Tell me about old school 32-20 Smith revolvers

[stocker1042]

I have one pistol permit left here in the safe (NJ laws...I know...) that I have to use or it will expire. I don't have a ton of money to expand my Smith revolver collection, but I see a bunch of old 32-20 revolvers on Gunbroker going in the $350-$450 range. I did some reading on them and they seem like good candidates for cast boolits and from what else I've read, fun little guns to shoot.

What can you tell me about them? Good addition to do target shooting with or is the accuracy questionable? What should I stay away from when buying one?

[Green Frog]

IMHO, everyone who shoots S&W revolvers and reloads should have a 32-20. I've had a couple, and now that I have a good solid old brown gun with acceptable bore and reasonably tight action, I'm likely to keep it for when the spirit moves me to shoot the oldie. It is far from my most used or favorite guns, but one I just felt like I "ought" to have, and since I cast and load so often for 32 S&W Long through 327 Fed Mag, bullets are never a problem. Again, JMHO, and YMMV, but I really like having one around! :D

Froggie

[40-82]

I think you'll find the 32-20 much touchier to work with than a revolver of comparable power such as the 38 special. They are more particular about powder charges and case length. To get accuracy with fast burning powders you may have to use fillers. And the bottleneck cases won't last as long as say 38 special. All that said, a pre-war Smith is a thing of beauty, and it's capable of excellent accuracy with cast boolits.

[rintinglen]

Look for one made in the 30's. serial no. >110,000. The sights are better. Mine is a 1920 gun and the sights are too small for my 59 year old eyes to see well. Despite that this gun is surprisingly accurate.

[9.3X62AL]

My S&W in 32-20 is an M&P x 5" from the 1930s. Its throats run .313"-.3135", so it gets .314" boolits weighing 120 grains that shoot right to the sights at 25 and 50 yards loaded with 5.5-6.0 grains of SR-4756.

R-P and W-W brass will stretch unevenly in both rifles and revolvers, regardless of load intensity. Stick to 1880s pressures in the S&W rollers. Starline brass seems far less prone to stretching, even when run at higher pressures in my Marlin 94.

[stocker1042]

Thanks for the advice.

[Bucking the Tiger]

I have an old Smith&Wesson M&P in 32-20. It has a 5" barrel, old grips, and is mostly still nickled. You can tell the previous owner was left handed( like me) from where the nickle rubbed off the right side above the grip.
It is a little fussy to load for: Starline cases are the best and you have to be gentle when reloading them. i have a Lee 90 grain SWC mould for it that makes a fine shooting boolit.
This caliber offers no advantage( on paper) over a .38 Special( the .38 drove the 32-20 into extinction) but I really love tinkering with this caliber because of the nostalgia and it shoots really well.
A lot of good shooters, and custom gun makers favor the 32-20.

[Scharfschuetze]

Lots of fun to be had with the 32/20 in an accurate revolver. I like the 115 grain cast bullets in my pistol. At 900 fps with 4.5 grains of Unique powder it is flat shooting, accurate and in this old S&W mild and easy to shoot well. Case life with either WW or RP cases is not too good, but it's a thin case dating from black powder days. Someday I'll try the Starline brass given its good reputation.

[Clay M]

I have owned an old Colt Bisley,and a Colt Army Special in .32/20. I like the little caliber a lot. It is fun to shoot and easy to load and cast for.Good luck, and just try to fine one with a nice bore and you will have a collectable shooter.

[stocker1042]

Once again, thanks. I've got my eye on one right now.

[leftiye]

The Colt Official Police is a bit stouter, and my choice. I also have an S&W Hand ejector 1905 4Th change. And a Colt PPS. To really get to the ctg's potential a modified K frame or a Ruger buckeye special. With 16-4s going over a thousand modified K frames are not often seen.

[9.3X62AL]

My present Smith 16-4 will stay OEM. Now, if the company were to re-make the series in their Classic Revolver line, I wouldn't be opposed to re-cutting one of the Glory Hole editions to 32-20. Having the 5" M&P on hand reduces the need to turn wrenches on the 16-4 greatly.

[Green Frog]

My present Smith 16-4 will stay OEM. Now, if the company were to re-make the series in their Classic Revolver line, I wouldn't be opposed to re-cutting one of the Glory Hole editions to 32-20. Having the 5" M&P on hand reduces the need to turn wrenches on the 16-4 greatly.

Why not buy a second cylinder for it from Hamilton Bowen and have it chambered to 32-20? He does this conversion all the time and it would at least double the utility of your 16-4. I would have done that with mine if I had had the good sense to hold onto it! :? Of course I would have had to have added a 327 Fed Mag cylinder or rebored the original as well. :bigsmyl2:

Froggie

[50target]

I have been a fan for many years and have had about 4 of the S&W M&P revolvers and could not get the accuracy I wanted. I think it is the sights as much as anything. I also have an old Marlin 32-20 1889 model and she shoots good with whatever I feed it. I finally got a S&W 32-20 Target and have been playing with it. Lots of fun, but I haven't gotten the accurate load I know she is capable of . Whatever you know about reloading, the 32-20 will cause you to pull your hair out and stretch your abilities. Having said all that, it is ajoy searchin for that magic combo that causes a big grin when it comes. Go with Satrline brass, better and cheaper, 115 grain bullets and go easy on the powder to start with. Make sure all cases are the same length or stuff will happen when seating and crimping. Don't ask me how I know. Always bear in mind she is not a magnum and never intended to be. A lot of people recommend the Lyman 3118 bullet but I have found it too long for the Smith cylinder and don't want to crimp over the forward groove. Get tthe best gun you can afford with a good bore and you will not be sorry for the journey.
Bob (still learning about women and 32-20's )

[Dale53]

I truly love the .32 S&W Long and the .32 H&R magnum. I am not keen on fooling with the .32/20. I don't really like a bottleneck case in a revolver. There are far fewer problems with straight wall cases. If you are going to be shooting that revolver a lot, then I suggest a straight wall case. If it is "show and tell" then use your own judgement.

I tend to shoot my handguns a good deal and I appreciate fewer problems. Guess maybe I am an old curmudgeon but "there it is".

FWIW
Dale53

[9.3X62AL]

Why not buy a second cylinder for it from Hamilton Bowen and have it chambered to 32-20? He does this conversion all the time and it would at least double the utility of your 16-4. I would have done that with mine if I had had the good sense to hold onto it! :? Of course I would have had to have added a 327 Fed Mag cylinder or rebored the original as well. :bigsmyl2:

Froggie

Thought about this, but as said above......having the 5" M&P on board in 32-20 already relieves the *logical* need of having such a cylinder made. On occasion, my hobby interests display fits and starts of logic and reason. Once or twice per decade, at least.

[Marvin S]

I have the S&W 1905 4th and a Cimmaron mod p colt copy. I beleive the 4th change will all have heat treated cylinders that SN range was mentioned above, which you may keep in mind.

[9.3X62AL]

I keep all of my revolver-intended 32-20 ammo loaded to 1880s specs, though with smokeless powders. With a strong 32 Magnum D/A on hand, and a Ruger Blackhawk x 30 Carbine as well--I see no need to push the envelope on my crop of wheelguns chambered in 32-20. That "6.0 grains of SR-4756" loading of 115-120 grain boolits in the 5" M&P runs about 925 FPS, and almost 1250 FPS from the Marlin 94CCL. It's no slouch in the performance department, and shoots right to the sights in the M&P. Extraction/ejection is easy, and there is no "burn-back" along the case mouths from inadequate sealing. All good, in my estimation.