old 32 long smith and wesson

O

OIF_vet

Inactive
can someone tell me a little about this revolver and maybe approximate value. looks like ivory handles on it. i havnt seen any pics with these handles, its usually black handles on ones like this. not in the best of shape but not too bad either. still shoots great. but number is 2785**13454069_1357890344237434_1313510300_n.jpg

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Looks like a Handejector, 6th version, around 1920 (someone probably can nail this down further). Doesn't seem to have much finish left, and non-factory grips, so the collector value is low. Needs much better pictures to judge the rating on the finish, and for these guns finish is everything when it comes to price.
 
thanks. is it possible to find out from the factory where and when it was sold or any other info on the pistol. if so how do i go about it?
 
I thought I replied but it seems to have gotten lost.

Anyway, the revolver appears to be a .32 Hand Ejector, Model of 1903, Fifth Change, made about 1912. The grips are not original and the material cannot be determined without close examination. It might be ivory, but with all the laws about elephant ivory today, it might be better if it were not. Very good copies of the original grips are available, made of plastic and much less likely to break than the old hard rubber ("gutta percha").

The pictures are very poor, but there also appears to be some problem with the extractor rod, but it may only need adjustment. The Fifth Change included a hammer block, but not a very positive one, so I don't consider it advisable to carry that gun with a round under the hammer. The rust and overall appearance suggest that it might have been subjected to a poor quality refinish. No real evaluation is possible without better pictures.

A factory letter is available for most S&W's of that era, but it will only tell you where the factory shipped the gun, usually a distributor, and its original features (blue, nickel, engraved, etc.). Only very rarely will the actual individual purchaser be available.

Jim
 
If you want better pictures of that gun, try using a darker background...your camera is metering off the light colored background and making the dark gun too dark.

I have one of these .32 S&W longs by the way. I cannot remember the frame size designation, but it differs from a j-frame in that it has a flat mainspring like the larger S&W double-actions.

A fun shooter, but the tiny groove for the rear sight is a real pain to sight with.
 
Jim, according to what I found the 5th change ended at 263,000, so the serial number would out it in the 6th range.

.32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 Fifth Change: Serial number range 102501-263000, mfg'd 1910-1917
 
dahermit said:
I cannot remember the frame size designation, but it differs from a j-frame in that it has a flat mainspring like the larger S&W double-actions.
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It's an I frame.

This brings up an issue regarding the stocks (S&W factory term for grips). The grip frame length of an original leaf-spring I frame is about 1/4" shorter than that of the modern post-1952 J frame, so the vast majority of J frame stocks/grips won't fit properly on this gun. In the case of wood stocks, they could potentially be filed down, but this would obviously ruin any finish that had been applied, and any checkering would probably be rendered off-center. Basically, I recommend looking for stocks that are specific to an original I frame or a very early "Baby Chief" J frame (this is a gun-collector term for the 1950-1952 Chief's Special, the only J frame model in existence at the time, and the only production J frame ever to use I frame grip dimensions).

Also, be aware that 1952 and later I frames were built on the so-called "Improved I" frame, which had a coil mainspring, and reportedly used slightly different grip frame dimensions than the original I frame AND the J frame!

IIRC original stocks on a .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 6th Change [CORRECTION] Third Model with blued finish were normally checkered walnut. AFAIK the black rubber or gutta percha stocks were typically sold only with nickel finish.
 
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Hi, Mapsjanhere,

You are correct; I misread the source. In the mysterious world of S&W model names, they seem to have gone from the Model of 1903 Fifth Change (ended about 263,000) to the ".32 Hand Ejector Third Model" aka "Model I Hand Ejector Third Model". Serial numbers continued to about 534,532 in 1942 when the line was dropped due to the need to turn out the M&P for WWII contracts. My comment on the hammer block safety is correct; that .32 used the old hammer block that failed in the .38 M&P "Victory Model"; its redesign is still in use today.

Hi, Carguychris,

I don't think Model 36 grips look so bad on an older gun. The touchup is spray spar varnish, the original finish for that grip.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=68681&d=1300841521

Jim
 
James K said:
I don't think Model 36 grips look so bad on an older gun. The touchup is spray spar varnish, the original finish for that grip.
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Those DO look good. :)

My main point: just don't expect them to fit perfectly right off the bat!
 
Those grips probably are ivory. Owning or even buying pre ban ivory is no big deal but it sure is pricey.
 
OIF_Vet, Love the grips on your old 32. These little guys are so much fun to shoot. I have one, a HE 3rd Model with 6" barrel.
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Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
I don't know if it's the original finish or not. All of the blue is gone one the backstrap. So it could be.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
That is a very nice example! All of my old S & W's are the .32 shorts and .38 S & W, and certainly not in as good of condition as yours, but they are quite a bit of fun to shoot!
 
I don't know if it's the original finish or not. All of the blue is gone one the backstrap. So it could be.
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Deerslayer,

Check to see if the tip of the ejector rod is in the white - they are from the factory. The knob itself was case hardened, as yours is so it looks to be original finish to my eye ;)
 
That's a later "fat sleeve" ejector rod head, which with the gutta percha grips makes it probably a late 1920s to just before WW II gun.
 
Thank You

I picked one of these, today, at a pawn shop. No original finish, mother of pearl handles, minor pitting, but with a nice barrel and tight action. I was afraid I'd have to ask for help dating it, but thanks to Mapsjanhere "Serial number range 102501-263000, mfg'd 1910-1917", I can see that my serial # 177XXX is right at 100 yrs. old.:)
 
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