Please help ID the S&W...

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outfieldjack

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A girl at work who knows I am into guns, etc... asked me if I could help her. She said she has a revolver and wanted to know if I could clean it for her and find out any info about it. She said it used to belong to her mother. I was like "SURE THING" so I picked it up on Friday and brought it home. So far I know: It is a S&W, it says "32 S. & W. LONG on the barrell, above the trigger it says "MADE IN U.S.A, MARCAS REGISTRADAS, SMITH & WESSON, SPRINGFIELD MASS.

The # on the bottom of the grip is 613989 and there is another # near the cylinder 26142.

So..... any info will help, especially age. I know it is a six shot 32, but that is about it. I will ATTEMPT to include some pics.

Thanks in advance,
Jack

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According to "Da Book", bow your head,:p :p the serial # corresponds to a .32 Hand Ejector of postwar vintage. The #s range from 536685-712953 from 1946-60. It's a pre Model 30 I frame. Of course I could be wrong.:banghead: :D
 
For my first post since getting slammed with business at work and with hectic activity in life in general, allow me to give this a shot:

My guess, which is 'educated' only inasmuch as I have a copy of Supica & Nahas, is that you have a S&W Regulation Police, AKA the pre-Model 31. If this is correct, the ramped front sight would put production between 1956-1957...the Model 31 picked up after that...and yours does not appear to be marked with a model number.

Now. Either I'm correct, or someone who actually knows what they're talking about will set you straight here in a few moments. Either way, I'm off to the range. :D

Mike

Edit: I see Dinosaur chimed in before me. Well...one of us is wrong. And I have no clue who it is. :D (Probably me)
 
If it's a .32 HE postwar, it's not an I frame.

It's an improved I frame.

The improved I frame had the coil main spring that we see on the J frame, and no screw in front of the trigger.


But, here's the kicker...

If it's an I-frame, it should have a standard latch.

The J-frames had the flat latch.

This one looks to be something of an oddity.

How long is the cylinder?
 
Gentlemen with all due respect to each of you, I
am sure that our friend dinosaur has nailed
it! I just looked at my copy of "DA Book"; and its
exactly as he states. Hope this helps some?

FWIW, I have a 2" barrel S&W model 30 circa of
1971, in the .32 S&W Long caliber. It's the only
firearm that I have from my dads estate; bought
it for him NIB (1971) for $92.00 OTD. Its a blue
steel model, that I have retired as a "SAFE QUEEN".

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Ala Dan

my friend. You must explain that cryptic remark.:confused:

Oh wait, you mean Mike Irwin. My bad. I' still:confused: about the I frame thing though.
 
Either way, that is a snazzy little sweetheart of a gun. It will bring a darn sight more money than a J-frame 38 will too:what: .

She want to sell it?
 
If she sells, it will be to me.....

I'll try to take some more pics and post them tonight..... I have NO idea about the gun, so I appreciate all of your help!!!! More pics soon!
 
What we have here is a post-war .32 Hand Ejector (pre-model 30) in nickel plate with a 1 7/8" to 2" barrel. Can't measure it from the photo. The snubby barrel was introduced 1n 1949. The flat latch came along after the Chief Special (pre-model 36) was added to the line in 1950. The improved I-frame eliminated the the mainspring strain screw at the bottom of the frontstrap in 1953. The top (large head) sideplate screw went away in 1955 at serial number 640980. Given these clues I'd say the gun was made between 1953 and '55. Yes, it is a nice piece, and in nickel plate somewhat hard to find. S&W fans and collectors should come to attention.
 
More pics.....

Barrell is 1 7/8, cylinder is 1 1/4 inches. Below are more pics, if I can provide any other pic to help with ID, please let me know and I will take them and post tomorrow.

Oh ya, can anyone give me an idea as to its value? I know the pics can't help to much, but the gun is in pretty good shape. A few minor scratches, thats all....

Jack

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OK, what we have here, folks, is a little bit of an oddity.

You can plainly see that this has the upper sideplate screw, which makes it pre 1955.

The improved I-frame comes in around 1953. The cylinder measurement confirms that it's an I-frame or Improved I-frame.

In total agreement with Fuff that it's a transitional gun.

But, we have an oddity that I mentioned before...

The flat latch. The flat latch didn't become part of the Model 30 until 1966.

It was either added later by someone who wanted a flat latch, or S&W was putting flat latches on some of their guns some years before they "officially" did so.

If the latch could be definitively linked to the gun (by serial or assembly number, but I don't know if the latches are marked), then I'd say that the value could jump a bit just from a collector's stand point.

Even more interestingly, this one appears to have perhaps the rarest of the flat-latch types.

There are three types of flat latches known, one that is serrated the whole length, one where the serrations stop in front at the screw, and one where the serrations stop about "2 lines" in front of the screw. This is the 2 line latch. I've only ever seen two on guns from this period.

Having done a little more reading, I'm thinking that this latch must have come from another gun at some point in time, or as a replacement, unless it was a special order.
 
