BluesBear
member
from The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, Second Edition
page 149;
MODEL 30: THE .32 HAND EJECTOR
Caliber-.32 S&W Long, double action revolver built on the round-butt I frame with five screws. Previously produced as The .32 Hand Ejector, six shot fluted cylinder with a nonimal length of 1.25". 2-inch, 3-inch, 3-1/4inch, 4-inch, 4-1/4inch, or 6-inch pinned barrel lengths were available, blue or nickle finish, walnut stocks with S&W medallions and diamond insert or hard rubber grips, originally built on the five-screw I frame, then the improved I frame with a coil mainspring with four then three screws and finally the slightly longer three-screw J frame with a small S&W trademark on the frame, smooth trigger later changed to a .240" serrated trigger and .240" wide hammer, found with three variations of the flat latch thnumb piece, round blade front sight, later changed to a 1/10-inch serrated ramp front sight with square notch rear sight, postwar serial number range 536685-826977 in the .32 Hand Ejector series with postwar improvements. Weight is 18 ounces with 4-inch barrel. Produced circa 1948-1976.
bold type added by me for emphasis
So it would appear that the flat latch IS correct for this model.
As the original pre-model 36 Chief's Special was originally made with the standard thumb piece, but was quickly chamged to a flat latch and remained that way until 1966. 1966 is also the year listed as when the latch was changed on the Model 30.
So it would appear that the early ones had standard thumb pieces, then were changed to flat and remained that way until after they started stamping model numbers on the frame.
page 149;
MODEL 30: THE .32 HAND EJECTOR
Caliber-.32 S&W Long, double action revolver built on the round-butt I frame with five screws. Previously produced as The .32 Hand Ejector, six shot fluted cylinder with a nonimal length of 1.25". 2-inch, 3-inch, 3-1/4inch, 4-inch, 4-1/4inch, or 6-inch pinned barrel lengths were available, blue or nickle finish, walnut stocks with S&W medallions and diamond insert or hard rubber grips, originally built on the five-screw I frame, then the improved I frame with a coil mainspring with four then three screws and finally the slightly longer three-screw J frame with a small S&W trademark on the frame, smooth trigger later changed to a .240" serrated trigger and .240" wide hammer, found with three variations of the flat latch thnumb piece, round blade front sight, later changed to a 1/10-inch serrated ramp front sight with square notch rear sight, postwar serial number range 536685-826977 in the .32 Hand Ejector series with postwar improvements. Weight is 18 ounces with 4-inch barrel. Produced circa 1948-1976.
bold type added by me for emphasis
So it would appear that the flat latch IS correct for this model.
As the original pre-model 36 Chief's Special was originally made with the standard thumb piece, but was quickly chamged to a flat latch and remained that way until 1966. 1966 is also the year listed as when the latch was changed on the Model 30.
So it would appear that the early ones had standard thumb pieces, then were changed to flat and remained that way until after they started stamping model numbers on the frame.
