King Super Target in 32-20

[bengal fan]

I know there is a few people on this forum who love King modified guns as much as I do. So since I recently won this one I thought I'd post some pictures of my new gun.
It is a 1905 Super Target in 32-20 , Serial # 1276xx. (Any help with dating it would be appreciated) It came with a nice set of Ropers that feel great in my hand. This is my first set of his grips I have owned and hope it's not the last!
I have also never owned a 32-20 and I'm really looking forward to shooting this one. I have found 3 boxes of ammo locally so I'll give a range report soon.
I have been researching King modified guns in 32-20 and have only found two others online. If anyone has any info or pictures of there King 32-20 I would love to see them.
Thanks for looking! The last picture is of all my King guns in my humble collection. Please excuse the brand X in the back ground
Paul

Paul
SWCA 2864

 

[JohnRippert]

Oh, I like that. Would love to try that out at 50yd. I expect that .32-20 is a nice flat shooter.

 

[cbjordan76]

Very nice! I'm jealous. .. can't wait to hear how she shoots!

 

[Widetrack]

Very nice! I've been thinking of commissioning someone to build some repo Ropers for the Colt Super Target I recently found, or perhaps some FDL's. Maybe both if I can find the extra moola

 

[DCWilson]

Sometimes you see a revolver configuration that challenges preconceptions, and this one sure does. I suppose I'm not the only person here who has allowed himself to make the hasty judgment that the .32 Long is the accurate .32 cartridge whereas the .32-20 is the powerful .32 cartridge. So seeing a .32-20 tricked out as if for competition shooting is an eye-opener. I may never have seen a Super Target Rib on a .32-20 before. I am now alerted to the possibility that a few may in fact exist: Great news!

Other .32-20s with serial numbers not far from yours were being shipped in 1925 and 1926. Your gun has the mushroom ejector knob, so that suggests it was assembled no later than 1927. Since .32-20 sales basically collapsed during the Great Depression, the conventional wisdom is that the company ceased new production and sold off excess inventory between about 1930 and 1940, when the model was retired. If your gun was not out of the house by 1928 or 1929, there is at least a chance it might not have been shipped until some time deep in the '30s.

But that's speculation; in the absence of a letter, I'd think 1926 would be a reasonable estimate.

Did King make trigger shoes? That one feature feels like a postwar addition to me.

 

[DWalt]

On my list I have one .32-20 having a SN which is slightly lower than yours which shipped in 1924, and one SN slightly higher which shipped in 1926. The mushroom extractor rod knob would be consistent with that period. As stated, actual production of the .32-20s apparently ceased around 1929-30, and later shipments, up until about 1940, were either guns already in finished product inventory or those which were assembled later from components remaining in parts inventory. For example I also list one having a SN close to yours which shipped in 1935. I believe it would be worthwhile to obtain a factory letter. It could be interesting.

You have a very striking revolver and I suspect there are very few which are anything close to it around. I have never attempted to do any serious load development to find out just how well the .32-20 can be made to group in any of my own .32-20 revolvers, but I suspect that with the correct load it can be made to perform as well as any other caliber and revolver. If you plan to shoot yours much, becoming a reloader for it is nearly essential.

 

[bengal fan]

David, As always thanks for your expertise!
I will probably letter this gun to see if it was sent directly to King from the factory. When I received the gun I immediately tried to remove the trigger shoe because I don't care for the looks of it. However, I couldn't remove the set screws. I will have to say the feeling of the shoe is definitely growing on me. There is no marking on the shoe, but I would be surprised if it was a King accessory.

 

[Modified]

Did King make trigger shoes? That one feature feels like a postwar addition to me.

I have seen King marked trigger shoes. They are pretty easy to ID though being as King is stamped boldly on the side.

I'll have to poke through the catalog again and see if I can figure out where they are in there.

 

[RKmesa]

Paul:

Great Super Target Collection!!! I too think that that is the 1st one that I have seen in 32/20. Only .22LR and .38 SPL in my Super Target collection.





Congrats and thanks for sharing,

 

[boykinlp]

bengal fan - Looks like you hit a home run to me! I own a K22 Outdoorsman with the King Super Target Rib. Most that I have seen have the colored bead with reflector combination front sight on them. Your is a combination that I don't remember seeing before (fading memory and all). It appears to me to have a King Super-Police Night Sight with reflector combination front sight with the corresponding white outlined "U"notch rear sight. I think that is really cool!! I have seen a decent amount of the Super-Police sights on guns without the STR, just never seen them on the STR.

Some of the more advanced King collectors can tell you if they are rare or not. Thanks for the pictures. BTW, the grips are fantastic too.

Edit: Thanks for the correction Kris. No King Super-Police sight involved here.

 

[410bore]

Very nice Super Target Paul. I'm really liking the Ropers.

Boykinlp,

The gun has a gold bead front sight, but it's not the type used on a super police conversion.

 

[JSW]

Very nice! Gotta love those King conversions!

 

[Mike McLellan]

That's beautiful! I'm a .32-20 fan, and I have a few of them, but nothing compares with that beauty. Very, very nice.

 

[jsfricks]

Paul,
Great gun! I was watching that and almost bid but I figured you wanted it more than me and it was probably more than I could spend. Plus I hated to run your bid up since I knew it was out of my price range. Enjoy that one!