S&W 22/32 Needs a Gunsmith

[steven58]

Hi all. I just picked up a neat little kit gun that is generally in good shape but it does need some work due to what I think was some imprudent customization:
The front sight is to short and doesn’t look original. The rear sight blade needs replacement. It has an uncomfortably light trigger in SA and a heavy pull in DA that sticks occasionally.
I’m looking for a gunsmith in or near the Pocono Lake, PA 18347 area that is familiar with these old revolvers and can return it to factory specs. Can you recommend anyone?

 

[Rubone]

Front sight looks standard. Has the barrel been shortened? Looks like a HFT not a "kit gun".

 

[EMC45]

Bekaert grips

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

As you probably know, that pistol was made during a time when Smith & Wesson would put any sort of sight you
wanted on it.
I associate those stocks with the 6" bekaert Smith and also wonder if maybe the barrel has been shortened
with the bead sight (minus the integral front sight lug) soldered back on.
Just my WAG based on the non standard barrel (or a rare bird!).
So maybe a shot of the top of the gun?

I have been wrong before, JT

 

[steven58]

The bbl. seems to be a standard 4” pencil. The rear sight blade was filed down, poorly. With the rear sight set at its lowest, holding top of bead level with rear sight and using Federal 40 gr. HV it prints 5” high at 25 yds. So, I need a taller front sight as well as a rear sight blade. I have fired other examples of this gun in the past. The DA triggers were all very nice. This one is in Taurus 94 territory and sticks.

 

[steven58]

The front sight blade to base ratio should look more like these examples.

 

[Rubone]

Bekaert grips

Most 22/32 HFTs had those grips, not exclusive to Bekaert models. Here is mine.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

So as you have been told so far, you do not have a Kit Gun, you have its predecessor, a 22/32 Hand Ejector, also known as the 22/32 Heavy Frame Target. And thereby hangs an interesting tale.

The first 22 Handejectors were the tiny M frame Ladysmiths. These tiny revolvers were made from 1902 until 1921. They were truly tiny.

This tiny.






Although a very few were made with a 6" barrel and 'target sights' they were much too small to be seriously considered to be a target revolver. Other than the Ladysmiths, S&W was not producing any 22 Rimfire revolvers with a swing out cylinder. And the Ladysmiths were chambered for the 22 Long Cartridge, not 22 Long Rifle. They would chamber a 22 Long Rifle, but they were too fragile to be fired with 22 LR ammunition.

In 1911 San Francisco firearms dealer Phil Bekeart persuaded Smith and Wesson to build 292 22 Rimfire revolvers on the I frame. The I frame was developed as a frame for the 32 S&W Long cartridge. It is larger than the Ladysmith's M frame but smaller than a K frame. Because these revolvers were larger than the little Ladysmiths, they were called the 22/32 Heavy Frame Target. Later S&W cataloged this model as a standard model.

The first of these had the oversized Bekeart style grips. Your revolver has Bekeart style grips on it.

This is a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target with Bekeart style grips on it. This one left the factory in 1940.






This is how the grips were inletted to fit the I frame grip frame






Because the bottom of the grip frame is covered by the grip, the Serial Number was stamped on the front of the grip frame.






Not all the 22/32 Heavy Frame Targets had the Bekeart style grips. This one left the factory in 1923. Notice it has a large mushroom shaped cap on the end of the ejector rod.






This is how the grips were inletted to fit the grip frame on that one.






This is what the rear sight should look like.






This is what the front sight should look like. No, S&W was not putting any front sight anybody wanted on their revolvers at this time, this is a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target front sight. A tall blade pinned to the sight base. The front sight on your revolver is an after market change, and it is not particularly well fitted. There should not be a gap.






This photo compares the size of a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target in the center of the photo with a K frame K-22 at the top and a Ladysmith at the bottom.






A couple of other things. Your 22/32 has a narrow cap on the end of the ejector rod, like this.






A large, mushroom shaped cap like this is typical of the 1910s and 1920s.






I noticed your hammer has the U.S.PAT.OFF. stamp on it. This was an effort by S&W to keep cheap knock off imports out of the country. S&W managed to trademark the Case Hardened colors on their hammers and triggers, and marked them this way. Eventually the government changed its mind and rescinded the trademark, so S&W stopped marking hammers this way. This 22/32 Heavy Duty left the factory in 1940 and has the marking on the hammer. Your trigger probably has the same marking on the rear of the trigger.






Sorry, I do not know who to send your 22/32 Heavy Duty to in your area. I just wanted to give you some background information about it.

 

[steven58]

Howdy

So as you have been told so far, you do not have a Kit Gun, you have its predecessor, a 22/32 Hand Ejector, also known as the 22/32 Heavy Frame Target. And thereby hangs an interesting tale.

The first 22 Handejectors were the tiny M frame Ladysmiths. These tiny revolvers were made from 1902 until 1921. They were truly tiny.

This tiny.

View attachment 956304




Although a very few were made with a 6" barrel and 'target sights' they were much too small to be seriously considered to be a target revolver. Other than the Ladysmiths, S&W was not producing any 22 Rimfire revolvers with a swing out cylinder. And the Ladysmiths were chambered for the 22 Long Cartridge, not 22 Long Rifle. They would chamber a 22 Long Rifle, but they were too fragile to be fired with 22 LR ammunition.

In 1911 San Francisco firearms dealer Phil Bekeart persuaded Smith and Wesson to build 292 22 Rimfire revolvers on the I frame. The I frame was developed as a frame for the 32 S&W Long cartridge. It is larger than the Ladysmith's M frame but smaller than a K frame. Because these revolvers were larger than the little Ladysmiths, they were called the 22/32 Heavy Frame Target. Later S&W cataloged this model as a standard model.

The first of these had the oversized Bekeart style grips. Your revolver has Bekeart style grips on it.

This is a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target with Bekeart style grips on it. This one left the factory in 1940.

View attachment 956305




This is how the grips were inletted to fit the I frame grip frame

View attachment 956306




Because the bottom of the grip frame is covered by the grip, the Serial Number was stamped on the front of the grip frame.

View attachment 956307




Not all the 22/32 Heavy Frame Targets had the Bekeart style grips. This one left the factory in 1923. Notice it has a large mushroom shaped cap on the end of the ejector rod.

View attachment 956308




This is how the grips were inletted to fit the grip frame on that one.

View attachment 956309




This is what the rear sight should look like.

View attachment 956310




This is what the front sight should look like. No, S&W was not putting any front sight anybody wanted on their revolvers at this time, this is a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target front sight. A tall blade pinned to the sight base. The front sight on your revolver is an after market change, and it is not particularly well fitted. There should not be a gap.

View attachment 956311




This photo compares the size of a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target in the center of the photo with a K frame K-22 at the top and a Ladysmith at the bottom.

View attachment 956312




A couple of other things. Your 22/32 has a narrow cap on the end of the ejector rod, like this.

View attachment 956313




A large, mushroom shaped cap like this is typical of the 1910s and 1920s.

View attachment 956314




I noticed your hammer has the U.S.PAT.OFF. stamp on it. This was an effort by S&W to keep cheap knock off imports out of the country. S&W managed to trademark the Case Hardened colors on their hammers and triggers, and marked them this way. Eventually the government changed its mind and rescinded the trademark, so S&W stopped marking hammers this way. This 22/32 Heavy Duty left the factory in 1940 and has the marking on the hammer. Your trigger probably has the same marking on the rear of the trigger.

View attachment 956315




Sorry, I do not know who to send your 22/32 Heavy Duty to in your area. I just wanted to give you some background information about it.

Thanks for the information. It was fascinating!