Help Identify this revolver
- Thread starter MUB
- Start date
Mike Irwin
Staff
It's a Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless revolver, made probably in the middle 1880s or 1890s.
Caliber could be either .32 Smith & Wesson or .38 Smith & Wesson, both were quite popular. The .38 Smith & Wesson is the same cartridge as the British .380/200 revolver round.
Value for you, in India? Who knows. Here in the United States in that condition, it's probably a $200 to $300 gun, and that might be generous. Tough to tell the overall condition.
Caliber could be either .32 Smith & Wesson or .38 Smith & Wesson, both were quite popular. The .38 Smith & Wesson is the same cartridge as the British .380/200 revolver round.
Value for you, in India? Who knows. Here in the United States in that condition, it's probably a $200 to $300 gun, and that might be generous. Tough to tell the overall condition.
carguychris
New member
Given the proportionally large trigger guard, I'll go out on a limb and say that this is probably a .32 Safety Hammerless, also called the "New Departure" by the factory and known as a "Lemon Squeezer" in common early 20th-century American slang. 
The 93xxx serial number would make it a 2nd Model, probably produced ca. 1903.
This gun should be chambered for the .32 Smith & Wesson cartridge, which is still loaded commercially but is somewhat obsolescent, so it tends to be hard to find and relatively expensive.
CAUTION:
The 93xxx serial number would make it a 2nd Model, probably produced ca. 1903.This gun should be chambered for the .32 Smith & Wesson cartridge, which is still loaded commercially but is somewhat obsolescent, so it tends to be hard to find and relatively expensive.
CAUTION:
- Do NOT dry-fire this gun, i.e. pull the trigger without a round in the chamber. They're notorious for having weak firing pins, and replacements are very hard to find because most .32 Safety Hammerless parts guns also have broken firing pins.
- If the trigger will not operate at all, the grip safety mechanism is probably frozen up by rust, a malady which affects a good number of these old guns. Do NOT force it! It can be freed up by a competent gunsmith or sometimes by soaking the entire revolver in penetrating oil for a few days. (Remove the grips first, which brings me to...)
- Do NOT attempt to remove the grips unless you really, really have to. They tend to stick to the grip frame and then break apart in chunks if this is done carelessly. They can reportedly sometimes be un-stuck by sealing the revolver in a thick plastic bag and placing it in a very cold freezer for several days.
- Most importantly... Do NOT, I repeat do NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ATTEMPT TO FIRE .32ACP (aka .32 Auto or 7.65 Browning) AMMUNITION IN THIS GUN!!! This cartridge will fit in the chambers of these old top-breaks, but it's substantially more powerful than the original .32 S&W cartridge, and may blow the gun apart and remove pieces of the shooter's fingers in the process!
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Thank you Mike and Chris. That's a lot of detail.
As I said, I am a total newbie to guns, so I have the least idea of what NPB means. It was mentioned in one of the handwritten papers related to this revolver.
BTW, is the price of this revolve really as low as $200 - $300 in the USA? This is not first-hand information but I heard from our neighbour that my Father-in-law was offered an equivalent of $1,200 about 4 years ago. It is probably because guns are not in use as much here in India as in the USA.
Now that I have more information, thanks to you guys, I shall check the local gun store about the pricing.
Thanks, once again!
As I said, I am a total newbie to guns, so I have the least idea of what NPB means. It was mentioned in one of the handwritten papers related to this revolver.
BTW, is the price of this revolve really as low as $200 - $300 in the USA? This is not first-hand information but I heard from our neighbour that my Father-in-law was offered an equivalent of $1,200 about 4 years ago. It is probably because guns are not in use as much here in India as in the USA.
Now that I have more information, thanks to you guys, I shall check the local gun store about the pricing.
Thanks, once again!
PA Hunter37
New member
NPB
Non-Prohibited Bore.
According to Government of India Ministry of Home Affairs, Internal Security II Division, Arms Section No.11026/16/2009 Dated the 21st December, 2009: "Arms which are automatic or semi automatic in nature fall in the category of Prohibited Bore (PB) arms and the remaining arms which are non automatic or bolt action type are covered under the category of Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) arms."
http://mha.nic.in/pdfs/DAAM-PolicyIndividuals-211209.pdf
Non-Prohibited Bore.
According to Government of India Ministry of Home Affairs, Internal Security II Division, Arms Section No.11026/16/2009 Dated the 21st December, 2009: "Arms which are automatic or semi automatic in nature fall in the category of Prohibited Bore (PB) arms and the remaining arms which are non automatic or bolt action type are covered under the category of Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) arms."
http://mha.nic.in/pdfs/DAAM-PolicyIndividuals-211209.pdf
carguychris
New member
Yes. Based on what I can see in your picture, that's about right, and could even be a bit high depending on local market conditions.
Their market appeal in the USA is hampered by the underpowered, expensive, and largely unavailable cartridge they fire. Since these revolvers were built in very large numbers, collectors aren't very interested in the standard run-of-the-mill variants, unless they're in exceptionally good condition. (The exceptions are guns with the special-order 1-3/4" barrel and 6" barrel, and the factory multiple-barrel sets in wooden presentation cases; these can sell for BIG money even in somewhat worn condition, but they are the exception, not the rule.)