Spanish 32-20's

[glenncal1]

I have an idea for a project 32-20 and don't want to cut a S&W or Colt. Are any of the Spanish 32-20 Smith clones worth messing with? Or all they all weak/poor. I would want to shoot this gun. Thanks

 

[DWalt]

And what would the project be?

 

[glenncal1]

And what would the project be?

Cut it down into a snubby, maybe round the butt.

 

[oddshooter]

Ruger has a 32-20; and it's not a Colt or S&W.
Although I don't think I would want to practice on my Ruger Buckeye either.


I'm a real fan of the 32-20 myself, but I would ask why you chose it for a custom? I have become a fan of the 32 H&Rmag as a substitute. It shoots the same bullets and gets the same velocities. It also seems a little easier to handload.

The main differences are the history and the bottle-neck cases. My first gun was the 32-20 almost 60 years ago; a Colt first gen SAA. That makes history and nostalgia an overwhelming emotion for me and the 32-20 WCF.

However, my choices today in shooters is much wider for the 32 H&Rmag. Charter Arms and Taurus are two second tier manufacturers who might have nice donor guns.


Prescut
My shooting style is more long distance Silhouette than close defense work. That means I love long tubes and not "snubbies". I consider it sacrilege to cut a long tube.

 

[Drm50]

Last year saw a Span 32/20 at a show that somebody, likely Bubba cut down into a Fitz Special. He made a $100 gun into a $25 gun. I have had many Spanish revolvers and wouldn’t depend on any of them.

 

[oddshooter]

Another thought might be the Italian reproductions that are now in 32-20.

Prescut

 

[ACORN]

I went the SP101 in .327 Fed. route. It can also fire the .32 H&R and .32 Long, AND, double as a boat anchor!

 

[rockquarry]

Just curious - anyone ever fire a Spanish S&W .32-20 copy? I certainly wouldn't, but I examined one, years ago. It appeared to be pretty well made. It was purchased by a relative in the 1930s. However, you never seem to hear of these guns actually being used, perhaps for good reason.

 

[LittleCooner]

Several years ago, I picked up a Orbea Hermanos (Spanish) made copy of the S&W hand ejector from a guy at what I though was a fair price. He said it was a 32-20, but after shooting it, I found that you can shoot 32-20 in the gun, it was actually a WWI gun made for the French and chambered in 8 mm Lebel. Bore is ever so slightly larger than 32-20 which is why it does not shoot 32-20 very well. Fiocchi makes a run of 8 mm Lebel about every 5 years so I picked up several boxes last year and pulled the old WWI gun out and made a range trip. Sweet shooting gun, low power, no recoil and my son and I ran almost two boxes thru the old gal. Not bad for a copy of a Smith and Wesson. I am sure some Germans in the trenches in 1918 did not like to be shot at with these things.

 

[ACORN]

Just curious - anyone ever fire a Spanish S&W .32-20 copy? I certainly wouldn't, but I examined one, years ago. It appeared to be pretty well made. It was purchased by a relative in the 1930s. However, you never seem to hear of these guns actually being used, perhaps for good reason.

I think like all guns it depends on the manufacturer. Some are good, some are iffy at best.

 

[Absalom]

I think like all guns it depends on the manufacturer. Some are good, some are iffy at best.

On the manufacturer, and just as much on condition and on what the gun has been through since it was made, usually in the 1920s.

If you could find a “LNIB” gun from one of the large gunmakers like Orbea Hermanos, it would likely be as decent-quality and as safe as any other second-line manufacturer from elsewhere than Spain.

But since most other European countries and North America did not agree with Spain’s loose patent laws, these S&W copies ended up mostly shipped to Latin America and other regions of the world where they saw rough use, and it’s rare to come across a survivor whose condition instills any confidence.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have a 1902 M&P 4" made in 1902 and 5.5 or 6" Colt Police Positive Special from 1919. 100 year old or older guns shouldn't be cut up for grins and giggles!

Ivan

 

[Muley Gil]

Just curious - anyone ever fire a Spanish S&W .32-20 copy? I certainly wouldn't, but I examined one, years ago. It appeared to be pretty well made. It was purchased by a relative in the 1930s. However, you never seem to hear of these guns actually being used, perhaps for good reason.

I have. I had a 5" .32-20 M&P in college and one of my roommates liked it and went looking for one. He found a Spanish copy and bought it. We fired it and the brass no longer looked like a tapered case .32-20. The brass looked more like a Weatherby round. They were able to be resized, but they didn't last long before they split.

 

[walnutred]

LittleCooners experience pretty much duplicates my experience with the Spanish revolvers. With proper ammo the ones I had which were still in good mechanical condition shot OK. Keep in mind even the well made versions were not intended for the volume of shooting most of us do and replacement parts are not available.

 

[LittleCooner]

I have. I had a 5" .32-20 M&P in college and one of my roommates liked it and went looking for one. He found a Spanish copy and bought it. We fired it and the brass no longer looked like a tapered case .32-20. The brass looked more like a Weatherby round. They were able to be resized, but they didn't last long before they split.

It was a 8 MM Lebel

 

[DWalt]

Yes, the Spanish ".32-20" revolvers were usually chambered in 8mm Lebel (actually the M92 8mm French Ordnance) cartridge. Bores are oversized for .32-20 bullets. I haven't seen many of the old Spanish revolvers at gun shows in quite a few years, and those I have seen are mainly in .38 Special. At one time, back in the 1960s, they were very common and cheap. Not a revolver I would use as a starting point for a project gun.

 

[glenncal1]

Picked up a Colt OP in .32WCF for the project. Doubt I will do anything to the butt (will probably add a t-grip), gonna have the barrel shortened to 2.5 to 3 inches.

Why? Just 'cause

 

[DWalt]

I hope it's not in great condition. There is considerable collector interest these days in good OPs. I remember when you could hardly give them away. About 6-7 years ago I paid $500 for an extremely nice .32-20 6" OP and thought I got a great deal.

 

[glenncal1]

I hope it's not in great condition. There is considerable collector interest these days in good OPs. I remember when you could hardly give them away. About 6-7 years ago I paid $500 for an extremely nice .32-20 6" OP and thought I got a great deal.

Yes this one has some character: