Mystery Spanish 32-20 top break

[mwells72774]

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

While the smaller Top Break revolvers were often limited to cartridges the size of a 32 or 38 S&W, larger Top Breaks could accommodate larger, and longer cartridges.

The S&W Double Action 44 that I have pictured was available with a slightly longer cylinder chambered for 44-40. So was the New Model Number Three. A very few were also chambered for 38-40. While neither of these revolvers were ever chambered for 32-20, the cylinders were long enough that they could have been.

 

[mwells72774]

For what it's worth, some of the info I've found on them is they went with 32-20 because they were already making 8mm label revolvers

 

[Mike Irwin]

"How hard would that side plate be to locate?"

You'll find one at the same time you find a herd of unicorns.

Dang neat that it's .32-20, though. I'd never heard of a breaktop .32-20.

But, the .32-20 is only very slightly longer than the .44-40, and thousands of breaktops were made for that round with no length issues...