Smith & Wesson Forum

Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > Smith & Wesson Revolvers > S&W Antiques
o

Notices

S&W Antiques S&W Lever Action Pistols, Tip-Up Revolvers, ALL Top-Break Revolvers, and ALL Single Shots


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 05-19-2022, 02:32 PM
browerpatch browerpatch is offline
Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 17
Likes: 15
Liked 29 Times in 8 Posts
Default .32 Safety Hammerless question

I have the opportunity to pick this revolver up at a reasonable price, but I'd like to know an approximate date range for the piece. It's a 3 inch barrel, and the catch on the tip is a bit different than I've seen. Is there a model designation other than "New Departure" or "Safety Hammerless"? The serial number is 88xxx. Would it be considered safe to shoot with modern .32 S&W short ammunition?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg P1220262.jpg (58.4 KB, 62 views)
File Type: jpg P1220263.jpg (51.4 KB, 63 views)
File Type: jpg P1220264.jpg (77.6 KB, 62 views)
File Type: jpg P1220265.jpg (215.3 KB, 69 views)
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-19-2022, 03:04 PM
mrcvs mrcvs is offline
SWCA Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,778
Likes: 3,219
Liked 6,863 Times in 1,862 Posts
Default

Yours is the first model variation with a push button latch.

Can you post photographs of the entire revolver? But, from what I can see, there are serious nicks in the recoil shield. As many of these remain pristine from spending over a century in a nightstand drawer, this significantly compromises yours and it might very well be that $200 is too much to pay, even if an antique.

We need more photographs to better judge this.
Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
  #3  
Old 05-19-2022, 03:38 PM
browerpatch browerpatch is offline
Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 17
Likes: 15
Liked 29 Times in 8 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mrcvs View Post
Yours is the first model variation with a push button latch.

Can you post photographs of the entire revolver? But, from what I can see, there are serious nicks in the recoil shield. As many of these remain pristine from spending over a century in a nightstand drawer, this significantly compromises yours and it might very well be that $200 is too much to pay, even if an antique.

We need more photographs to better judge this.
Left and right side of this revolver. I saw the nicks on the recoil shield but they don't impair the function. The gun locks up nice and tight, and the bore is pretty good, but for some light surface rust at the throat.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg P1220261.jpg (138.4 KB, 48 views)
File Type: jpg P1220265.jpg (153.1 KB, 45 views)
Reply With Quote
The Following 7 Users Like Post:
  #4  
Old 05-19-2022, 05:09 PM
mrcvs mrcvs is offline
SWCA Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,778
Likes: 3,219
Liked 6,863 Times in 1,862 Posts
Default

What is the seller asking for it? I’d want to pay not more than $250 for it—and that might be a bit on the high side.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-19-2022, 05:36 PM
browerpatch browerpatch is offline
Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 17
Likes: 15
Liked 29 Times in 8 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mrcvs View Post
What is the seller asking for it? I’d want to pay not more than $250 for it—and that might be a bit on the high side.

Less than $150.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #6  
Old 05-19-2022, 05:45 PM
gmborkovic gmborkovic is online now
SWCA Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: VA & SoFL
Posts: 8,644
Likes: 469
Liked 5,696 Times in 3,186 Posts
Default

Low $200s sounds about right. Its not a carry gun or target.
Just a curio to shoot at the range once in awhile.
__________________
Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Like Post:
  #7  
Old 05-19-2022, 06:42 PM
mrcvs mrcvs is offline
SWCA Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,778
Likes: 3,219
Liked 6,863 Times in 1,862 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by browerpatch View Post
Less than $150.
If less than $150, go for it!

Being an Antique means there shouldn’t be any paperwork involved.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #8  
Old 05-19-2022, 07:06 PM
browerpatch browerpatch is offline
Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 17
Likes: 15
Liked 29 Times in 8 Posts
Default

If I acquire this gun, I'd like to shoot it from time to time. How well do these old things handle modern .32 short ammo? Should I consider pulling the lead ball, dumping the powder, and using black powder instead?
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-19-2022, 07:13 PM
Rpg Rpg is online now
Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Denver area
Posts: 6,221
Likes: 20,240
Liked 13,057 Times in 4,157 Posts
Default

Modern ammo is mildly loaded to be safe in these old guns.

No need to pull the bullet and substitute black powder: unless, of course, you’ve got too much time on your hands and can’t resist fooling around with perfectly good ammo.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #10  
Old 05-19-2022, 07:31 PM
mmaher94087 mmaher94087 is offline
SWCA Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Arizona
Posts: 3,562
Likes: 4
Liked 2,494 Times in 1,296 Posts
Default

Once you acquire this revolver, pay attention to the "stacking" of the trigger. There is a slight hesitation when pulling the trigger, which gives one a chance to sight the revolver, just before the hammer releases. It's a neat feature of these Safety Hammerless revolvers.
__________________
Mike Maher #283
Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
  #11  
Old 05-19-2022, 07:37 PM
browerpatch browerpatch is offline
Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 17
Likes: 15
Liked 29 Times in 8 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mmaher94087 View Post
Once you acquire this revolver, pay attention to the "stacking" of the trigger. There is a slight hesitation when pulling the trigger, which gives one a chance to sight the revolver, just before the hammer releases. It's a neat feature of these Safety Hammerless revolvers.

