I don't know what my fascination is with the .32-20 (aka ".32 WCF"). It's not a particularly useful round, but it sure is neat; I confess to taking out my .32-20 Hand Ejector just to look at more often then is probably normal. I sometimes dream of finding a Marlin or Winchester levergun of a respectable prewar vintage to serve as a companion piece.
I got the vapors at Premier Arms pretty badly today when they had not one, but two old .32-20 wheelguns in the showcase: A Colt's 1878 "Frontier" and an old Peacemaker. I thought about asking if they'd take my car in trade for the pair, but it was a long walk home.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
I have some fondness for that cartridge too.
From the time I was in the 8th grade until I left home after college there was a 32-20 Winchester lever-action rifle with an octagon barrel on my bedroom wall. The gun had belonged to my grandfather. His brother, my great Uncle Walt, told me that he shot his first coyote with it when he was 10 years old.
I don't know what my fascination is with the .32-20 (aka ".32 WCF").
I think I know. It could be from this song
Just remember. Cars can be replaced as they are common. It may not be the ride with the style you want, but a ride is always available.
A good collectable gun just the way you want is rare, dang rare.
Sell the car, get the guns and buy another cheaper car.
My grandfather's pistol is a .32-20 S&W. Sadly, the bore is very rough, but it still shoots. Five inch barrel too.
My uncle had a Model 92 in 32-20 as well as a Smith in the same. He thought it was plenty enough for deer and in his hands it was. But then he considered a 30-30 to be more then enough for elk.
Ted
So, who're you planning to cut half in two with those things? ;-)
When I was in college(late 1960s - yea, I'm a geezer) my wife and I were at an auction and one of the items on the block was a 92 Winchester with an octogonal barrel in 32 WCF. It wasn't pristine but very nice on the outside. The bore looked a little rough but shootable. Not having much spare cash in those years and with perhaps a bit of concern about self control, I decided my strategy would be to bid quickly and firmly right up to $200 hoping this would convince other bidders how determined I was to own that rifle. $200 was the absolute limit I thought our budget could withstand. Well, my plan didn't scare off anyone and when I reached my limit the price kept on climbing. The rifle finally sold at $235 and I turned dejectedly to my wife who had been watching from the back to see she had a big smile on her face. Knowing how much I wanted that 32-20, she had kept on bidding and bought it!
I now have lots of guns in my collection, but none of them mean more to me than that old Winchester. And I've still got that wife too.
Nice cartridge the 32-20 nice to shoot and nice to reload boy oh boy do the Rifles fetch a good price now just been looking on collectorsfirearms.com and they got quite a few for sale from the old to the recent Win 92 ones nice guns.
"I sometimes dream of finding a Marlin or Winchester levergun of a respectable prewar vintage to serve as a companion piece."
I think I mentioned that Dad put down a deer once with a very old octagonal '92 Winchester in .32-20, once. A hunting buddy insisted he was going to pop a deer with it, but then chickened out at the last second and used Dad's '06. The deer went down in the tall grass, coming back up after Huntin' Buddy, still with the .30-'06, had walked past it. Dad, who had been left in the stand by our eager friend with the old .32-20, snap-shot the wounded deer in the head from perhaps a dozen yards away. Maybe just a coup de gras, but Dad was the one who drew blood with that neat old antique. Which is kind of kewl.
And now I want one, too. For what? Hell, don't bother me with the details. . .
My brother bought an old '92 in .32WCF this past winter. I'm hoping to get a chance to shoot it one of these weeks. He says he's getting groups of three inches or less at a hundred yards and may try shooting a deer with it this fall.
Ah, to return to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when hockshop windows were full of SAAs for $25 to $35.
In 1969 in Denver, I saw a Walker Dragoon in the presentation case, powder flask and everything, clean condition, for $600.
I didn't have a loose $600, of course...
Art
Here is the song on Youtube.
Robert Johnson-32-20 Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D8gncGLeic
"Here is the song on Youtube.
Robert Johnson-32-20 Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D8gncGLeic
God bless Youtube!
32-20 Blues
Enjoy!
Got lucky a couple of years back and picked up an older re-blue '92 in 32-20.
Post a Comment