S&w 32-20
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You have purchased a 32-20 Hand Ejector Model of 1905- 4th Change. It was manufactured from around 1915-1940 and around 78,983 of them were produced. It could have come with Checked black hard rubber or checked diamond walnut stocks without medillions. It is sometimes a challenge to pin the date down,without checking with Mr. Jinks. I have one in your general range which was shipped in 1927. Nice piece of history and a favorite caliber of my father. You could probably find a suitable set of grips from anyone who deals with stocks,especially older weapons and pistols.
MKT
Member
The .32-20, also known as the .32 WCF, is one of my favorite plinking rounds. I feel pretty lucky having found three of them so far, my first shipped in June 1912, the second one I am guessing probably shipped about 1920 (planning on lettering to see what country it shipped to) and my latest, the nickle 4 incher, probably shipped 1911/1912.
Your .32-20 was probably built between the late 1920's and the end of the .32-30 production in 1940 or so. The only way to know for sure would be a factory letter, which should also tell you which grips it shipped with as well as where it shipped to (sometimes even to whom it shipped).
EDIT: It appears I misread the serial number yuo posted. Does your serial have five or six digits? If five, then it most likely predates any of my .32-20's. If six, then my original guess stands.
Your .32-20 was probably built between the late 1920's and the end of the .32-30 production in 1940 or so. The only way to know for sure would be a factory letter, which should also tell you which grips it shipped with as well as where it shipped to (sometimes even to whom it shipped).
EDIT: It appears I misread the serial number yuo posted. Does your serial have five or six digits? If five, then it most likely predates any of my .32-20's. If six, then my original guess stands.
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SWGUNNER
Member
A Twin Perhaps?
It seems I may have purchased a twin yesterday. A 32-20 1905 3rd change. Serial Number 532XX nickeled 4 inch. Has some honest wear, but not terribly abused. Prior to heat treated cylinders, so I guess I'll be loading this a little soft.
Dave
It seems I may have purchased a twin yesterday. A 32-20 1905 3rd change. Serial Number 532XX nickeled 4 inch. Has some honest wear, but not terribly abused. Prior to heat treated cylinders, so I guess I'll be loading this a little soft.
Dave
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MKT
Member
SWGunner,
I think you have one too many x's in your serial.
My nickle 4 inch is 508XX and my 6inch blue is 556XX and shipped in June of 1912. If your is a five digit serial in close proximity they are probably pretty close to mine, but again, one can never tell with S&W.
I think you have one too many x's in your serial.
My nickle 4 inch is 508XX and my 6inch blue is 556XX and shipped in June of 1912. If your is a five digit serial in close proximity they are probably pretty close to mine, but again, one can never tell with S&W.
MKT
Member
You'se Guys are killin' me...
giz
They're out there Giz...one just has to look for them
.In my case, I go N frame hunting and come home with a .32-20
rburg
Member
I wish I could give you a good answer, but they're going to be hard to come by. I just recently (June) picked up a target model with a 135,000s serial number, and I'm guessing it came from about 1935. Its not unreasonable to guess (but maybe not correctly) yours was from the early 1930s. If so, it should have the basic 1930s silver medallion service grips. Those are getting kind of expensive these days.
They're more difficult to date because they were waning in popularity by the 1930s. Their hayday was the early quarter of this century. There really wasn't a lot of advantages to owning or shooting them, or so the buying public discovered. Part of the process of gun collectors liking a gun is the availability of a fair number of them in great condition. Most of the .32-20s I've seen are what we call working guns. Someone bought them, loved them, and shot them regularly. The early ones seem to have lived a rough life with either corrosive primed or black powder ammunition. Thats just the bad part.
Many of the guns shoot very well. It could be why they were fired so much. My gun showing pard insists the 5" gun he had years ago was the best shooting gun he's ever had. Others sing their praises, too.
Ammo can be kind of a problem for you. Particularly if you don't handload. The search requires you to always have a small stash of money ready to spend. Of course these days thats true of all calibers. Much of the ammo you'll run across will be at gunshows, flea markets, or even old gunshops. Don't throw away the empties. Even if you don't reload, there are reloaders who will do it for you at a price.
I've had very good luck digging up boxes and partial boxes over the summer. Maybe its fall from popularity is a blessing. Ask around for ammo. Sometimes people have a box or two lying around. They don't bother hauling it to a gunshow because they figure no one will want it. Take names and phone numbers if they have it at home.
A really accurate gun is a good thing to own. You won't waste shots during these tough times.
They're more difficult to date because they were waning in popularity by the 1930s. Their hayday was the early quarter of this century. There really wasn't a lot of advantages to owning or shooting them, or so the buying public discovered. Part of the process of gun collectors liking a gun is the availability of a fair number of them in great condition. Most of the .32-20s I've seen are what we call working guns. Someone bought them, loved them, and shot them regularly. The early ones seem to have lived a rough life with either corrosive primed or black powder ammunition. Thats just the bad part.
