Please help with 32-20 revolver
- Thread starter Mississippi Mike
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Mississippi Mike
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Mississippi Mike
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Mississippi Mike
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Mississippi Mike
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It's a K frame, probably from the mid 1920s. The made in USA stamp on the right side dates it to after 1922. Some refer to it as a 32-20 M&P. Did it come with the original walnut stocks? They would probably be the no medallion type.
John
John
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Mississippi Mike
Member
The number on the frame opposite the yoke (not crane; that's a Colt term) is an assembly number. The serial numbers go into the 144xxx range. The B before the SN means that it was shipped in blue finish. The finish is original.
As long as the bore is OK, it should be a good shooter.
As long as the bore is OK, it should be a good shooter.
DWalt
Member
Without a SN, about the closest one could come for a shipping date would be 1923-1927 based upon various features. There have been previous discussions about whether a K-frame in .32-20 can legitimately be called a M&P, and the conclusion is, probably yes. At least, revolvers in both calibers have been advertised as M&Ps. S&W stopped making .32-20 revolvers in the late 1920s, but continued to catalog and sell them from inventory until just before WWII. Colt offered a much wider variety of their revolver models chambered in .32-20 than did S&W. But Colt also stopped selling them about 1940 as there was not much of a market for them.
Alk8944
US Veteran
You have a Model 1905 4th Change .32-20 Hand Ejector known as the "Winchester Model". If I read the serial number right, 126,xxx, it dates to sometime in 1924.
Looking again it appears to be 128,271. That would be, probably 1925 or later in 1924.
Looking again it appears to be 128,271. That would be, probably 1925 or later in 1924.
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DWalt
Member
The only SN I list as being reasonably close (125xxx) shipped in 10/24. But yours could have been shipped earlier or later than that date.
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Mississippi Mike
Member
Yes, after inspecting the SN with a magnifying glass I think it is 128271. The same number is on the cylinder and at the base of the hand grip.
Thanks for the insight everyone.
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Mississippi Mike
Member
Just doing a little thinking out loud..... The SN's on the S&W M&P revolvers don't seem to run numerically by year.
My M&P 38 has a SN of 427463 and it was manufactured in Dec 1922.
This "M&P" in 32-20 has a SN of 128271 (a much lower number) but it was manufactured about 3 years later.
Did S&W start the serial numbers over on this 32-20 since it is the "Winchester model"....??
Also, the assembly number of the earlier 38 cal is 58900.
BUT, the assembly number of the 32-20 is 54204. (A lower number also).
I can see right now that I don't understand how these 2 pistols can be so similar but the SN's and assy # differ so greatly by YOM....
I know one thing...... I am confused.
My M&P 38 has a SN of 427463 and it was manufactured in Dec 1922.
This "M&P" in 32-20 has a SN of 128271 (a much lower number) but it was manufactured about 3 years later.
Did S&W start the serial numbers over on this 32-20 since it is the "Winchester model"....??
Also, the assembly number of the earlier 38 cal is 58900.
BUT, the assembly number of the 32-20 is 54204. (A lower number also).
I can see right now that I don't understand how these 2 pistols can be so similar but the SN's and assy # differ so greatly by YOM....
I know one thing...... I am confused.
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Alk8944
US Veteran
Assembly numbers repeat and have nothing to do with date of manufacture or model.
The .38 HE and .32-20 HE, while being otherwise identical, are numbered in separate SN series. There is no correlation between models except, obviously, that lower numbers (in each series) were manufactured before higher numbers.
Until the early 1980s, when the ABCxxxx SN format came into use, each specific model had its' own separate SN series. As a result the serial number 123456 would have eventually appeared on several guns made at different times and of different models. Add the prefix letters they would/could have repeated again with different prefixes. Example, there could be (are!) K-Frame guns of different date and model with SNs of 123456, V123456, S123456, K123456, C123456, D123456, etc.
Make more sense now?
The .38 HE and .32-20 HE, while being otherwise identical, are numbered in separate SN series. There is no correlation between models except, obviously, that lower numbers (in each series) were manufactured before higher numbers.
Until the early 1980s, when the ABCxxxx SN format came into use, each specific model had its' own separate SN series. As a result the serial number 123456 would have eventually appeared on several guns made at different times and of different models. Add the prefix letters they would/could have repeated again with different prefixes. Example, there could be (are!) K-Frame guns of different date and model with SNs of 123456, V123456, S123456, K123456, C123456, D123456, etc.
Make more sense now?
As ALK8944 notes, the 1905 32-20 model had their own serial number range so their is no correlation between their numbers and that of the 38 special guns.
In their various changes, 32-20 models were numbered from 1 to around 144,684, and were made from 1899 to 1940. Most were made before 1930. None after 1940.
In contrast, one million 38 Special M&P models were made between 1899 - 1945. After that they started a second million with a C prefix. The model 10 designation for them began in 1957. Then a third million carried a D prefix... S&W made oodles of 'em.
John
In their various changes, 32-20 models were numbered from 1 to around 144,684, and were made from 1899 to 1940. Most were made before 1930. None after 1940.
In contrast, one million 38 Special M&P models were made between 1899 - 1945. After that they started a second million with a C prefix. The model 10 designation for them began in 1957. Then a third million carried a D prefix... S&W made oodles of 'em.
John
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Skeetr57
Member
The S&W K frame revolvers were introduced in 1899 in both .38 and .32-20, but with separate serial number ranges for each caliber, and were sold along side each other with the same design changes until WWII, when the .32-20 M&P was dropped from the catalog. My father had a .32-20 M&P that he bought new in 1937, and the serial number is only about 200 below the last gun shipped. His gun left the factory in 1935, so not only were they slow movers at the factory, they were slow movers at retail. The assembly numbers in the yoke recess were only used to keep parts of the same gun together during production and may have been reused on several guns over time.
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Mississippi Mike
Member
Thanks so much for the information Alk8944, TIMETRIPPER and Skeetr57.
You guys really know your S&W's.
I really love the history and RELIABILITY of the S&W.
Cheer to you all!!!
You guys really know your S&W's.
I really love the history and RELIABILITY of the S&W.
Cheer to you all!!!
DWalt
Member
Allegedly, S&W ceased production of .32-20 revolvers sometime in the very late 1920s, and every S&W .32-20 revolver sold for the next ten years was from inventory stock.
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Mississippi Mike
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Very nice to know....Thanks DWalt.
Green Frog
Member
It appears that the 32-20 M&P revolver was a good idea S&W had that appeared too late. I own one, and have had a couple, but my interest is because of the way the caliber was used in the pre-1900 days, on up to maybe 1910 or so. It was great to pair with a small saddle carbine like a Winchester 92 or a similar Marlin, but once the American Sportsman moved on to bolt action rifles, it lost a lot of its allure. It was such a special interest piece that sales numbers just didn't support continuing its manufacture, so after WW II it was gone. In fact, it took until the war to sell off all the backlogged production done in the 1920s. Sad, but true! 
Froggie
Froggie
