Prohibition era rescue.

[Lyonsgrid]

I very much approve this rescue.

[Al T.]

Neat. I ever get out there or you here, I'd love to show you my Granddads service revolver - basically a twin, in .32-20, and a five inch barrel.

[Chuck Haggard]

I'll bring some light WCs next time I am down, I want to shoot that gun

[Dagga Boy]

What is kind of cool for me, and the attraction (like a magnet) to this gun was this is the type of revolver that would have rode in the duty holster of 1920's cops in places like St. Louis and Chicago. I like things like this from the standpoint of a student of cop gunfighting. The first thing I noticed was that you cannot get any kind of sight picture (even with crappy sights) until the hammer is cocked. You can see where training was geared around equipment, and vice versa. Apparantly, point shooting in DA, and then cocking into SA for longer range and most likely range use only. What it also shows is how long "that is how we have always done it" in law enforcement lasts. When I was in the police academy in 1988, we were not allowed to use sights till we were past the seven yard range, so essentially only at 10, 15 and 25 (and occasionally at 50). You essentially went from the old FBI type point shooting at 3, 5 and 7 yards, and then transitioned to PPC and Bullseye work after that. You see the history of how various issues drive training. It is one thing for me to be reading all the old books from the old days, to actually getting the equipment in your hands to really get an actual feel.

[okie john]

5" Victory model barrel in .38 S&W.

Great save. How does it shoot? I thought 38 S&W barrels were .360"-ish rather than .358".


Okie John

[Dagga Boy]

Great save. How does it shoot? I thought 38 S&W barrels were .360"-ish rather than .358".


Okie John

Haven't taken it to the range yet. Likely next week.

[Tamara]

Yea, the .32 WCF would have been neat. Apparently this was shot with a bunch of old corrosive ammunition and never cleaned.

Sadly, most .32-20s I've seen have bores that look like mineshafts in coal country.

[Dagga Boy]

Shot a few cylinders of .38 lead round nose today. Shoots okay. Tough to work with the sights. Not great,not horrible. It will serve its purpose of "an example" gun of what a 20's city patrol cop would have carried.

[mtnbkr]

Is the frame strong enough for 38special? I didn't think any of the old 32-20s were heat treated to that strength level (the older ones not at all!). I have a similar vintage 32-20 given to me by a friend. It needed work, but I had Jim Stroh sort it out, but leave it cosmetically as it was given to me (character!). It shoots well enough for my needs, but I'll never use it for small game hunting.

Chris

[Dagga Boy]

It is a newer properly heat treated cylinder for .38. The frame should be the same as the .38's of the era. I just finished cleaning and lubricating it. May be the last time it get shot for a long while. I have guns with locks to shoot the crap out of with warranties.