Looking for some information on a Smith and Wesson 4th Model .32 I just bought. The excellent laytonj1 searched the serial number for me and it seems safe to say it was made between 1907 and 1909. Mine is blued and has wood grips that I'm sure are custom made or modified. I will have my gunsmith look it over before I shoot it, but it looks to be in pretty good shape for its age, except for one thing.
I don't know much about old Smiths and I can't find much detail in a web search. It's a double action, with an exposed hammer. Here's my question. Is this model a double action-single action? Or double action only? The double action seems to work fine. It cocks - the hammer locks back - like a single action. But when I pull the trigger the hammer seems to catch and does not fall with any force. It feels almost like it's trying to fire in double action, even though it started with the hammer locked in a single action firing position.
So what is normal for this gun? I'm guessing it's broken, but I'd like to hear from you experts. Thanks.
Well, don't know what I did differently on my latest search, but I did just find a video of a guy shooting a 4th model in single action. So there's that answer. The question now is: Anyone have any idea why my gun doersn't work in single action?
I don't know much about old Smiths and I can't find much detail in a web search. It's a double action, with an exposed hammer. Here's my question. Is this model a double action-single action? Or double action only? The double action seems to work fine. It cocks - the hammer locks back - like a single action. But when I pull the trigger the hammer seems to catch and does not fall with any force. It feels almost like it's trying to fire in double action, even though it started with the hammer locked in a single action firing position.
So what is normal for this gun? I'm guessing it's broken, but I'd like to hear from you experts. Thanks.
Well, don't know what I did differently on my latest search, but I did just find a video of a guy shooting a 4th model in single action. So there's that answer. The question now is: Anyone have any idea why my gun doersn't work in single action?
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