my 1st. Classic S&W What did I buy?

[Mark_Mark]

.32-20, .38-40, and .44-40 came about because Marlin and Colt didn't want to put WCF (Winchester Center Fire) on their guns.
S&W didn't care, they did not make rifles and it was a positive selling point for the foreign copies.

Likewise .32 Colt New Police instead of .32 S&W Long.
And .38 Colt Special with the deadly flat pointed bullet, worth an extra 5% of Hatcher Stopping Power.

I think .32 SAP (Savage Automatic Pistol) takes the cake.

Love collecting and learning about these old gun. BTW… lot of my friends who are in their 40’s Now also have become interested in Old S&W, Old Colts, Rugers, Black Powder, … get them as they are reasonably prices now!

another interest that I predict will be the new 10mm … 41 Magnum! yep

 

[Mark_Mark]

How does it compare to your Thunderstruck….. Sorry buddy, I couldn't resist.

Ooooh Boy, that Thundersuck is like a Cordless drill from Black & Decker

 

[film495]

to the OP. That is the handgun of the 20th century. My first revolver was a model 10 I got off gunbroker and didn't really know what it was. Those things were everywhere for the better part of the century and they made many millions. S&W still makes the 10 in their classic line.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I'm pretty good on 32 wcf. 2 more cans like this that are buried away. $700 is steep on that 1905. I couldn't get that for mine I'm pretty sure.View attachment 1143045 View attachment 1143046 View attachment 1143047

I think the Gun is a Work of Art! love that it says Winchester on a S&W and the ejector looks very COOL! Like a StarWars Light Saber

I might offer $550 for it, love the Art Deco

 

[Mark_Mark]

to the OP. That is the handgun of the 20th century. My first revolver was a model 10 I got off gunbroker and didn't really know what it was. Those things were everywhere for the better part of the century and they made many millions. S&W still makes the 10 in their classic line.

would be cool to get a modern one as a shooter. Do they still have the same lock-works as the old mode 10’s? except the Hillary hole thing

 

[TacticalJanitor]

Was picking my Colt OMM and the dealer brings my a tray of classic that he didn’t put out yet. Not going to say what I paid, yet, but probably too much. Perfect Condition - What did I buy? lol

my 1st S&W!

S&W Pre-Model 10 M&P .38
View attachment 1143000 View attachment 1143001 View attachment 1143002 View attachment 1143003

I would have paid too much for that too. Looks clean!

 

[Mark_Mark]

I would have paid too much for that too. Looks clean!

dealer was just about to put a zip tie on the gun. I told him not to bother and put me on layaway! 2-4 weeks and I’ll have it out

Got to take photos of that Colt OMM .38, big chunky fat barrel. Also looks unfired or not much. But 1 small line in the tip of the barrel.

what .38 are you shooting with your 750XL setup?

 

[film495]

would be cool to get a modern one as a shooter. Do they still have the same lock-works as the old mode 10’s? except the Hillary hole thing

far as I know, but I'm not an expert. I did hold a new one in a LGS one time and it was very nice.

 

[SwampWolf]

what do you think about this Smith? it had the Royal Blue

"Royal Blue" is Colt's premier finish; "Bright Blue" is Smith's best suit. Great looking Model 10 Military&Police, no matter what you paid. Like e rex said, "If you liked it and wanted it you didn't pay too much".

 

[Mark_Mark]

"Royal Blue" is Colt's premier finish; "Bright Blue" is Smith's best suit. Great looking Model 10 Military&Police, no matter what you paid. Like e rex said, "If you liked it and wanted it you didn't pay too much".

Bright Blue! got it. Why don’t they offer those blue-ing anymore! It’s NICE

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

would be cool to get a modern one as a shooter. Do they still have the same lock-works as the old mode 10’s? except the Hillary hole thing

Only very generally. Newer marks have the firing pin mounted in the frame, moved the ejector locking point to the crane, different hammer blocks, eliminated some screws, and replaced the forged internals with MIM parts.

