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Post by sixgun55 on Apr 25, 2004 18:00:06 GMT -5
I'm new here. I bought a brief case with nine old revolvers from a friend dumping a bunch of what he considers trash inheritance. Most are top break 32 and one 38 cal Iver Johnsons and H& R five shots. One that I am wondering about is a five inch six shot revolver in 32-20 caliber. It sure as hell looks and feels like an old Smith, shoots good too. It is stamped 32/20 US Service CTGS on the side of the barrel, and says Best American Cartridges are those that fit best the T.A.C. Revolver. This gun is stamped with SPAIN. The only thing that looks different from an early Smith is the cylinder release. The grips are walnut with a diamond in the middle. Any one wanna take a stab at what this gun is?
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Post by Whocares on Apr 25, 2004 21:37:26 GMT -5
Sixgun; If you do not have an image provider, we can still get your photo of this gun on our forum, if need be.
Still; I can research what you have already told me; I do know that there were many of the early top break New Model 3 single action S&Ws in various calibers exported to fill contracts with Spain, as well as Japan, Australia, Argentina, England, and Cuba.
Some of the Smith & Wesson type revolvers maunufactured in Spain, by Orbea Hermanos, featured similarities to the original, including the diamond on the grip.
The revolver you mention could have been manufactured by Trocaola, Aranzabal Y Cia of Spain; These are indentifiable by an encircled "TAC" monogram on the left side of the frame, similar to S&W,which would deliberately mislead some, because of the gun's close resemblance to the design of S&W.
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Post by sixgun55 on Apr 26, 2004 6:48:37 GMT -5
Sorry to mislead, the 32/20 is not a top break, the cylinder swings out. This gun in question looks like a very early model of a Smith military 38. I guess this was a similiar round as what alot of the Winchesters were at thed time. There is a strong chance this gun was gangster of the 20's era.
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Post by Whocares on Apr 26, 2004 10:54:47 GMT -5
Sixgun; The Spanish gun makers must have admired the S&W hand ejectors more than any other revolver on the planet. To find one with the barrel markings you described, has turned up nothing so far.
Because the markings give mention to the T.A.C. revolver, it should be of Spanish origins rather than a U.S manufactured export.
The Spanish copies of the S&W and Colt goes back throughout the 20th century, some are more known than others, such as the Astras, Llamas, Stars, Gabilondos, and several others. Sometimes the maker will leave his stamp on the gun, either located beneath the barrel, inside the grip frame, or the inner portion of the frame at the cylinder yoke, as Aldo Uberti often stamps his guns from Italy.
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Post by sixgun55 on Apr 26, 2004 19:50:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, I haven't toyed with guns since early in the job. Lost alot of hearing and went fishing instead. Now every body out there reading this is saying HUH? Holding a hand behind their ear. So anyway, I have started becoming interested again. Used to shoot a bit of competition and cast the rounds and load em and shoot em everyday. Might start again abit, though the eyes and the front sight is on a little different terms now. I tend to point shoot more anyway. Raising the gun up, taking a careful sight picture and your already bleedin. Sold a beauty this moring, a top break 32 H&R that was at least 95 percent bright blue still. Never shot much. Got a hundred dollars out of it. Never saw one so nice. Stll have three 32's and a really cherry nickel 38 of the same vintage. I don't think the 38 was ever shot....yet. My favorite is going to be the 32/20 though, even if it is a Spainard gun. Bought six boxes of 32/20 rounds today for 6 bucks a box. Know what I'll soon be doing.
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Post by Whocares on Apr 26, 2004 21:43:25 GMT -5
I'm with you on the fuzzy front sight Sixgun; Seems like some things wear out with age. Don't think you'll go wrong with the Spanish revolver, some of the Spanish makers sold their pieces around the world to be used in Law Enforcement and Military service.
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Post by sixgun55 on May 1, 2004 19:39:47 GMT -5
Another gun came out of the briefcase, a H&R Nickel topbreak 38 S&W. It seems the guns had not not been shot yet. So I got a couple of boxes and went to the stump in the back yaqrd. Now I won't enter any competition with the gun, however it really beats having a sharp stick. At 15 yds, I made a decent group that would piss off a fat man as myself. Not what I call knock down power, but enough to callit a gun. I next took another gun out, a 22 cal H&R nickel that is not a break, just a 7 shit small gun that loads on thre side and is stamped 1906 model. It shot the 7 shorts I put in it, but it was pretty dark and I don't know where the rounds went. I like the old guns. I have 3 more 32 cal Iver Johnsons to test, ain't got the bullits yet. Hi HO Silver Away..........
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Post by Whocares on May 2, 2004 17:19:38 GMT -5
Sixgun; The way things are going with polymer, alloys, MIM parts, and stainless, anything made prior to 1990 in carbon steel is becoming old these days.
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Post by sixgun55 on May 12, 2004 16:43:36 GMT -5
I just fell in love again. I traded a stainless model 649 Smith for a immaculate model 35-1 six inch blue steel. I went to the back yard a few minutes ago and fired off about 25 rounds. I had one of these guns about 25 years ago and never saw another one again until today. I have 300 bucks total invested. It is basically a 32/22 kit gun with a six inch barrel. I just gave the gun its first cleaning ever, man is it a jewel. Does anybody else ever think about guns this way? Now I have broke out a nickel model 36 square bott to carry in the anklle holster. It has not been shot yet. It will in about ten minutes.
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