Does anyone know .......

[CC Sig-girl]

Anything about this gun. My parents bought it a a pawn shop in the 60s. It is a .32 caliber, double barrel. There is some writing on it, I think is spanish but not sure.

I have taken it to a couple gun shows and tried to look online but have not been able to find out anything. I would welcome any info or even advice on were to look for info.

Thanks to all..............

Later Kim

 

[saands]

I'd say that copying whatever is written on it into this post would be a great start ... many foreign languages spoken here and it would likely give good clues.

Is it a rim-fire or a centerfire (or pin-fire??).

Looks like a mini-sawed-off-shotgun in the pic!

Saands

 

[CC Sig-girl]

Here are some more pics & I think it is center fire but will check with my Dad tonight to make sure.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h134/burlypi/32bottomsmJPG.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h134/burlypi/32opensmJPG.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h134/burlypi/32topsmJPG.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h134/burlypi/32top2smJPG.jpg

The words on top of the barrells that I can make out from the pics are:

CA 320 ACO GARANTID

I will look at it tonight and see what else I can make out.

It has double barrells, double triggers and hammers.

Thanks in advance for any help.
Kim

 

[Tom2]

Hatcher says: ".32 Short Colt, .320 Revolver. These are old cartridges, (writing in 1935) designed years ago for arms that are now obsolete. The .32 Colt was originally used in Colt revolvers, while the .320 revolver cartridge was a foreign cartridge made to fit the Webley, Trantor, and other european revolvers of this size. The .32 Short Colt will fit the revolvers chambered for the .320, and the .320 can be used in the Colt revolvers of .32 Short caliber, so that these cartridges may be used interchangeably. They are black powder cartridges, with outside lubricated lead bullets. The .32 Short Colt is loaded with black or smokeless powder; the .320 with black powder only. While these cartridges resemble the .32 Smith and Wesson, they will not interchange with it, as there are some differences in dimensions." See the picture. Note that the Colt looks like a giant centerfire .22 short, with the outside bullet. The chambers of .32 Colt revolvers were bored straight thru, .320 inch diameter. The smokeless load was reportedly loaded to 810 fps from a 6 inch revolver, faster than the little .32 short S&W by alot. Smokeless powder probably a no-no in that particular gun, if you could find ammo.

 

[Jim Watson]

These little guns were once fairly common, especially in Spain and Latin America, as sidearms for people who could not afford a revolver or automatic pistol. This one is a good deal fancier than most. Maybe for somebody who had made some money but was accustomed to the type and saw no reason to change actions.

 

[James K]

They are especially common in Brazil, and are or were made there. I have been told that Brazilian law prohibits native peoples from owning repeating or self-loading arms but that double barrels are OK, so those guns are made for that market. Some were imported into the U.S. 50 or so years back, but there was little interest except as curios and importation stopped.

What caliber it actually is, I don't know unless the marking is ".32 ACP" rather than ".32 ACO". .32 ACP, of course, is the common .32 cartridge for semi-auto pistols.

Jim

 

[CC Sig-girl]

Thank ya'll so much for the info. I got tied up last night (not literally, dammit) but I will post more info later this week. At least now I know something about it. I am pretty sure that my Dad has fired it, but I will have to sheck with him and see if he has any ammo for it. Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!! Later.......K

 

[Tom2]

I am curious to find out what ammo he used in it. That sort of action does not strike me as being super strong to shoot with very intense ammo. Heck if you could find any cases that could be trimmed to fit, you might be able to get some bird shot and make cute little brass shotgun shells to shoot in it! Mouse hunter side by side! Does it lock up tight? Cause if it has much play in the thing closed up, maybe not that safe to shoot with anything. IF you could find some brass cases to fit it, maybe you could load them with a little black powder and use a lead muzzle loader ball for a bullet in it.

 

[guntotin_fool]

I got tied up last night (not literally, dammit)

One has to ask, are you upset you did not literally get tied up, or simply disgusted that we immediately wondered if you were in fact, tied up?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[CC Sig-girl]

To be honest, my first thought was being upset that I have no reason to be tied up and no one to do the tying, (recently divorced), and then thoughts of my ex reminded me of an agreement we had that we didn't tie each other up because we weren't sure if the one who did the tying would let the other go. So, I guess it was a typical female brain thing and this being a typical female answer in that I am rambling, damn I hate it when I do that.

 

[Scorch]

CA 320 ACO GARANTID

Caliber 320 (probably 320 Revolver/ 320 Webley), certified steel (probably refers to the barrel material). Possibly Portuguese, possibly brazilian.

According to Cartridges Of The World (9th Ed, p 294), 320 Revolver was popular as a chambering for European pocket pistols, and "was the inspiration for the 32 Short Colt. Recently, 320 Revolver ammunition was offered by Fiocchi." There ya go.

Ballistics same as 32 Short Colt, 80 gr lead bullet at 550 fps, yields 54 ft lbs KE.

then thoughts of my ex reminded me of an agreement we had that we didn't tie each other up because we weren't sure if the one who did the tying would let the other go.

Hooboy.

 

[ƒORTE]

Don't know much about the aforementioned pistol. However learned lots of knots in Scouts. Always be prepared

 

[CC Sig-girl]

Spoke t my Dad this weekend and he has shot it several times and he does use the .32 short colt ammo.

Does any one have an idea of what the value of this gun would be?

Thanks
K