grandpa's .32

[aqualung71]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and i have some questions about my grandpa's old .32 that was just handed down to me. Any info on this gun would be greatly appreciated. My specific questions are: where do i locate a serial number and when was it made?....thanks in advance!

 

[aqualung71]

oh, one more thing, on the barrel, it says " 32 winchester ctg"

 

[dewey]

SN on butt,sir.Dan

 

[DCWilson]

Welcome to the forum. That's a .32-20 Military & Police Model of 1905. This model was sold by the company through the 1930s, but its heyday was in the 'aughts, 'teens and 'twenties. The serial number can be seen on the butt of the gun, the rear face of the cylinder, and the flat underside of the barrel. For this model it should be a number below about 144,000. I'm guessing from small features that this gun was made between 1915 and 1930. With the serial number we could narrow that down.

Your grandfather's gun has been much modified -- barrel shortened and a basic replacement sight installed, hammer bobbed (or maybe just broken in a fall), and original service stocks replaced by aftermarket synthetic stocks that are probably from the '50s or '60s. It is worth far more as a piece of family history connecting you to your grandfather than it is as a market item.

If the action is sound and tight, you could shoot modern .32-20 ammo in it. But if you find old ammo labeled "for rifles" or something like that, don't shoot it. The rifle loadings are too hot for the Colt and S&W revolvers that chamber .32-20. Modern loadings (expensive when you find the ammo) are for handguns.

 

[bettis1]

Post deleted. I missed the caliber post that id'ed it as an M&P.

David is correct.

Bob

 

[mikepriwer]

The top of the barrel looks like some kind of a rib. Is that what I am
seeing, or is it an artifact of the photo ?

Mike Priwer

 

[aqualung71]

Great! thanks for all the great info guys!.....aftermarket grips were hiding the serial #, it is: 27182. and yes the hammer was broken off. It doesn't lock up very tight, the lock on the ejector rod just barely engages. As you can see it's pretty rough, but i'm thinking of repairing/restoring it for the family heirloom aspect as well as i'm just a sucker for old, obsolete, or rare guns/calibers.

 

[kennyb]

aqua...welcome to the forum...lots of fun and information here!

 

[DCWilson]

Aqualung, that serial number puts your grandfather's gun somewhere around 1907-1908.

If a gun seems loose, one of the things that can be of benefit is a good cleaning. You may have some grime stuck in the housing for the front locking lug that keeps the plunger there from completely engaging the end of the ejector rod. Drizzle some penetrating oil in there and let it sit, then blow it out with canned or compressed air. Repeat a couple of times until oil comes out clean. Do the same thing to the lockwork with the grips removed. If you are comfortable taking the action out of the gun completely, that's the best way to clean it up internally. But if you don't want to do that, just soak down the action, let it sit, blow it out, and repeat a couple of times.

Also run some oil down the shaft through the cylinder from both ends.

 

[bettis1]

Aqualung,
Part of the "lock up"problem may very well be the accumulation of 100+ yrs of dried crud. One of the fastest ways to remove the debris is to stop by your local auto supply store and get an aerosol can of brake cleaner. Then, in a well ventilated area and wearing safety glasses, remove the grips and give the gun a thorough soaking with the cleaner. After it is thoroughly clean be sure to well lubricate it because all oil will have been removed.

Other than possibly looking for the proper grips and a replacement hammer, I would encourage you NOT to take the restoration much further. Refinishing would be a negative effort.

Bob

 

[aqualung71]

Aqualung, that serial number puts your grandfather's gun somewhere around 1907-1908.

If a gun seems loose, one of the things that can be of benefit is a good cleaning. You may have some grime stuck in the housing for the front locking lug that keeps the plunger there from completely engaging the end of the ejector rod. Drizzle some penetrating oil in there and let it sit, then blow it out with canned or compressed air. Repeat a couple of times until oil comes out clean. Do the same thing to the lockwork with the grips removed. If you are comfortable taking the action out of the gun completely, that's the best way to clean it up internally. But if you don't want to do that, just soak down the action, let it sit, blow it out, and repeat a couple of times.

Also run some oil down the shaft through the cylinder from both ends.

I really appreciate the great info!! thanks DC! I am pretty comfortable with the proposition of taking it apart and thoroughly cleaning it, i don't have any experience with revolvers but have built a couple AR-15's for myself, and tinkered around with a few other guns....pretty excited about getting into this one.

 

[smith17]

It would look good displayed in a shadow box as it is. Maybe with an old box of .32 Winchester next to it.

 

[aqualung71]

Once again, thanks for all the great info. I like the idea of keeping it somewhat authentic and putting it in a display box with some old ammo.......that would be very cool. Bob, after cleaning everything from M-4's to M-2's for 21 years, i've been known to use a little brake cleaner from time to time......great advice!

 

[bettis1]

aqualung71,

If you aren't familiar with the inner workings of the Smith revolver and you want to replace the hammer you might pick up one of the following Shop Manuals.

The easiest to find is: The S&W Revolver by Jerry Kuhnhausen.

And as an Army guy, you might find: TM 9-1005-206-14&P-1 REVOLVER, CALIBER .38 SPECIAL: SMITH AND WESSON MILITARY AND POLICE, M10 (Note: that Technical Manual also covers the Ruger Service Six, M108)

Bob