The M frame .22 Hand Ejector did not appear until 1902. S&W first produced the .32 and .38 Hand Ejectors, chambered in .32 S&W Long and .38 S&W Special, beginning in 1896 and 1899 respectively. The .32 was built on the I frame, the .38 was built on the K frame. These two hand ejectors effectively replaced the top break revolvers that were chambered for .32 S&W and .38 S&W. So the guns and the cartridges were both "upgraded" before the diminutive "Ladysmith" was produced. Also, the .22 Hand Ejector was the first .22 revolver that S&W had made since the Civil War era Model 1 was discontinued in 1881. So even though the "Ladysmith" was small, it was still larger than it's predecessor.
.32 Short, yes Short for pocket guns?
- Thread starter whm1974
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Monac
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Deleted as incoherent. I 'm tired.
Driftwood Johnson
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Howdy Again
Did somebody say Ladysmith?
On the left, 1st Model, made 1902 - 1906, 4575 produced, this one left the factory in 1903. In the middle, 2nd Model, made 1906 -1910, 9374 made, this one left the factory in 1907. On the right, 3rd Model, made 1911 -1921, 12,203 made, this one left the factory in 1910.
Yes, they are tiny.
And very awkward to hold to shoot. ( I am a lefty but I need my right hand to work the camera)
A seven shooter, specifically chambered for 22 Long. Yes, 22 Long Rifle will fit, but it is not advised to shoot them in it. Actually it is not advised to shoot them at all with modern ammunition. Actually marked 22 S&W CTG on the barrel. No reference to short, long, or long rifle.
32 Hand Ejector 1st Model (Model of 1896) at top, Top Break Double Action 32 middle left, Top Break 32 Bicycle Revolver middle right, Ladysmith 2nd model at the bottom.
K-22 at the top, Ladysmith in the middle, No 1 Tip Up (22 short) at the bottom. These are all 22s.
J frame Model 36 and Ladysmith
Ladysmiths were the only 22 revolver with swing out frames S&W made until the I frame 22/32 Bekaert 22s were first produced in 1911. The K-22 was first produced in 1931.
Top to bottom, K-22, I frame Bekaert 22/32, Ladysmith 3rd Model. There were some target model Ladysmiths made with 6 inch barrels and adjustable sights, but I doubt they were very practical as a target revolver. Just too small.
Did somebody say Ladysmith?
On the left, 1st Model, made 1902 - 1906, 4575 produced, this one left the factory in 1903. In the middle, 2nd Model, made 1906 -1910, 9374 made, this one left the factory in 1907. On the right, 3rd Model, made 1911 -1921, 12,203 made, this one left the factory in 1910.
Yes, they are tiny.
And very awkward to hold to shoot. ( I am a lefty but I need my right hand to work the camera)
A seven shooter, specifically chambered for 22 Long. Yes, 22 Long Rifle will fit, but it is not advised to shoot them in it. Actually it is not advised to shoot them at all with modern ammunition. Actually marked 22 S&W CTG on the barrel. No reference to short, long, or long rifle.
32 Hand Ejector 1st Model (Model of 1896) at top, Top Break Double Action 32 middle left, Top Break 32 Bicycle Revolver middle right, Ladysmith 2nd model at the bottom.
K-22 at the top, Ladysmith in the middle, No 1 Tip Up (22 short) at the bottom. These are all 22s.
J frame Model 36 and Ladysmith
Ladysmiths were the only 22 revolver with swing out frames S&W made until the I frame 22/32 Bekaert 22s were first produced in 1911. The K-22 was first produced in 1931.
Top to bottom, K-22, I frame Bekaert 22/32, Ladysmith 3rd Model. There were some target model Ladysmiths made with 6 inch barrels and adjustable sights, but I doubt they were very practical as a target revolver. Just too small.
Driftwood Johnson
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Never held one, but I have read they had pot metal frames and flame cutting was pretty bad pretty quick.
Jim Watson
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Heck, I find the .22-32 Kit Gun to be too small for best shooting. Maybe a Target with filler grips would be enough less wobbly. My boss had a Police Positive Target that was a little bigger but I never got to shoot it, he could not round up the necessary .22 WRF ammo.
Anything smaller than a K Smith is just a belly gun for me; as one friend said of his pocket pistol, "a 15 foot switchblade."
Anything smaller than a K Smith is just a belly gun for me; as one friend said of his pocket pistol, "a 15 foot switchblade."
Gordon
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This is turning into a great thread for me. The m frame is ridiculous, it is a hideous velo dog canidate. H&R made some very small and nice .32 S&W s . I have both of them. Smaller than were the Pen guns in .32 S&W , it's a handy cartridge 
Monac
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How does the cylinder diameter of the Ladysmith compare to that of a 5-shot 32 S&W top break? I have a (rough) Ladysmith, but not a small frame top-break. Because they could both hold 7 rounds of 22 rimfire, I assumed they were about the same. But you know what they same about assuming things...
I should be able to tell from Driftwood's fine photographs, but I can't. The thick top-strap on the top-breaks make their cylinders look bigger than the Ladysmith's, but that's actually the opposite of what I would have expected. It would explain why the Ladysmith was never made as a 5-shot 32, though.
I should be able to tell from Driftwood's fine photographs, but I can't. The thick top-strap on the top-breaks make their cylinders look bigger than the Ladysmith's, but that's actually the opposite of what I would have expected. It would explain why the Ladysmith was never made as a 5-shot 32, though.
TTv2
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H&R is about the best and only option for a super small .32 and for as heavy as the triggers are in double action, I can't say they're much heavier than what a typical .22 revolver trigger is. The smallest ones they made were the solid frames up to 1941, but the issue with those is they largely do not have sights. This was by design with the vest pocket model, but that was solely intended for up close point shooting in a snag free design.This is turning into a great thread for me. The m frame is ridiculous, it is a hideous velo dog canidate. H&R made some very small and nice .32 S&W s . I have both of them. Smaller than were the Pen guns in .32 S&W , it's a handy cartridge
The Young America is the next smallest and that has a front sight, but absolutely nothing for a rear sight. Which is crazy to think about when they offered options for 4 and 5 inch barrels.
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