Just found this recently at a gun show in Ohio. It is an S&W 32 Hand Ejector 1st Model, also known as the Model 1 or Model 1896. This is S&W's first solid frame swing-out cylinder revolver. This gun is a 6-shot revolver chambered for the new .32 S&W Long cartridge. It has a 4-1/4" barrel, nickel finish, case colored hammer and trigger, round butt frame w/square extension type black hard rubber grips with the S&W logo on them.

Serial number is 10555. All numbers on the gun match. There are no numbers visible on the inside of the grips. Often times if they wrote the numbers in pencil or chalk it can easily get rubbed off during cleanings. This is also the only time the company name and patent dates are stamped on the cylinder between the flutes rather than on the barrel.

The chambers and bore are excellent. No rust or pitting! Rifling in the barrel is strong with not much wear. Cylinder lock-up is excellent, very little play. This is the only type of swing-out cylinder gun S&W made with the cylinder stop in the top strap rather than being at the bottom. An odd hold over from the old tip-up revolvers. This was something later realized as a bad flaw in the design. Springs would often break or the tang on the cylinder stop would often wear away causing excessive play or the cylinder not locking at all.

This is a used gun and I would rate it between fine and excellent. It doesn't appear to have been fired a whole lot. Just more handling wear than actual use. The nickel is original and I would rate overall about 95%. Very little nickel is missing. There are a few light scratches on both sides of the frame, hardly noticible. There is one nasty scratch though that is noticible on the right side of the frame just above the large screw near the trigger.

The 1st Model is a hard gun to find in nice shape, let alone just to find. They only made 19,712 between C. 1896 - 1903. Serial number range on these are 1 - 19,712. Given that I'm guessing with my serial number the gun was probably made at about the turn of the century. Paid $480 for it. I turned down two good offers to sell it for more at the very same gun show.

This is another gun that is worthy of a letter from Mr. Roy Jinks. I will post it here when I get it.

Here are some pictures of that gun: