Interesting find at my LGS..

[WCraven]

I only stop by to pay on my layaway and seen this S&W setting in the used case, i don't know anything about S&W but i thought it was worth the $100 asking price , now after some time on google i found this to be a model 1905 3rd change 32/20 with a serial number of 50487 which should place it around 1912-13

Everything seems to work fine other then having the timing checked,it was nickle finsh which makes it look bad and i don't think having it refinshed is worth it.. but this was best info i could find on it, Also i'm not sure what i need to do for this gun ..

32-20 WCF Hand Ejector (Model of 1905 - 3rd Change)
4 or 6 in. barrel, 20,499 mfg. 1909-15. Serial number range approx. 45,201-65,700.
Grading
100% 98% 95% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
N/A $1,850 $1,625 $1,375 $1,100 $875 $625 $425 $300 $250 $200 $175

 

[Iggy]

The grips are probably worth as much as you paid for the gun.

 

[WCraven]

My father has one also that says 32WCF CTG on the barrel and does not have Made in the USA on the frame with a SN of 105997 which should date his before 1922 .. very well made guns!

 

[Hardtarget]

I think you did good. An old pistol like that needs a good home. I don't know for sure but could you have it cleaned and bead blasted and parkerized. Would it really hurt the value at this point?

Or...is it really necessary to do anything?

Cool find...I would have done the hundred too!

Mark

 

[jame]

Check out having it de-nickled and refinished. If S&W would do it, you could have a very valuable piece, there.

Nice find!

 

[PabloJ]

You should have offered $50 for it.

 

[El Mariachi]

That looks like the gun my grandfather shot his first zombie with......

 

[md2lgyk]

Wow. Though I don't have any right now, I've always been fascinated by older guns like yours. My local pawn shop has something like it they want $150 for. Might just go back for another look.

 

[WCraven]

I would love to restore it to the nickle finsh it once had if i could get it done for $200 bux or less, more of the ones i have seen of this era don't have Winchester wrote on the barrel like that, also as i said it works great and has a nice trigger pull but finding ammo will be tough Winchester 32/20 is like 38sp ++ ammo in power and was only 2nd to the 45acp it this era for a pistol.

 

[WCraven]

md2lgyk.. I did find some info on S&W forums to aid in looking at one of this era guns.. The Made in U.S.A didn't start til May of 1922 and the guns was not heat treated till around 86*** serial number to fire the hotter rounds so my fathers gun would be safe but this one wouldn't..

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

The grips are probably worth as much as you paid for the gun.

I'm surprised the shop didn't pull them to sell and toss on some cheap'os for the money you spent. nice grips!

 

[44-henry]

That is a nice pistol and and excellent deal. If it was mine I would absolutely not do anything like parkerizing or painting. I think it has a lot of character as is, but if you have the money than a re-nickel job would be in order if done correctly. If you don't want to go to the added expense than I would expect you could post it on Gunbroker and make a nice profit over what you paid.

 

[jrdolall]

I too have an old 32-20. I don't see how refinishing this gun could hurt its value since it is not really very "valuable" as is. I would definitely drop a couple of hundred in it and get it restored then pull it out occasionally and show it to folks. Or IM me and offer it for sale.

 

[WCraven]

I agree about not hurting the value , the guns in shootable shape sale for $150 i think from what i have read which is really odd that being a 100 year old S&W don't hold alot of value unless near mint.

I deal in old hot wheels and they have no value restored , but a real 1969 Charger seem to have value restored lol..

 

[BCRider]

If it is mechanically good then I'd say you've got a gun up in the 30% mark. Yeah, it's crusty and pitted but it's not as bad as some I've seen.

Refinishing COULD cost a bundle.

The remnants of the old plating would need to be removed and the pitting would need to be filled with solder or some other plateable material. Then the gun would need to be fine sanded and polished because the plating will only look as good as the metal under it. That is a LOT of hand work which costs a lot. On the other hand if you are handy with soldering and don't mind the time to file down and fine sand then polish the metal to an overall nice finish and to mask off the inner portions to avoid plating them the actual plating of the parts could likely be done for well under your $200 limit

Blueing is simply NOT an option since the pitting can't be filled with anything other than steel. And that's not doable without welding. Not a good plan on an old gun due to shrinkage of the weld areas. In short it would totally ruin the gun.

Bead blasting and one of the "kotes" would be an option. Not a good one to my thoughts but a option.

Or you can leave it alone and use it after a good cleaning.

Of the lot getting it re-nickeled would be my choice. But you will end up with a gun which is worth not more than it is now and quite possibly a little less. But either way it would most certainly be worth 3 to 4 times what you paid for it regardless. The collector community would turn away if you refinish it. So only other shooters would be interested in buying it in such a case. On the other hand if you like it well enough to keep it for many years to come then who cares what the collectors think?

 

[greenmtnguy]

That is a classic old-timer, for sure!

Time for you to start to get into reloading.

 

[WCraven]

I'm starting to clean on the gun now as i removed the grips, they seemed to use a glue behind them which i am work on removing with break free CLP which i'm useing on the whole gun and have cleaned the bore.. i havn't decide yet on refinsh or not but that good info BCRider.

I know S&W still offers refining and if i do i may go the route as they would stamp it i guess as factory work if i could get it to workable shape.. i wonder what a good bath in brake fuild would do..hmm

 

[MartinS]

I know you're not serious about the brake fluid, but just in case children are reading here...No.