My other one has that, and I find it a nice feature. This one has it also, but I think it will benefit from a thorough cleaning. The works just seem gummy. It locks up well, though, and there's no play in the hinge. Overall, it's a tight little gun! Glad to know modern ammo is mild enough for it. Thanks.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 05-19-2022, 07:46 PM
Dosgatos Dosgatos is offline
SWCA Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Oregon
Posts: 916
Likes: 175
Liked 633 Times in 152 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gmborkovic View Post
Low $200s sounds about right. Its not a carry gun or target.
Just a curio to shoot at the range once in awhile.
I totally agree with this. I own about five of these, most like new in their original boxes, and never shoot them. The cartridge is close to worthless, and probably didn't fulfill its promise in the Bicycle guns. Speaking of which, the Bicycle version is probably the only version worth having, just because it is a curiosity. Modern ammunition (which is perfectly safe in these guns) can be found readily on the internet. When I got my first .32 I bought up all the ammo I could find, and most of it is still on the shelf. I paid $250 for a .38 Safety similar to the one in this discussion, just to have as a cheap truck gun. I've read some discussions that the .38 S&W is ballistically comparable to a .380 Auto, and I'd rather have that than a .32 S&W.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 32 Safeties.jpg (93.4 KB, 26 views)
__________________
Peter #2091

Last edited by Dosgatos; 05-19-2022 at 07:56 PM.
Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
  #13  
Old 05-19-2022, 09:11 PM
browerpatch browerpatch is offline
Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 17
Likes: 15
Liked 29 Times in 8 Posts
Default

I don't suppose there's any such thing as a disassembly manual, is there?

Also, the serial #is 88xxx. Any information on date of manufacture or shipment?
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 05-20-2022, 08:55 AM
glowe's Avatar
glowe glowe is online now
US Veteran

.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Michigan Western UP
Posts: 12,916
Likes: 3,028
Liked 14,258 Times in 5,435 Posts
Default

Yes there is. David Chicoine wrote two books, Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West and Antique Firearms Assembly and Disassembly. The second book would be best for your project of cleaning up the revolver.

The 32 Safety, 1st Model was manufactured from 1888 to 1892, with 91,417 made. This model was followed by two more models resulting in 242,981 total being built. The serial number is high, so likely manufactured around 1890 to 1892. Ship dates are used to date a Smith & Wesson since shipping logs are available for all models of Smith & Wesson. Some manufacturing logs are privately held and may be available for that serial number, but not available to the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation. I find three 88,000 serial numbers in the database and there are two that shipped in 1899 and one in 1900. The BATF recognizes all 32 Safety, 1st Models as antiques since all frames were completed before 1899.

As I recall, trigger stacking is more of a bad thing. It is mostly defined as a defect, a constant increase in trigger pull weight toward the end of the trigger’s rearward travel. The only other term that might fit - maybe a 2-stage trigger. This type of trigger is defined as the trigger is pulled under steady pressure until the trigger pull weight quickly changes, and pulling beyond that point discharges the firearm.

That revolver would sell for $250 all day in this current market. Smooth metal, no pitting, well kept, plus the premium of easy sale without all the paperwork or FFLs.

Let me add a schematic. It is for a 1st Model or 2nd Model. Just save the photo to your computer.

.32 Safety Hammerless question-32-safety-2nd-model-schematic1-jpg
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 32 Safety 2nd Model Schematic1.jpg (69.2 KB, 66 views)
__________________
Gary
SWCA 2515

Last edited by glowe; 05-20-2022 at 09:22 AM. Reason: added photo
Reply With Quote
The Following 7 Users Like Post:
  #15  
Old 05-20-2022, 09:40 AM
browerpatch browerpatch is offline
Member
.32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question .32 Safety Hammerless question  
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 17
Likes: 15
Liked 29 Times in 8 Posts
Default

Thank you. Great information. Many Thanks.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
S&W 38 Safety Hammerless question mojave30cal S&W Antiques 1 05-07-2021 11:57 AM
.38 Safety Hammerless question bravastar1 S&W-Smithing 1 07-25-2020 03:18 PM
Safety Hammerless question murphydog S&W-Smithing 3 04-12-2014 12:34 PM
32 safety hammerless question. Brew S&W Antiques 3 02-18-2012 09:13 PM
.32 Safety Hammerless Question xaztec S&W Antiques 3 04-25-2008 07:40 AM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:46 PM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)