Vintage 4th Change

[Major 2]

I've mention on the Intro thread, I have my Dads circa 1926-7. 4th. Change Hand Ejector 32/20.
He had this gun with him when he served as a volunteer coast watcher ( volunteered & skippered his 32 foot cruiser "Lenape"
for the US Coast Guard during The early years of WW2.
It has not been fired since the mid 60's.
It is in working order, locks up tight and overall finish is a about 80%. turned brown
The bore turned out rather bright after a good cleaning,
boy the old gun really need a good cleaning having been stored away nearly 40 + years.
What I though was light pitting cleaned away.

The reason it was put away, mainly was 32/20 Ammo was not readily available, that is you did not just see it over the counter anymore. I recall the last box I ever bought for it was in a Hardware Store in Highlands NC about 1967.
We shot that box, that was it. Dad gave me the Gun in 72
and I never really hunted for ammo. I just put it away.

Now, 32/20 is available again, or I'm just more aware it's
out there for CAS so I intend, get all nostalgic and return the gun to it intended use a shooter...

Sorry, long winded, but I'm now looking for 32/20 Ammo...
any help would be appreciated.
Cabela's @ $38.95 a box + shipping makes it about $1 a shot
I'm thinking there has got to be a better source ????

 

[flagman1776]

Sure, your own workshop. Basic reloading is not all that hard. There are lots of inexpensive used single station presses out there and would be fine for the low volume shooting you're likely to do. My old Lyman 45 Edition manual suggests .311-.312" bullets of 91-115 grain cast. If you could order & buy commercial cast bullets, it would be less bother than home casting but that can be done with an inexpensive Lee casting set up, though your neighbors will get pissy if they catch you liberating their wheel weights.
Russ

 

[Vulcan Bob]

Hi there, sound's like a great revolver and it was your Dad's! Flagman1776 has got it right. This is a great reason to get into reloading your own ammo. It would not take much shooting to recover your investment in a basic reloading setup and with the high cost of ammo these day's it would pay dividend's with all of your other firearm's as well.

 

[smith17]

You must have one of the last ones made if it was from 1939. I have about the 400th from last and it was early '37.
Ed

 

[Major 2]

By using the SS# I was told on another BB it was 1939 ( now I know its 1926 with help from here )
I had though earlier, Fladermans says the last SS# ranged 65,701- 144684
Mine is 1309xx
I still think earlier as there is 13,000 difference...
I also was never given the impression it was near new when the War started.

 

[DCWilson]

By using the SS# I was told on another BB it was 1939
I had though earlier, Fladermansa says the last SS# ranged 65,701- 144684
Mine is 1309xx
I still think earlier as there is 13,000 difference...
I also was never given the impression it was near new when the War started.

More like 1925/1926. Whoever gave you the later date on the other BB may have misunderstood which model you were talking about. S&W ran several different serial number sequences consecutively for different frames and models. (But off the top of my head, I can't think of a model run that was being numbered in the 130000 range in 1939.)

 

[Alk8944]

I cannot recall the reference, but the .32-20 HE was catalogued until 1940. I have seen estimates that place actual end of production somewhere in the 1928-1933 period. You may find a ship date in the later 1930s, but it wasn't manufactured then. I have 12777* that logical progression based on serial number would appear to be a late 1930s gun but has the plain round top stocks which places it no later than ca. 1928. And, yes, they are numbered to the gun.

I do not recall ever seeing a .32-20 with silver medallion stocks but there could be, I can't recall the details of every one that has been posted on the forum. If anyone has one, photos would be appreciated.

This is identical to the situation with the New Model 3 revolvers which were catalogued until 1915 but were all manufactured prior to 1898.

 

[Muley Gil]

"I do not recall ever seeing a .32-20 with silver medallion stocks bt there could be, I can't recall the details of every one that has been posted on the forum. If anyone has one photos would be appreciated."

You know, I never thought about this, but I've never seen any either and I've owned a few .32-20s since buying my first one back in the mid 1970s. Logically, there should also be a few .32-20s with pre-war Magnas as well, if actual production went to 1940. Never seen one like that either.

 

[Major 2]

More like 1925/1926. Whoever gave you the later date on the other BB may have misunderstood which model you were talking about. S&W ran several different serial number sequences consecutively for different frames and models. (But off the top of my head, I can't think of a model run that was being numbered in the 130000 range in 1939.)

