Help with gun ID and value

[tnvol44]

Ok,this is a nickel plated,5 screw,32 wcf,fixed sight gun.The serial number is 1068**,the grips have no pencil mark but are marked like they were punched somehow,see pic,the barrel is 5 inches long.The patent dates are oct 8 01,dec17,01,feb 8 06sept 14 09,dec29,14.The gun locks up nice and tight,nickel is very decent with no flaking.It appears to be a second model hand ejector to me but that is why I am here for advise.I would like to know the value of this gun.Thanks in advance for any knowledge shared on this fine firearm.

 

[gunnails]

Not an expert here, but the grips are not original, they are stamped with another guns serial #.

Odds are the gun has been refinished, and the front sight looks to have been widdled down.

Ammo is available on line, and it looks to be a nice shooter.

How did you come by it?

And thanks for the pictures, I always enjoy seeing these old beauties.

 

[tnvol44]

I really don't think this gun has been refinished,all lettering is crisp and clear,the hammer and trigger still have a case hardened look and have not been plated,pretty sure this is an original finish.I agree the grips are not correct,these are the first pair I have seen not penciled.I am by no means an expert but the pins have not been ground they retain the slightly protruding stance and the shadowing in the lettering looks correct,it's hard to get a good picture with my phones camera of nickel or stainless and the lighting was not very good.I came about this gun in a local trade with a fellow wheel gun nut.

 

[JP@AK]

I don't see clear signs of a refinish. This gun was probably made between 1922 and 1928 or so. The old style extractor rod knob doesn't necessarily point to pre-mid-year 1927 like it would on a .38 Special, since we have seen them on later .32-20s too often. However, the serial number likely points to about the mid-1920s. Production ended at 144684 in 1929 or 1930.
The stocks are definitely much later than the gun - 1968 or later.

 

[JP@AK]

the first pair I have seen not penciled.

The practice of using a pencil to record the serial number on the stocks ceased sometime around 1930. After that the number was impressed into the wood of the right side panel. That practice went away in the late 1970s if I remember correctly.

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

What you got there is a nice old .32-20 Hand Ejector model of 1905, fourth change. It has the one line "made in USA" stamp which puts it manufacture date after 1921 or so. Most likely was made well before 1930. Stocks are from much later, post 1968. These models are sometimes incorrectly referred to as 32-20 M&P. They are serial numbered in a separate range than the 1905 M&P of 38 special fame. Thus your mistaken ID of it being a second model. The front sight looks fine to me. The 32-20 HE front sight has a lower profile than the 38 special versions.
AFA value goes, I would estimate it at around $300, though asking prices can vary wildly. I've seen beat up old examples with $500 price tags on them at many gun shows. In fact i see them over and over again. And I've seen very nice examples sell on Gunbroker for not much more.
I've bought two over the past 5 years that were finish challenged but good shooters and paid less than $150 each.

Correct period stocks are the non medallion type as seen on this old 32-20 of mine.



I like to shoot both of my 32-20 often, and I reload and cast my own bullets to feed them, otherwise I'd go broke. I think that's the big reason I got them both so cheaply. The average Joe isn't interested in a so so looking gun that uses expensive and hard to find ammo.

John

 

[tnvol44]

Could you tell me what gun these stocks belong to?Just curious

 

[glowe]

Gun was shipped in 1922, but there are several things that tell me the 32-20 HE was either refinished or we are looking at bare steel. Everything has signs of extensive wear, the stampings look weak, the knurling on the ejector rod knob looks worn. The edges of the revolver are rounded and not sharp as in an original gun. There may be original nickel on the flats that are blended to steel near the edges, but the pictures are a little fuzzy.

Those stocks are quite late as they do not have the diamond around the stock screw. There may be a letter in combination with the number stamped elsewhere on the stock that would give us more of a clue as to what they were on originally??

I would say that gun is worth around $250 if it is as worn as I am suspecting, but more if totally original nickel. I paid $200 for the last 32-20 I bought and made it a respectable range gun. It has a scarce 6 1/2" barrel and shoots great. Before and after pictures below.

 

[Muley Gil]

Is the ejector star blue or nickel? Original finish is blue. Look at the serial number stamped under the barrel. Blue revolvers of that era had a "B" stamped ahead of the SN. Factory nickel has no marking.