Bright Blue! got it. Why don’t they offer those blue-ing anymore! It’s NICE

The EPA has made the cost of handling the bluing chemicals prohibitive and the skilled polishing labor drives the costs above what almost anyone wants to pay.

 

[TacticalJanitor]

dealer was just about to put a zip tie on the gun. I told him not to bother and put me on layaway! 2-4 weeks and I’ll have it out

Got to take photos of that Colt OMM .38, big chunky fat barrel. Also looks unfired or not much. But 1 small line in the tip of the barrel.

what .38 are you shooting with your 750XL setup?

I have three M&P 340s that I've been training with, and a 15-3 that I bought from a neighbor last month (but I haven't shot it yet). Somewhere around here I have an SP101, and the Ruger will suffer my first 100 reloads with the 750 tomorrow!

If it survives, then the S&Ws will get some reload action.

 

[SwampWolf]

Too much time, labor and lack of experience necessary to make the expense of doing a first-class blue job profitable. The likes of Royal Blue and Bright Blue finishes and their ilk to be affordable is a time long gone. Such a pity...

 

[Jim Watson]

would be cool to get a modern one as a shooter. Do they still have the same lock-works as the old mode 10’s? except the Hillary hole thing

Collectors get picky about terminology.
It isn't a Model 10 unless so marked. The "dash number" indicates engineering changes, some small like extractor rod thread, some large like MIM, floating firing pins, and key locks.
It isn't a Pre-Model 10 unless it has the short post war action, just like a Mod 10 marked revolver.
Before that, there were the .38 Hand Ejector, Military and Police, models of 1899, 1902, and 1905. With "changes" instead of "dashes." The Model of 1905 Fourth Change was the big one, made until the short action came out after WWII.

 

[cfullgraf]

what do you think about this Smith? it had the Royal Blue and strange Winchester barrel. $700 love my local shop

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I have a S&W k-frame 32-20 made in the early 1920's. it is a nice shooter although it was re-plated at some point in its life.

The stocks are from a Model 16-4.

It is a nice addition to the 1890-ish Winchester 1973 rifle that I have chambered in 32-20.

The 32-20 is a good 32 caliber round. It is too bad that manufacturers are not chambering more guns in the cartridge. Starlne catalogs 32-20 brass.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Collectors get picky about terminology.
It isn't a Model 10 unless so marked. The "dash number" indicates engineering changes, some small like extractor rod thread, some large like MIM, floating firing pins, and key locks.
It isn't a Pre-Model 10 unless it has the short post war action, just like a Mod 10 marked revolver.
Before that, there were the .38 Hand Ejector, Military and Police, models of 1899, 1902, and 1905. With "changes" instead of "dashes." The Model of 1905 Fourth Change was the big one, made until the short action came out after WWII.

S&W just called them “Change” before “dashes” with only 5 main models offered before 1960. .38 Hand Ejector, M&P, 1899, 1902, 1905..?

were dose the 1917 & the Register Magnum fall under?

 

[Mark_Mark]

I have a S&W k-frame 32-20 made in the early 1920's. it is a nice shooter although it was re-plated at some point in its life.

The stocks are from a Model 16-4.

It is a nice addition to the 1890-ish Winchester 1973 rifle that I have chambered in 32-20.

The 32-20 is a good 32 caliber round. It is too bad that manufacturers are not chambering more guns in the cartridge. Starlne catalogs 32-20 brass.

I might not offer $550 for the S&W 1905 1st Change .32 Winchester. It still had a lot of Bright Blue left on it. And I do love odd calibers

 

[Tallball]

Nice M&P. Mine was my first S&W revolver.

 

[Pat Riot]

Nice catch on the S&W .38. Beauty of a revolver.

I have never understood buying a gun purely to sell later and not firing it. I am not saying it’s wrong, it’s just not right for me.

I equate it to dating a girl and not having any fun with her because you’re saving her for the next guy.

