Smith & Wesson .32 Double-Action Blue 3" LEMON SQUEEZER Revolver

[bronzecannons]

I have a Smith & Wesson .32 Double-Action Blue 3" LEMON SQUEEZER Revolver.

The serial number is: 155232.
On top of the barrel there's a lot of writing like (? means I can't quite make it out):
SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS. U.S.A. PAT'D ????
20.77 DEC. 18,77, MAY 11, ?0, SEPT. 11, ??, OCT. 2, 83, TWO AUO ???

Do you have any idea what this S&W pistol is worth?

 

[Mike Irwin]

From what I've seen online and at shows, given the condition (and if it is mechanically sound) it would probably be priced between $500-$700 here in Northern Virginia.

I've also seen them substantially cheaper online.

 

[Jim Watson]

You show a Smith & Wesson .32 Safety Hammerless Second Model, made between 1902 and 1909.
Caliber is .32 Smith & Wesson, sometimes called .32 S&W Short even though S&W and the ammo companies do not. .32 S&W Long won't fit the cylinder length and while .32 ACP will, it is an overload in a gun designed in the black powder era.

If you can get Mike money for it, you have made a great sale, most are less. Over the three models, they made 242000+ of them.

 

[Bob Wright]

Thats the first time I have heard this model referred to as a "Lemon Squeezer." All the guns I've ever heard called by that term were the palm pistols, in wich the barrel protruded between the middle and ring fingers and were fir-ed b squeezing.

Bob Wright

 

[Jim Watson]

"Lemon squeezer" is a common term for the Safety Hammerless where I read and talk.
If you are seeing any number of palm pistols, that seems unusual to me.

 

[bronzecannons]

S&W .32 Revolver

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your replies. Wow.. maybe I need to bring it there to West Virginia.

About the Lemon Squeezer thing - I'm not sure about that name at all. I just put it there because I saw someone else had referred to one of these revolvers like that.

Thank you very much gentlemen!

 

[Bob Wright]

Its not that I see that many palm pistols, but the term I'm more familar is "Squeeze Handle Smiths." Neither type is all that plentiful in my circles, though.

Bob Wright

 

[bronzecannons]

Squeeze Handle Smith

Bob,

Yes that makes more sense to me. Thank you.

TW

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Thats the first time I have heard this model referred to as a "Lemon Squeezer."

You're joking!

It's been known colloquially as the Lemon Squeezer for over 100 years, allegedly because the grip safety and, I guess, general shape, reminded people of a late-19th century lemon squeezer.

The actual name of the revolver, as mentioned, was either the Safety Hammerless or New Departure.

 

[Bob Wright]

Not joking. The term I always heard for these was "Squeeze handle Smith."

I kid you not.

Bob Wright

 

[44caliberkid]

Those are pretty common among cowboy action shooters, I would say no more than $400.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Bob and I are from the same town. I always heard them called "lemon squeezers."

 

[RMcL]

32 S&W Penetration

"Indeed, the 32 S&W has a poor reputation as a man stopper. But to our surprise, these bullets passed through four layers of denim and penetrated 14 inches into the gel."

http://www.guns.com/review/gun-review-iver-johnson-safety-automatic-revolver-in-32-sw/

Who would have thought?