S&W Heat Treatment Questions???

[longwalker]

I'm looking at a shooter grade 32-20 Hand Ejector made before S&W started heat treating their revolvers. A couple of questions regarding Smith & Wesson's heat treatment;

Only the cylinders were heat-treated correct or not?

Would shooting a non heat treated HE a lot cause serious wear issues, or was the heat treatment primarily to handle the pressure involved with firing?

Thanks,

Jerry

 

[mikepriwer]

Whats the serial number of the gun, and what model do you think it is? The heat treatment of cylinders was to handle higher pressures.

Mike Priwer

 

[Wiregrassguy]

I believe only the cylinders were heat treated, but an expert should confirm. The purpose is to improve tensile strength so the cylinder has a wider margin of tolerance for pressure. Wear is not improved. Parts that are case hardened are done so for wear. S&W only began heat treatment during WWI to comply with Army demands they improve cylinder strength of the 1917. Although S&W believed their steel was sufficiently strong to meet the pressures of the cartridges in use at the time, they implemented heat treatment on all of their revolvers by the early 1920's. They ended heat treatment for all but magnum guns after WWII.

 

[delcrossv]

Yes, it was just for the cylinders. Any new commercially available 32-20 will be fine in a non- heat treated gun.

Previously, there were 32-20s made "for rifles only" that ran much higher pressures, but those haven't been made for a long time.

 

[Muley Gil]

Considering that the last .32-20s were built in the 1920s, I wouldn't hot-rod any handgun that was close to 100 years old.

A shooter grade .32-20 S&W of any vintage, in good condition, will handle any reasonable handload. Remember, there is more steel in a .32-20 cylinder than in a .38 special cylinder.

 

[Hondo44]

I believe the yokes were heat treated on the hand ejectors from introduction in 1896.

Heat treated cyls began on the 1917 for the 45 ACP ~ 20,000 psi ammo needed to cycle the 1911 slide so same ammo could be used in the 1917.

All HE cyls were heat treated by 1920.

Beginning 1945, only Magnum cyls and the 38-44 cyls were heat treated due to improved metallurgy.

I don't know of changes in what Smith heat treated after that.

Would shooting a non heat treated HE a lot cause serious wear issues, or was the heat treatment primarily to handle the pressure involved with firing? Thanks, Jerry

No, they were perfectly designed and capable for their cartridges, including the current standard loadings of those cartridges produced today. These guns prior to 1920 have been shot for over 100 years w/o undo problems unless they had extreme or faulty use as can be expected. Yes heat treatment was for pressure but also helps against wear.

 

[rct269]

This from a letter from D.B. Wesson dated March 1, 1934 treating with the heat treatment afforded the .22 Outdoorsman (in response to an inquiry from what appears to be an engineer type customer you'd think would have known better).

"The steel that is used in the cylinder of the K-.22 is identical in formula with that used in the larger calibers, but it is not heat-treated after machining as the great thickness of the cylinder walls do not demand any further strengthening. As a matter of fact, even in our larger calibers (spelled calibres at the time) the steel as it comes from the mill shows a tensile strength in the neighborhood of 80,000 lbs., which does not make the additional strength gained by treating a necessity, but we do very much prefer the greatly increased factor of safety that is obtained with the 130,000 lbs. elastic limit that the treating gives."

The principles of effective communication suggest I should tell you what that means, but I figure you're all pretty much good to go all by yourselves.

Ralph Tremaine