Newby

[bbbjim]

Hi, first post and looking to become a S & W owner. Got my eye on a hand ejector, serial #101101 (love serial numbers that are palindromes), fixed sights, 32 wcf ctg, oops didn't measure the barrel. Wondering the year it was made? Hardened cylinder?
Just got Kuhnhausens S & W book and waiting on the standard catalog.
Thanks, Jim
If I buy it, you will see a picture!

 

[DCWilson]

Welcome to the forum. You are looking at a .32-20 (or .32 WCF) Military & Police (or Model of 1905) from about 1922. By that year the parts were hardened to a degree that modern shooters consider reliably tough.

Looking forward to the pics.

 

[Hondo44]

Welcome aboard Jim!

Congrats on a potential S&W.

Yes, as David posted:
• Heat treated cylinders ordered for all models by early 1920s. There are approximate serial #s by model.
I frames: .22/32 & .32 by c. #321000, .38 S&Ws by c. #20000, and
K frames: .38 Special by # 316648, .32-20 by # 81287.

If it's not too late, you may want to hold off on the SCSW until the 4th ed. planned for later this spring.

 

[bbbjim]

Thanks for the quick answers. I'm going to like it here. Jim

 

[JP@AK]

Heat treated cylinders ordered for all models by early 1920s.

Yes. And to be more specific, floor supervisor notes show the first .38 M&P received cylinder heat treatment in September, 1919. Whether all of them had it after that time is an open question. It would not be surprising if we learned that some with numbers higher than 316648 did not get it, but certainly by 1920 the K frames all had heat treated cylinders. We usually presume that revolvers above 316648 have heat treated cylinders, but I'm not sure we can be positive about that.

Note: for the .32-20, the serial number for heat treatment on the cylinder is 81287, also in September, 1919.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Welcome aboard.

Get ready for a fun addiction.

 

[DWalt]

To help date yours, the closest SN for one on my list is 1086xx which shipped in 6/22. Yours is probably close to that date. The ".32 W.C.F." caliber stamping on the barrel was changed to ".32-20" about that time. You may or may not be aware that .32-20 ammunition, while still made, is not the easiest to locate, and it can be quite expensive. Most of those who use .32-20 rifles and revolvers much will load their own to circumvent the logistics difficulties. Back in the day, the M&P in .32-20 was not nearly as popular in .32-20 as was the same revolver in .38 Special. S&W ceased .32-20 revolver production in the late 1920s. S&W's .32-20 SNs stopped around 145,000 (they were numbered in a separate series from those M&Ps in .38 Special).

At one time, there was a high-velocity .32-20 loading made for use in rifles only, which is not recommended for use in revolvers. You are highly unlikely to find any of that on dealers' shelves. It now is purely a collector's item as it has not been manufactured for over 50 years. Any newly manufactured .32-20 ammo you find today will be perfectly OK to use in your revolver, even if the box says "Rifle" on it.

 

[S&W Oldtimer]

Welcome from Va.

 

[bbbjim]

Here is a pic. Will look much better once she's cleaned up. All the serial numbers match including the pencil under the right grip. As you can see from the pic, the cartridge designation is 32 W.C.F. Very pleased with my buy. I also have two Colt SAA (one a Bisley) and a Winchester model 53 in 32 WCF. My square deal B won't load the necked case, but I purchased a single stage press, starline brass , lead and I'm ready to go. My problem is finding a place in my shop to mount the press. My shop seemed HUGE a few years ago. Anybody else have that problem? Jim

 

[Chukar60]

Congratulations on the gun!! Welcome to the forum and the slippery slope. That is a great introduction.

 

[bbbjim]

How's this for a pretty picture? Waiting for the Brownells rebound slide spring tool. Amazing machining, especially the pins that are screwed into tapped holes in the frame. Jim

 

[MCorps0311]

Howdy from KY.

 

[Alk8944]

And I have 10210x as shipping June 1921, and 983xx in April 1921.

bbbjim,

"Waiting for the Brownells rebound slide spring tool." Why? A size "0" Phillips screwdriver works better than any of the fancy tools, regardless of what they cost!

 

[bbbjim]

Thanks, that puts mine pretty solidly May of 1921.

 

[bbbjim]

I'll try the # 0 Phillips. Thanks for the tip. You just need to compress the spring enough to get the slots over over the pin, correct? Jim

 

[DWalt]

""Waiting for the Brownells rebound slide spring tool." Why? A size "0" Phillips screwdriver works better than any of the fancy tools, regardless of what they cost! "

No one needs to buy one of these. Many years ago I made my own (took maybe 10 minutes) which is extremely simple to make and better than anything you can buy. I have used it hundreds of times since.