S&W 32-20 Hand Ejector

B

BestWitted

Inactive
I have what appears to be a S&W 32-20 Hand Ejector (model of 1905), but…….no S&W marks or logo on the gun. The logo is under the cylinder release latch (on the left side of the gun) and is an oval circle with a CZ (the z is inside the C) and on the outside of the oval are the words....Trade (above the oval) and the word Mark (below the oval). The numbers 399 appear on the inside of both wooden grips and on the underside of the cylinder release. 399 is also seen on the front of the cylinder along with what looks like a Birmingham proof mark...just the crown with nothing above or below it. There is also a lanyard on the base of the gun. The serial number 21725 appears to the right of the lanyard ring on the butt of the gun. To the left of the lanyard ring is the letter A. The 4 3/8" barrel is tapered but the taper appears to occur only on the top side of the barrel. Hammer and trigger are case hardened with a pinned barrel and blade front sight. While it appears to be a S&W model of 1905 (by the serial number and the fact that all parts appear to look like S&W parts), it has a CZ trademark. Can you tell me if this gun was manufactured by S&W for CZ or perhaps CZ produced this gun using a S&W license and serial numbers or? Thanks.
 
To the best of my knowledge, S&W never manufactured handguns for another private company in Europe. The only authorized S&W copies made in Europe (that I know of) are No. 3 revolvers of the Russian pattern type, made either under contract at the Tula Arsenal in Russia for the Russian Army, or some commercial guns made by Ludwig & Lowe in Germany.

I've also never heard of CZ making a copy or knockoff of an S&W .32-20. I'd also think that would be an odd caliber, as to the best of my knowledge it never got much attention outside the United States.
 
32-20

Mike---Thanks for the insight on S&W....you are absolutely right.....why on earth would a foreign company make a 32-20 revolver with so many other choices.....on the other hand.....perhaps in the early part of the 20th century, the 32-20 was the "it" cartridge similar to the popularity of the 40 S&W today. But, the good news is that it really does shoot well.
 
I'm putting in an e-mail in to one of the authors of The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson to see if he knows anything about it.

Any chance of you posting some pictures?

The .32-20 was certainly popular in the United States, but I've never heard of it making much in the way of inroads elsewhere. By the early years of the 20th century, the cartridge was also well on its way to being forgotten. It was surpassed by a lot of the new smokeless wonder rounds that kept coming out.

Winchester had tried to soup up the round when it brought out the John Browning designed Model 92. They introduced a line of hot loaded rounds normally designated "Hi Speed" cartridges. Boxes came complete with warnings that they were not for Model 1873 rifles or black-powder Colt Single Action Armies, but people back then were about as intelligent as they are today... A lot of people ignored the warnings and destroyed guns. Luckily back then they weren't as quick to hire on an attorney to sue for pain and suffering.
 
32-20

Hi Mike

I have several photos I can send but do not know how to post them on this site.....tried pasting one to this email and it won't accept it. If you can point me to the right page or method, I can readily post several, low-pixel count photos of various parts of the revolver or I can email them if I had an email address. Thanks, Dave
OnlyBackRoads@aol.com
801.310.6788
 
Sounds rather interesting - -

Mike - -

If you ever received those photos by e-mail, any chance you could post them here in this thread? You might include any fresh observations of your own.

Obliged,
Johnny
 
Never even thought about that for some reason.

Best witted did send me photos, and it's pretty evident that the gun is not CZ, but is a Spanish copy, and a rather well-done one, at that.

I'll link photos a bit later.
 
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