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Revolver ID Help Please, Spanish?

10K views 12 replies 3 participants last post by  civa 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm new to the forum but have read many of the posts here and appreciate the collective expertise because I am not knowledgeable about Spanish revolvers. I've recently inherited a revolver that has been in the family for a long time, and may be a Spanish gun, but do not know the year and type so am attaching pictures for your feedback. I can't read all of the inscription on the barrel, but it does say "Winchester 32 20 WCF" on one side and "Use US Standard Ammunition" on the other. I know it is a 32-20 and have fired the gun, just trying to confirm manufacturer type, type and year. The serial number on the butt of the gun is 17XX. I thought it was a Smith and Wesson, but the kind folks on that forum said it was not and maybe either Spanish or Belgian.
 
#4 ·
Bob - thanks for your feedback on this; I've been away, thus the delay in providing more detail and another picture. I was able to perform some more work on the pistol and hopefully provide a better view of some of the marks on the barrel and over top of the cylinder release. Not clearly visible in the picture are the letters "FN" which appear over top of the crown and the other figure which looks like a bear (?) or a standing lion (?). Any assistance is appreciated.
 
#6 ·
Bob: Many thanks; on the top of the barrel it does say something about "Guaranteed 1926" so your assessment as to the vintage seems spot-on; Unfortunately, I can't read the rest of the inscription. Anyway, the gun shoots and my gunsmith said it is OK to shoot, and I would like to keep shooting it, but I have read many threads about quality issues with the metal in some Spanish pistols of this era and region. Are you aware of anything pro or con with this manufacturer? Any feedback is appreciated.
 
#7 ·
Well, really don't know who the particular manufacturer is for the pistol. As to shooting it, common sense prevails - due to the age of the pistol and the ammo loaded in the day when this pistol was made was black powder loadings, or new smokeless powders equivalent to the black powder loadings - use light target loads and you should be OK. A lot of the myths of "soft Spanish steel" was from folks putting hot loads through guns that were not designed for those pressures.
 
#8 ·
Current factory 32-20 is quite lightly loaded (do NOT use any 32-20 HIGH VELOCITY or HIGH SPEED loads that might appear - those were for M-92 rifles/carbines, not good for handguns or even 1873 lever guns) and should be OK in your Spanish revolver. I wouldn't shoot it a whole lot, though (it isn't a gun to feed 100 rounds a week indefinitely), as it would be likely to loosen up and probably develop timing issues with heavy, regular use. Not a safety issue, but one of reducing utility and functionality after a while.

A lot of the old "between the wars" Eibar-made DAs aren't bad guns at all. Others - well, perhaps the less said the better. This one doesn't look bad, other than a little finish damage from careless storage.
 
#9 ·
What a difference an investment in a six dollar Staples magnifying glass makes! On the top of the barrel is inscribed: Guaranteed 1925 "RURAL" Model The left side of the barrel reads WINCHESTER 32.20 WCF and the right side of the barrel reads USE US STANDARD AMMUNITION. The capital letters FN appear over the crown with coat of arms and lion proof marks. The trade mark symbol is on the left side below the trigger and is an image that looks looks like a jockey with a riding crop on a horse Also, Clyde - thanks for your feedback. I do not intend to shoot it very often - maybe once or twice a year and will use the rounds you mentioned.
 
#10 ·
PISTOLS OF THE WORLD (3rd Ed., databank p344) shows a "Rural" in 32, described as a Colt Police Positive copy made by Fabrica de Armes Garantizada, Eibar. The text entry for Garantizada (p.140) says they made a "...cheap .38 copy of the Colt Police Positive revolver. An unusual cylinder latch is incorporated in the crane arm in front of the cylinder. The weapon was probably made in the late 1920s. However, as the cylinder altch is almost identical to that used in the Cruzero revolver amde by Ojanuren y Vidosa of Eibar in the same period, it is concluded that `Garantizada' is merely a sales name." Yours may (I'd guess probably is) be the product of that company (OyV). You will note that the text and the databank entries don't, quite, match in all particulars...

These old Eibar revolvers are (if in good order) not dangerous with the relatively low-powered factory 32-20 ammo normally encountered, though they are also not anything to "hot rod", nor are they guns that will hold up to a lot of shooting without tending to need attention from wear.
 
#12 ·
If you have the box and it doesn't say something like "High Speed (or "High Velocity") for Rifle only" or similar, should be OK. I show the HS load for rifles (made 2100 fps) as having an 80 grain SP instad of the 100 grain lead of the standard load (1210 fps in a rifle, under 1000 fps in pistols)
 
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