32 winchester ctg

[32winctg2022]

Hi, I recently acquired this spanish copy of a S&w chambered in winchester 32 ctg, and i was wondering what exact 32 bullet to fire in it , i
Was told
At
A gun store 32-20 ammo is what it takes,
Which they did not carry. The gun was
My grandfather’s, whom
Used to carry it with
Him
To work every day as a security guard for
Years… im
Alittle curious of its value but that really
Doesnt matter cus it is so
Valuable to
Me i could never sell it.. just wondering what exact ammo to use in it and
How old
It is…. ( also i read that the spanish copies arnt made aswell,
Therefor worth much much less , and on top of that
Some ammo
Chambered in 32, may be dangerous to try in it esp being a spanish copy.), so yeah if anyone
Could help me out in answering those
Few things… thatd be grrreat! Ill post afew
Pix

 

[Monac]

Your revolver is chambered for ammunition called ".32-20 Winchester", or just "32 Winchester Center Fire", or 32 WCF. It was originally made for Winchester lever action rifles, but proved moderately popular in revolvers too. The .32-20 designation meant it used a 32 caliber bullet and a powder charge of 20 grains of old-fashioned black powder. True bullet diameter was about .3125 inch, despite the 32 caliber designation. (Long story short: caliber designations are weird.)

.32-20 had been developed as a small game rifle cartridge, but when modern gunpowder was developed, it eventually became possible to make smaller caliber cartridges, like .22 Hornet, that were more effective and had better range, so it began to fade away for that purpose. I think that took away the demand for revolvers made for it too. I think that hardly any revolvers were made for .32-20 from about 1940 to about 1990, when there was a revival of interest in shooting "cowboy caliber" guns. That means that if you can find a really big gun store (like a chain called Cabela's we have in the Midwest) you might be able to find some mild current production .32-20 ammunition. It might say something about "Cowboy Action Shooting" on the box.

I have never fired a .32-20 revolver. I have been told they are quite loud, compared to most 32 or 38 caliber revolvers. Factory .32-20 revolver loads had about as much power (in terms of the kinetic energy of the bullet) as 38 Special, but felt recoil might be milder because of the lighter bullet.

Spanish revolvers of the period 1900 to 1936 (when production stopped due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civl War) is a whole story unto itself. Quality ranged from pretty good to pretty awful, with many being on the low side of mediocre. The trademark on your gun reminds me of a Spanish pistol maker that used the trade name "Crucero", but I can't remember the company name.

The Spanish made a lot of revolvers for the French during the First World War. The French used an 8mm revolver cartridge that was roughly the same size as .32-20, although NOT interchangeable with it. That might be why the Spanish made .32-20 revolvers for the American market after the First World War ended. They seem to be more common than Smith & Wesson or Colt revolvers for that ammunition, but that's just my impression.

This is the Wikepedia article about .32-20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.32-20_Winchester

 

[Kp321]

Back when 32-20 was more popular, ammo companies had two loads for it. One had a lead bullet at lower velocity that was recommended for revolvers and 1873 Winchesters. The high velocity load featured a jacketed bullet and was loaded to higher pressure and velocity. While the high velocity load might be safe in some revolvers, it has very “snappy” recoil.

 

[Jim Watson]

Manuel Escodin revolvers were made in models 1924, 1926, and 31 in calibers .32 S&W Long, .38 Special, and .32 Winchester (.32-20.) As best I can tell, yours is marked Model 31 but it is not exactly the same as 31s I find on the www.

None of them are faithful copies of a real Smith and Wesson, parts are not interchangeable and not likely to turn up, so don't break it or wear it out.
Yours comes closer in APPEARANCE than the others.

I have no idea where to get .32-20 ammo; everybody is concentrating on more popular calibers.
You could get on a wait list
https://www.buffaloarms.com/32-20-win-ammo-115grn-amou32201.html
https://www.midwayusa.com/s?searchTerm=.32-20+ammo

 

[32winctg2022]

Thank you all for the useful
Info… so as
For its age then … is something round a 100 years old?? If they made
Them between 1900 and 1936, correct? Roughly… anyway of determining the exact
Year
Mine was made, soley out of curiosity that i ask..