 

[Jim Watson]

were dose the 1917 & the Register Magnum fall under?

Another branch of the Hand Ejector family tree, bigger guns overall, latterly known as the N frame vs .38's K frame.

As I recall without going and getting the book, first came the .44 Hand Ejector First Model, the "Triple Lock."
Some converted to, some made in .455 for WW I British use. They said the shrouded extractor rod was subject to packing with trench mud, so S&W brought out the Second Model without the shroud and without the elaborate three point latch. Also sold commercially in .44 Special.
When the US Army wanted revolvers to supplement 1911 production, S&W devised the half moon clip for .45 ACP, and produced the 1917 in the Second Model pattern. (Colt made .45 ACPs based on the New Service, too. The army called them both M1917s.)

After the war, they continued to make some 1917 Commercials and regular production of .44 Specials.
In 1926 a big distributor special ordered some .44s with extractor rod shrouds, which S&W put in the catalog as the Third Model. They made Second Models alongside for a good while.

The .38-44 Heavy Duty was next, using the big gun to shoot high velocity loads in .38 Special brass. The Outdoorsman has adjustable sights.
They then went hog wild, bringing out the .357 Magnum as a deluxe model. Early ones got you a registration number and certificate, but orders exceeded expectations and they made "non-registered" .357 Magnums until they went over to WWII production. The non-registered guns are actually less common than registered, but that extra number and sheepskin are great selling points, then and now.

Note: A revolver originally sold as a ".32 Military & Police" will nearly always be a .32-20. There are very few .32 S&W Long M&Ps. I think even fewer than the K32 target model, which is itself very scarce and expensive.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Nice catch on the S&W .38. Beauty of a revolver.

I have never understood buying a gun purely to sell later and not firing it. I am not saying it’s wrong, it’s just not right for me.

I equate it to dating a girl and not having any fun with her because you’re saving her for the next guy.

NICE ANALOGY! probably the best

 

[reddog81]

S&W just called them “Change” before “dashes” with only 5 main models offered before 1960. .38 Hand Ejector, M&P, 1899, 1902, 1905..?

were dose the 1917 & the Register Magnum fall under?

The 5 models listed are the predecessors to the model 10. There were a wide variety of other models in other calibers.

The lock work on the new ones is surprisingly similar. Open up a 2023 S&W 460 XVR and the parts all look pretty close. There are many slight changes over the years and I don't think any of the parts would be compatible, but you could tell what they are.

 

[Jim Watson]

I wonder how much of S&W Hand Ejector design was from having to work around Colt patents on the Army & Navy revolvers.

Kind of like all the dodges designers had to do versus the very comprehensive Colt/Browning and Winchester/Browning patents.

 

[Speedo66]

"Bottleneck" can cover a lot of ground.

Such rifle rounds as the .44-40 and .38-40 were chambered in
revolvers such as the Colt Model P 1873 SAA. And in modern
times, the .357 Sig could be considered a "bottleneck."

The .32-20 was a low pressured black powder round same as
the .44-40 and .38-40 chambered in the Winchester 1873.
For those not familiar with the .38-40, it's actually a .40 caliber
round.

And the .44-40 is actually a .42 caliber.

OP: As they say in the collector car community, you didn’t pay too much, you just bought early, meaning the market will catch up to your price in the not too distant future.

Good luck with your new gun!

 

[Jim Watson]

And the .44-40 is actually a .42 caliber.

Well, nearer .43, as is the .44 MagNumb et al.

There are a lot of caliber designations that do not closely specify the diameter of bullet or barrel. There is either something in history that explains the mismatch, or it is just advertising to make a distinction from other cartridges.

And, by the way, while the .38-40 does indeed shoot a .40" bullet, the old yarn that it is really a .40-38 is not right. As seen here, UMC was selling .38 Winchester (and Colt Lightning) with a full 40 grains of powder. And .45 Colt's too, notwithstanding the Army having watered it down. Sorry, I don't know the year of this listing.

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