I've owned a number of .32-20s over the years. They are great little guns.

 

[DCWilson]

Could you tell me what gun these stocks belong to?Just curious

Can't tell you a specific model, but you might expect to see them on any K-frame revolver (mid-size) made after 1968. Note that they are for a square-butt frame, but have a rounded side contour at the bottom. These are called PC stocks or PC magnas, and the story is that the abbreviation stands for "plain clothes" since the rounded grips wouldn't print through a sport coat as obviously when belt carried by a non-uniformed officer. There's also another name that I always forget. These stocks first appeared in the 1950s on guns with shorter barrels but later can be found on service models with longer barrels as well. There's no real reason to have them on a target model except maybe personal preference.

 

[Muley Gil]

"There's also another name that I always forget."

Modified Magnas. I forget too, most of the time.

 

[tnvol44]

The ejector star is blued and there is no letter prefix in the serial number and no there is not bare metal anywhere on this revolver,now it is somewhat dirty and my crappy camera may be causing some lighting issues,took the gun to a reputable smith today and he says it's factory nickel without a doubt no re-plate.This guy has been a smith for forty seven years so I will take what he says as fact.Should I polish this gun up or leave it as is,I was thinking about taking some mothers wheel polish and hand rubbing it,any suggestion?

 

[murphydog]

There should be no problem in using a light abrasive by hand for polishing. Note the black stuff that comes off is the nickel plating, so start easy and progress as needed.

The stocks are likely from a fixed sight K frame (model 10, 13) from 1975, so much later than the gun. Hope this is helpful.

 

[tnvol44]

Thanks

Thanks to all members for the valuable information,looks like I will keep this gun after all and just enjoy shooting it.I enjoy trading guns and buying,selling them.With gun prices the way they are today,I just don't understand why a Smith in 32-20 brings less money than a rossi or taurus in .38.As for me,I'll take the 32-20 smith any day before I would give more for a rossi or taurus in a sub magnum caliber.Thanks once again for all the help,this is as fine a group as I have had the pleasure of being in,have a nice day.

 

[murphydog]

"With gun prices the way they are today, I just don't understand why a Smith in 32-20 brings less money than a rossi or taurus in .38."

Part of it is the chambering (ammo is hard to find and relatively expensive), and part the "new is better" attitude. Producing a revolver the way your .32/20 was made today would be very expensive - forged parts, hand polished and fitted, etc. Some just don't get it but you do .

 

[DWalt]

Regarding proper nomenclature, S&W would have called it a Military and Police (M&P) model in .32-20. There has been considerable discussion here as to whether the K-frame .32-20 "deserves" to be called an M&P, and the consensus is that it does, especially because that's what S&W listed it as being in their 1920s catalogs. S&W ceased using the "Model of 1905" (4th Change) terminology for K-frame revolvers prior to WWI, but some collectors continue to use it to describe all K-frame S&Ws made from 1915 until WWII. That is not incorrect, as there were very few engineering changes made in these revolvers from 1915 through 1941 (actually through 1944, although wartime production was simplified).

In my SN list I have 1067xx as shipping on 4/21/22. If yours is original nickel, I'd say that $300-$350 is a reasonable price. I passed up nickeled one pretty much like yours in age and condition (except it did have its original grips) a month or so ago that was priced at $350, and the seller could have probably been talked down some had I attempted, which I didn't. But I thought about it.

Due to the availability and expense problems associated with factory .32-20 ammunition, if you plan to shoot much, you should consider reloading.

 

[DWalt]

I was wondering if some one can help me identify this gun it is a 5 screw 38 special,hand ejector,4" barrel,fixed sights,
serial # 465xxx. and I am trying to figure out how to post a picture

Why don't you start a new posting? That's the correct way to do it without hijacking another thread.

 

[tnvol44]

Thanks everyone,your help is much appreciated and I am glad to be part of this fine bunch of people.

 

[racr1]

Why don't you start a new posting? That's the correct way to do it without hijacking another thread.

My apologies! I thought I started a new thread, but it looks like I replied on accident. I deleted my reply and corrected my error.