Any info on my Grandfathers Revolver?

[weissensteinburg]

My late grandfather left this revolver to my father from when he was in the Army during WWII. We don't know really know anything about it, though, so I was hoping somebody could help identify it. It's a 32 long and the timing is bad. Along the barrel it says, "FOR 32 WINCHESTER CTGS" and along the bottom of the handle it says, "38438." A friend said to look inside the crane for S&W markings, but it's bare.

http://i.imgur.com/XHCMX.jpg?1

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Looking inside the crane for a model number only works for revolvers made in 1957 and later. Your revolver is much older but I'm sorry I can't tell you more other than not to shoot it since it won't lock-up.

 

[firesky101]

check the sticky at the top of the revolver forum. Get the info you need off the revolver then make a new post with the info. Radagast is pretty good with them.

 

[Deaf Smith]

That revolver is a old .32 '5' screw hand ejector. I have a blued one that was dated 1912 and is round butt not square butt.

It's an 'I' frame revolver.

If the serial number is between 263001 (when they first issued the sn range for 'I' frames) through 536684 then it was made sometimes between the dates 1911 and 1942 (and thus a 'pre-war'.)

I also note the piece is nickeled but the hammer and trigger are not. That is GOOD! S&W never nickeled the hammers or triggers (and if so it would have been re-nickeled.)

Deaf

 

[mnrivrat]

"FOR 32 WINCHESTER CTGS"

Am I wrong to think that is the 32-20 cartridge ? And if so that would not be an I frame gun would it ?

 

[CraigC]

Yep, early M&P .32-20, which makes it a K-frame. An obvious refinish and probably real mother of pearl. Pretty cool!

 

[Guillermo]

Deaf nailed it

(nice job)

 

[Old Fuff]

No, it isn't an I-frame, 1903 S&W hand ejector.

In fact it's probably not a Smith & Wesson at all.

The marking on the barrel, For 32 Winchester Ctg. was commonly used on Spanish-made counterfeits. They are found in Europe and throughout Central and South America as well as Mexico. They were exported to the United States until Smith & Wesson sued and won an injunction. They are noted for being made from questionable steel, and offer “less then best” workmanship. However the one in question is a relic with a history and should be kept as such.

 

[weissensteinburg]

Thanks for all the help! I'll be sure to take more pictures and collect all the info for that thread next time I visit.

 

[Radagast]

weissensteinburg:
I answer most of the questions in that thread and agree with Old Fuff. You have a Spanish copy of the .32-20 Hand Ejector. Caliber is 32-20, not 32 long. It probably dates to the period 1915 to 1930, and may not be of the best steel.
Post any other markings you find on it, preferably within this thread and one of our more informed members may be able to ID the manufacturer.

 

[SaxonPig]

I agree likely a Spanish copy of a S&W. Spelling Winchester is a tip off. S&W stamped "32 WCF" for Winchester Center Fire (32-20 to most folks).

Very little monetary value.

 

[Jim Watson]

It looks like a revolver made by Benito Guisola of Eibar, Spain, probably sometime in the 1920s or 1930s. The pinned on trigger guard is the giveaway.

I see no way it could have had anything to do with Grandpa's service in the US Army.

It is a knockoff brand, likely of cheap materials, but with good condition nickel plating, bright color case on the hammer and pearl handles it is pretty in the style of the period.
And it was Grandpa's.

 

[Jim K]

Many of those Spanish revolvers weren't made of "questionable steel", they were not made of steel at all, but of pot metal, a term which originally referred to the cheap cast iron from which French and Spanish cookpots ("marmitas" in Spanish) were made.

(Repeated errors and ignorance has led to the belief that the term came from non-ferrous alloys melted in a pot; the Wikipedia article has continued the error. Those Spanish revolvers were not made of alloy; they were made of cast iron.)

Jim