I was given this great pistol two days ago and wanted to get more information about it. It is in great shape and the serial number appears to be 99272. I was told that it was a 32 (1st model) however the latch design on the top leads me to believe that it may be a 38. I would love to fire this weapon but don't know if I should use black powder ammo or not. I guess this is based on the age of the gun. Can anyone help?
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I was just given my uncles safety revolver and need help
- Thread starter jernbr
- Start date
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
I shoot alot of 32 & 38 S&W cartridges that I handload with various smokeless loads, in many brands the S&W guys can check your serial & determine the age / powder rating for the revolver I have both a 32 & a 38 "lemon squeezer"... from the looks, I'd say it's a 32 caliber... but I'm not an expert
Bill DeShivs
New member
Your gun does not have the original finish on it. It has been badly polished and nickel plated-indicating serious finish issues. I suggest having a gunsmith look at the internals.
Based on the photo, your gun is a .32 Safety Hammerless 1st Model - it has the cylinder latch that you push down to open. But the serial number identifies it as a 2nd Model, which had the latch that you lift to open. 1st Model SNs ran from 1 to 91417, 2nd Model from 91418 to 170000. You may want to take another look at the serial number - it should appear on the butt, cylinder, and barrel (and obviously should be the same in all three places).
Edit: I missed the part where you say you're not sure it's a .32, but could be a .38. That, I think, may explain the model/serial number discrepancy. The .38 Safety Hammerless 2nd Model had the push-down latch and was manufactured in the SN range 4001 to 119000. Measure the cylinder length - the .32s were 0.95", the .38s were 1.21".
Edit: I missed the part where you say you're not sure it's a .32, but could be a .38. That, I think, may explain the model/serial number discrepancy. The .38 Safety Hammerless 2nd Model had the push-down latch and was manufactured in the SN range 4001 to 119000. Measure the cylinder length - the .32s were 0.95", the .38s were 1.21".
Last edited:
Jim Watson
New member
Sure looks like a .38 to me.