H&r .32 s&w ctge

scott knight

Inactive
I inherited an H&R S&W CTGE .32 Cal 5 shot revolver. It has a 3 1/4"barrel, blue finish with a serial # 264599. The inscription on the barrel says Worchester, Massachusetts,USA
Does anyone have any idea when this pistol was manufactured and what it might be worth. It is in excellent condition except for the trigger return. I am assuming it is a spring in the trigger mechanism. Where can I find a schematic of this pistol and does anyone sell parts.
Is it safe to shoot over the counter 146 gr. S&W shells with this pistol?
 
A picture or two would make it much easier to give you concrete information about this revolver. In the 19th century, it was common for a gunmaker to market several similar models with overlapping serial number ranges. Unique serial numbers were not required in the USA until 1968.

It would also be helpful to know whether the gun has a visible external hammer.
Is it safe to shoot over the counter 146 gr. S&W shells with this pistol?
It sounds like you're talking about .38 S&W, which is an incompatible larger-caliber cartridge. .32 S&W is normally loaded with a bullet in the 85-90gr range.

Most modern commercial .32 S&W loads should be safe to shoot in this revolver assuming it is in safe firing condition. Although many .32 S&W revolvers were intended for black powder, most modern smokeless-powder loads use very mild powder charges to make them safe to fire in a black powder revolver in good condition. If in doubt, have the gun checked by a reputable and competent gunsmith.
 
Last edited:
A word of caution about trying to repair those old pistols. Even if parts are available, the guns are very frustrating to work on and most gunsmiths won't touch them because the cost of repair will usually exceed, by many times, the value of the pistol. As for DIY repair, unless you are willing to spend a fair amount of money and subject yourself to a lot of frustration and hair-pulling, I recommend hanging the old gun on the wall and buying a new model for using.

Jim
 
Back
Top