaving the copper plate to build up in the pitted areas till it's level with the base metal. Then copper plate once more and then do the nickel.
That done well, will hide the pits.
So will filling the pits with the 95/5 soft solder that is tin/silver. The alloy will accept plating well and the technique is much easier than the former.
I understand that some mfg'rs used to 'save' some frames and major parts by filling voids and scars with 'braze' (brass). Same idea as above and plate over it.
It might take a bit more polishing than starting with 400g to get the surface you want.
Re-establishing edges and polishing flats, you might have to start back a couple grits, but if rust bluing, there is really no need to go much finer than 320g. That unless you can juggle the bluing technique to save the higher polish along with getting the bluing. It can be done.
Neat project!
I'm working (slowly) on a 1917 that was terribly buffed and reblued and the Military markings removed with files.
25+ hrs of polishing to get it to the point of 'what to do with it now'..
I like to use those Diamond Lap sticks for a lot of polishing. They don't load up and used with a bit of oil they cut smoothly, aggressivly & keep things flat.
I was intent on doing a professional like job on the lock of a flintlock rifle I was building after I spent the money for a quality kit. I had gone to one of the large Hobby franchises and found some terrific 100-200-300-400 grit sanding blocks, not like those usually associated with wood finishing these were only about 1/4" square by 3-4" long, two sides coated with abrasive glued to a stiff Styrofoam type art board. They allowed me to keep the flats from rounding and only required minimal pressure from above with fingertips to get into trouble areas. They allowed me to remove all the casting marks with ease and truly were amazing. The also produce sanding sticks that have the abrasive covering a plastic stick, these were great at inside curves of the cocking mechansim and around anything not straight, again they were available in very fine grits.
As much as I don't like doing business with these huge franchises their "model" airplane, train and plastic kit area was very large and opened vistas where I was having problems finding fine wire to build springs, etc.
As much as I don't like doing business with these huge franchises their "model" airplane, train and plastic kit area was very large and opened vistas where I was having problems finding fine wire to build springs, etc.