 

[32winctg2022]

Also is the condition horrible?,considering the age , and does it seem
Like it may have been re blued at any point… my
Guess is it has not.. also seems to me to be in good working order, or atleast it would more than likely fire NP

 

[Jim Watson]

Well, if it is the Model 31, probably meaning 1931, it had to have been made between then and 1936 when General Franco rationalized the Spanish firearms industry, consolidating or closing a lot of small companies.

Safe to shoot? I can't say.

 

[CapnMac]

Could help me out in answering those

First off, Welcome to THR.

What you probably need is a decent gunsmith to look over this revolver.

Now, 32-20 is a joy to shoot--just not a common caliber to find on a shelf. (If easier to find than 32 S&W long)

A gunsmith ought to be able to tell you what the caliber is (or has been changed to).

Now, if the gun plumber says it's ok, the good news is that a simple Lee Loader will let you make 32-20 (or the 32SWL) easily enough.

Condition looks pretty good for being near a century old. The Spanish revolvers are not hugely collectible, and, you have already outlined the sentimental value this one has. SO, it's probably not a good candidate for re-bluing. But, that's just my 2¢

 

[Jim Watson]

I want to know where all these gunsmiths are who:
1. Can look at a strange gun and tell you if it is any good.
2. Are willing to take on the liability to tell you a strange gun is safe to shoot.

I sat in on an estate inspection with my 1911 guy. I knew most of what we looking at and would have shot them myself but not going to tell somebody else they are OK. We could not tell what caliber that rebarreled Remington was, I need to call and see if he made a determination on it. I now think it is a .244.

 

[Col. Harrumph]

My guess is (and I'm an Internet Expert(TM) just so ya know), any gunsmith can check the timing and lock-up, judge the condition of the crown and rifling, check the charge holes for pitting, and check the cylinder face for lead smears, and for excessive end play and a bent ejector rod. Obvious cracks too.

 

[rabid wombat]

In searching for ammo, consider:

https://ammoseek.com/ (A search engine for ammo. Nothing currently available - see below)
http://www.black-hills.com/shop/cowboy-ammo/32-20/ contact them to see for a distributor recommendation
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/238? None available….
https://www.natchezss.com/ammunition/rifle-ammo.html#a_03_caliber=200084&dir=asc&order=position Not in stock…

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

have never fired a .32-20 revolver. I have been told they are quite loud, compared to most 32 or 38 caliber revolvers. Factory .32-20 revolver loads had about as much power (in terms of the kinetic energy of the bullet) as 38 Special, but felt recoil might be milder because of the lighter bullet.

My 5" .32-20 M&P sounds and shoots pretty much identically to a comparable .38spl K-Frame. Indeed, the cartridge doesnt seem to offer any real world advantages over the Special and requires more difficult machining operations to make both the ammunition case and the revolvers cylinder charge holes.

Its a fun gun, and Ive laid in a lifetime supply of ammo for it...but I still wince when I realize every pull of the trigger is sending $2 downrange!

 

[natman]

The revolver is chambered in 32-20 AKA 32 Winchester Center Fire (WCF). Ammo is very hard to find and expensive if you do, $1-$2 per round.

The quality on Spanish revolvers of that era varied from acceptable to unsafe to fire. All things considered I wouldn't fire it unless a gunsmith blessed it, and then only with light loads.

 

[Gordon]

On Gun broker.com you will find some older ,(Don't get real old before WW2 era , ammo in 32-20. A box should do you if the gun is jdged safe to shoot it.

These would be safest for your gun as the cowboy loads are lighter than factory and this is fresh amm. Note it ain't cheap !

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/924457560

 

[rabid wombat]

Looks like one has some…..