I picked up a S&W New Departure, 32 cal. Safety Hammerless at an auction the other day and would like to find a parts drawing of it. Also any general info on this model. I think it is a 32 Safety Hammerless, 1st Model 1891, but I'm not sure, ser #144xxx. The nickel finish is shot but the rest of the gun appears to be descent. Any info or directions to info is most welcome.
S&W New Departure
- Thread starter D Thomson
- Start date
My advise is that if you don't have to repair or take that gun down for some reason other than curiosity, that you leave it alone. Those old guns have some fragile parts (like the cylinder stop - 7 in the diagram) that are impossible to get and would cost a fortune to make. They will probably work OK as long as no one decides to take the gun apart and break or lose something.
If the gun needs cleaning, use a spray cleaner or dunk the gun in Kroil or something like it.
BTW, don't assume you can just take it to a gunsmith. Most gunsmiths today have no knowledge of the old timers and less interest, but might not admit that until they break something irreplaceable.
Jim
If the gun needs cleaning, use a spray cleaner or dunk the gun in Kroil or something like it.
BTW, don't assume you can just take it to a gunsmith. Most gunsmiths today have no knowledge of the old timers and less interest, but might not admit that until they break something irreplaceable.
Jim
If it's mechanical I like to think I can fix it. FIX is just a three letter word, how hard can it be. I had to drill out the side cover screws as someone had totally messed up the heads. Internally, things were frozen up, the hammer stop for the grip safety was stuck so it had to come apart. One of the ears [for a pivot pin] on the trigger is broken off so it will require a new trigger if I can't braze it up and drill a new hole. If it was easy to fix I couldn't have got it for $30 . I have learned one thing from this project, I need new glasses as some of the parts appear to be much smaller than they used to be. It's all for fun and it give me a reason to drink, just to steady my hand of course.
"How hard can it be?" Well, damned hard. I once made one of those cylinder stops, cutting and filing it out of spring steel stock. I never want to make another, but anyone who does can have the job. It took me a couple of days on a part I could charge only $10 for, but it was partly to help a good customer and also just to see if I was up to the challenge. The worst part is the constant cutting and trying, knowing that one mistake means starting over.
Jim
Jim
I have one, also in.32 S&W. Nickel plated, original grips and is a No.1. A fun shooter with grip safety and horrendous trigger pull. Once you get the hang of the break point where the trigger releases the hammer, it's a nice little shooter and has accompanied me on many occasions. The 90 gr. bullet is very puny probably will not be stopper of anything larger than a mouse!
The other name for those guns was "lemon squeezer" from a (mostly) fancied resemblance to a gadget for making lemon juice. From the serial number, yours would be the Second Model, made from 1902-1909. There were three models, the differences were mainly in the type of latch. The same basic gun was also made in .38 S&W, and some of both calibers are still serving as carry guns. The .32 S&W is considered barely minimal in terms of effective cartridges today, but the .38 S&W has reasonable power for social purposes.
Still, while they are very well made guns, the scarcity of parts and the low power keep me from recommending one as anything but a collectors' item.
Jim
Still, while they are very well made guns, the scarcity of parts and the low power keep me from recommending one as anything but a collectors' item.
Jim
As I get farther into this project it seems that every piece that needs replaced is no longer available. The trigger spring is broken so I will have to make a new one. Also there was a spring for the hammer stop [that is released with the grip safety] that needs replaced. The pin that holds the hammer stop in place doesn't want to come out so I may have to drill it out. This will be a chore. The pin is about .054 dia. and .500 long. That is a long way for such a small drill. A lot of work and fun for a gun that will never be worth anything. This little project challenges my machining skills and I like making and repairing things. I had to drill out and retap a side plate screw. The tap is a #4 40 . What marvels me is that the machine work in making this pistol was done when the only tools were rocks and big hammers. How did they make a tap that small [ and smaller ]. Something to think about.
The machine work in that era has probably never been equaled, at least in guns. Today, we work to finer tolerances in things like computer hard drives, but the workmanship in our guns is not as good as it was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Those folks were artists in iron and steel, and they worked for a couple of dollars a day. They could make both accurate watches and steam engine pistons nine feet in diameter. I don't say we couldn't do it today; if there were a need and enough money we could build the pyramids today. But we won't, and we probably will never again see guns made as well as they made them back then.
Jim
Jim