Many of the guns shoot very well. It could be why they were fired so much. My gun showing pard insists the 5" gun he had years ago was the best shooting gun he's ever had. Others sing their praises, too.
Ammo can be kind of a problem for you. Particularly if you don't handload. The search requires you to always have a small stash of money ready to spend. Of course these days thats true of all calibers. Much of the ammo you'll run across will be at gunshows, flea markets, or even old gunshops. Don't throw away the empties. Even if you don't reload, there are reloaders who will do it for you at a price.
I've had very good luck digging up boxes and partial boxes over the summer. Maybe its fall from popularity is a blessing. Ask around for ammo. Sometimes people have a box or two lying around. They don't bother hauling it to a gunshow because they figure no one will want it. Take names and phone numbers if they have it at home.
A really accurate gun is a good thing to own. You won't waste shots during these tough times.
Ditto on the welcome. I got a .32-20 a couple of months ago and have enjoyed shooting it a little. Mine is a 1913 gun that had been renickeled with more enthusiasm than finesse, but the internals were sound. Your gun looks a lot nicer.
Is it correct that your gun has a five-digit serial number beginning 13xxx? If so, that dates it to about 1905 and it is a .32-20 HE, second model, first change. If you left an x out of the placeholder designators, it was manufactured about 20 years later, in the mid-1920s. In that case it would be a .32-20 HE, third model, fourth change. The .32-20 revolvers had their own serial number range, from 1 to 144684. They were last manufactured just before WW2.
The proper stocks on your revolver would have been the old service stocks with the semicircular top to each panel that mates exactly with the steel frame. Looks to me like your gun has a round butt frame under the modern rubber. Probably your gun had stocks without medallions, but there are .32-20 M&P models that did have medallions in them. Here's a picture of my gun, a square butt model. These are not the original stocks, but they are appropriate to the age of the gun.
Is it correct that your gun has a five-digit serial number beginning 13xxx? If so, that dates it to about 1905 and it is a .32-20 HE, second model, first change. If you left an x out of the placeholder designators, it was manufactured about 20 years later, in the mid-1920s. In that case it would be a .32-20 HE, third model, fourth change. The .32-20 revolvers had their own serial number range, from 1 to 144684. They were last manufactured just before WW2.
The proper stocks on your revolver would have been the old service stocks with the semicircular top to each panel that mates exactly with the steel frame. Looks to me like your gun has a round butt frame under the modern rubber. Probably your gun had stocks without medallions, but there are .32-20 M&P models that did have medallions in them. Here's a picture of my gun, a square butt model. These are not the original stocks, but they are appropriate to the age of the gun.
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That serial number 131XX is not right. That would make the gun
a 1902 1st change, which it is not, as far as I can tell from the
left-side photo.
Later, Mike Priwer
a 1902 1st change, which it is not, as far as I can tell from the
left-side photo.
Later, Mike Priwer
popgun
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Scott, I didn't notice if your .32-20 is square or round butt or whether the consensus was that it shipped with medallion or non-medallion service grips, but IF it is SB non-medallion I have a set in sound condition without excessive wear that I could part with.
Pontiaker
Member
Great gun but get rid of the Goodyears! I might have some nice grips for you, let me check it out.
bigolddave
Member
Picked this one a few years ago at a CADA show at Pheasant Run. It has two big brothers; a Marlin 1894CL and a Winchester 1892 Takedown.
A couple years later, I saw a box of Remingtons in the sale bin at the local Dick's Sporting Goods for ten dollars. I asked if they had any more. Yup, nine more boxes; they had special ordered them and the guy had never picked them up. Bought them all for nine dollars a box. Still haven't used my dies.
Pontiaker
Member
I have a half way decent set of convex no medallion grips you can have for your gun.They are worn and need to be cleaned up to match the condition of your pistol but there yours if you want them. I think they would look way better than the rubber grips you have now even though they might not be the exact correct vintage grips for your gun. Shoot me an email at [email protected] if you want them. Also did you get the correct serial number off your gun yet?
Matt
Matt
bamabiker
Member
I looked at an old S&W 32-20 today at Simmons Sporting Goods in Bessemer Al. It looked like the one posted by bigolddave but not in near as good of shape. I don't think the grips had the medallions but I'm not sure. I did not pay it a lot of attention because I was not really interested in the gun. I did ask the price and I think he said $229. It was not in the case. I had ask the guy if he had any older S&Ws and he went in the back and came out with it. Just giving a little heads up, if anyone is interested.
bamabiker,
I bought a 5" RB .32-20 from Simmons back in the late 1980s. It shipped in May 1906. It's a good shooter.
I bought a 5" RB .32-20 from Simmons back in the late 1980s. It shipped in May 1906. It's a good shooter.
picked up a 32 WSF a while back,sn#92640,my dad had some 32-20 reloads for his rifle so I borrowed a box.thing shot minute of moose,all over the place.after a little research ,found dad used .308 bullets for his reloads.will try again with some proper ammo...jwr
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