The flat latch (thumbpieces) were used on I and J frame revolvers, and lightweight K frames' from 1950 through 1966 according to "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" by Supica & Nahas/2nd. Ed. pp 306.

I have a Jan 1953 fly-sheet on the Chief Special (pre-36) and the photographed sample has the early flat latch. Supposedly the same were used on the I frames being made at the same time.

I think the latch on the subject revolver is probably original.
 
That's completely contrary to what Supica and Nahaus say for the pre-model 30, and what I've always understood about the pre-model 30.

page 93 -- "...normal production thumb piece is observed until production of the J frame at which time the thumb piece was changed to the flat latch."

I've seen any number of pre-model 30s from this time frame, and I don't recall ever seeing one with a flat latch.

It's true that the flat latches were used on other models earlier, but they didn't become a standard on some models until much later.
 
The first J-frame was the Chief Special (pre-model 36) which was introduced in 1950. I own one, made about 1954, and it has the flat latch. The Chief Special Airweight (pre-model 37) was introduced in 1951 and had the flat latch (don't ask me which style).

I believe the gun in question was made during 1953 or 54, but only Roy Jinks can say for sure. I'm pretty sure by that time guns were being shipped with the flat latches.

Edited to add: Because S&W never threw anything away that could be used it is possible that at this time some production runs had the old latch where others had the newer flat one. At the time production was consentrated on the new .38's, not the .32 models 30 and 31.
 
Thanks for all of your help so far.... I'd really like to "pin down" what model the gun is and year if possible. I'll ask today if she can tell me ny history behind it (if her mom ever had any "work" done to it or if it came as-is). Like I said before, if I can take any other pics from a different angle or whatever, let me know.
 
"The first J-frame was the Chief Special (pre-model 36) which was introduced in 1950. I own one, made about 1954, and it has the flat latch. The Chief Special Airweight (pre-model 37) was introduced in 1951 and had the flat latch (don't ask me which style)."

For the second or third time, I'm NOT disputing the fact that flat latches were used on S&W revolvers from about 1950.

It's the particular models on which they were used, and the time frame that is in question.

We both know that changes to S&W's revovlers have often been phased in over a period of years, and what was going on with one model very well may not have happened with another, perhaps less popular, model until some time later. A Chief's Special is not a .32 HE, and what was on a Chief's Special is not necessarily an valid indicator of what was being done with other models in the same timeframe.

I'm trying to find some catalog information for 1953-55, but as I have said, I've never seen a .32 HE from this time frame with a flat latch.

I'm also trying to get in touch with Rick Nahaus to get his take on it, but the statement from his book seems to be rather clear.
 
outfieldjack...

"It would definately be worth the cost of a factory letter from Roy Jinks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How would I go about doing that?"

http://swcustomersupport.vista.com/pages/history_request

This will give you the letter format and address to send your request to Mr. Jinks. I have done this for a few of my revolvers and am preparing another letter on a few more I've gotten.

Just coincidentally I hope to meet Roy Jinks this coming Saturday. A local gunstore is having him as a guest for a S&W day sale. He will be signing copies of his book, but having seen similar signings before I imagine that I will have to buy a copy there rather than bring mine from home.
 
outfieldjack,

Click HERE and it will tell you how to get the hostory of that revolver.


As for the flat latch... since it is on a nickled gun, it could just be as simple as the day they finished it perhaps they were low or out of nickled standard thumbpieces and flat latches were what were available in nickle so they grabbed one instead.

Of course it could have been special ordered from the factory.
 
Mike:

By all means persue the issue and see if you can get to the bottom of it.

FPrice:

I believe that Roy is only charging $20.00 for the book, and some if not all of the money is going to pro-gun causes. At least that's what he was doing at the recent SHOT Show. I purchased a copy to get his autograph, as that increases the value of the book. I now have three copies - one signed, the others not. I may keep the latter two, or trade them off to a bookseller for something else I don't have. This is win-win, you can't lose.

You will also get a chance to meet a very interesting man.
 
Old Fuff...

"You will also get a chance to meet a very interesting man."

That goes without saying! When I heard he was going to be at this shop I knew that I had to go meet him. If he is donating money from his books to pro-gun causes then I'll buy TWO! One for me and one for my son.

The radio advertisements say to bring your S&W guns and he will tell you how much they are worth. I plan on bringing my Model 1917 DA .45ACP revolver along. I am not really worried about how much it's worth, I am just curious if he can help pinpoint a rough manufacture date. I WILL be sending a history request in also in order to get the letter.
 
When I was chatting with Roy at the SHOT Show (in this case about Safety Hammerless revolvers) He had two father/son pairs come up and buy two books. He was, as they say, doing land office business.

US-S&W model 1917's were purchased against two contracts. The first for 100,00 revolvers, and the second for the balance of guns delivered. Post the serial number (with two "xx" in place of the last numbers) that is located on the butt, back of the cylinder, and bottom of the barrel, and I can find the approximate date it was shipped. A letter of course will nail it to the day. Roy may do it to the month off of the top of his head.
 
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