Very interesting and thanks.....
I recall, but it's a tad foggy (Dads been gone 25 years)

As I recollect , He or my uncle saw an ad in the Miami News Paper, Address and all.
(Surely something you won't see this day and age )
Some fellow had some guns for sale, They dropped by and the gent had all the guns on his dining room table.
I don't think I was every told what year it was.

Anyway, I believe my Dad bought this 32/20, he might have also bought another gun.
So much of the story is lost in memory & time.

This 32/20 does not have medallion stocks, the panels are
walnut , checkered with the Diamond at the screw
and the smooth round top.

 

[smith17]

later .32-20

Here is 144xxx, shipped early 1937.

 

[Major 2]

With exception of the stocks that looks just as mine does.
The grip are identical less the medallion and there is no mortise
hole where they might have been.

Years ago, around 1967 or so ..exploring in some woods we found a rusted solid S&W 32/20 loaded and with spent rounds as well.
The grips were just like yours but badly weathered.
We assumed it was a crime piece. Being loaded we could see live rounds rusted solid and perhaps unsafe, it was decided to hand it over to LEO's.
Never heard, if anything came of it...

 

[Alk8944]

Here is 144xxx, shipped early 1937.

At least we know that by the last 1000 were produced there were some silver medallion stocks. Pretty revolver.

This raises another question, and that is what year this style of ejector rod head began? I have asked more than once, including an E-mail to Roy, and never received an answer.

 

[gun butcher]

Major, I have been stumbling around here for the last two days and I finally found your post. Sounds like you are going to have a good time with your Dads ole gun.
I would look around if their are any gunstores close to you. I bought two boxes of 32/20s for 28.00 ea. Course he gave me a deal on them cause he said he had been keeping them in stock to long.

 

[DCWilson]

This 32/20 does not have medallion stocks, the panels are
walnut , checkered with the Diamond at the screw
and the smooth round top.

Absence of medallions on the stocks is another indicator of 1920s manufacture (assuming there is evidence tying the stocks to the gun).

 

[Major 2]

I'd have no evidence they were not original to the gun.
The gun has been in the family a long time.


GB...I might try that in a wider search ..the one's I go to don't have any 32/20.
The one place that might Buffalo Bills Shooting Store caters to CAS shooters but , the new owners prices are stratospheric, and the Store location has change. It's now about 80 miles round trip.

I think Mail order is my answer, this post has lead to this site
Georgia Arms - .32-20 WIN

I'll give them a call

 

[gun butcher]

Maybe I should go back and buy the other 5 boxes he had cause I doubt he will stock them anymore and the next closest place is about 100 miles. He doesn't do very much CAS stuff. And like I said the place that does is a fur piece.

 

[Muley Gil]

Major 2,

If you remove the grips and look at the right one, there should be a serial number there. It can be stamped, or more likely in the older guns, in pencil. The penciled numbers, unfortunately, can be hard to read, and sometimes, lost due to oil, solvents, etc.

 

[Major 2]

Maybe I should go back and buy the other 5 boxes he had cause I doubt he will stock them anymore and the next closest place is about 100 miles. He doesn't do very much CAS stuff. And like I said the place that does is a fur piece.

$28 is what Georga Arms lists , and beats Cabela's @ $39
+ $25 shipping.

If you do I'd buy a few from you.

Major 2,

If you remove the grips and look at the right one, there should be a serial number there. It can be stamped, or more likely in the older guns, in pencil. The penciled numbers, unfortunately, can be hard to read, and sometimes, lost due to oil, solvents, etc.

The Grip screw won't budge..I tried Gibbs & next is "Knocker loose" or Kroil.
I want to pull them for a more through cleaning,
But don't want to bugger the screw.

I have Cylinder & Slide's Custom ground Smithing Screwdrivers
Just some patients & the correct penitrating lube.

 

[TACC1]

major 2;
I just checked the website for "oldwesternscrounger". They list
32-20 at $34.95 for a box of fifty. We're talking mail order here.
Haven't bought any of their products, yet, but have read elsewhere
that their products are good/reliable.
TACC1

 

[handejector]

At least we know that by the last 1000 were produced there were some silver medallion stocks. Pretty revolver.

This raises another question, and that is what year this style of ejector rod head began? I have asked more than once, including an E-mail to Roy, and never received an answer.

There were definitely some late 32/20's shipped with silver medallions.

The engineering order for the one step large ejector rod knob is dated Jan 22, 1927. They would not have thrown away barrels that were already cut for the older two step (mushroom) type, so you will see them produced for some time after the order.