Hello,

I have acquired a very nice nickel plated Lemon Squeezer from a pawn shop. The serial number is 254xxx. Would anyone have any idea how old it is? I kinda figured after 1900.

Thanks!

Probably way after 1900, like maybe the mid to late1920s. Ed

Dating it would depend on knowing whether your gun is a .32 or .38. And the proper term is "Safety Hammerless," even though we all know what you're talking about. :-)

Mike

It’s a .38. It’s a very nice little revolver. I’ve been after one for awhile.

So many questions. Grips match? Barrel length? Bore clean? Thanks

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

254XXX in a .38 Safety Hammerless would date to somewhere in the late teens or early 1920's. The serial numbers got a bit flaky that late in production, so it could have been a bit earlier or later than that.

Mike

Grips are matching, 3.25 inch barrel, bore is pretty good, some pitting but that wouldn’t deter me from using it. Lockup is very tight and it dry fires great.

Sounds shootable. Give it a little lube and go shoot it.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

With the usual caveat about these not shipping in sequence, I have 250432 which shipped 7/25 and 254037 which shipped 11/25.

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Peter #2091

Thanks for all the information. So am educated guess would probably be that my gun shipped in 1926. I’m acquiring some cartridges for it today. I also got an antique H. H. Heiser holster for it. Once the background check clears I will definitely go shoot it a bit!

One last thing, can I put grips from a .32 Safety Hammerless on a .38?

We like pics if possible.

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Being an old Led Zeppelin and blues fan, seeing the title "Lemon Squeezer Dating" made me just HAVE to look at this thread.

Not at all what first came to mind.

Carry on...

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BT
EGO VOLUNTAS HAUD OBEDIO

No.

(The 32s are a 1 1/2 size frame and 38s are a 2. Until you get to the I frame 32s which are the same as a 2: but that's another story.)

Books

So I got the gun today, and the only fault I can find with it is the firing pin sticks through the frame all the time. I’m assuming this is because the firing pin rebound spring needs to be replaced? Am I correct? I’ve attached a picture.

A0B8DB85-2092-49FA-934B-B6549297749A.jpg

Ya, I know... I keep thinking about the lemon squeezer I dated in high school.....

So I noticed something when I was partially disassembling it. She backing off the mainspring strain screw, the firing pin rebounds, but when tension is applied, it forces the hammer against the firing pin making it protrude into the frame. It is acting like the rebound spring is super weak.

The firing pin rebound spring is a weak spring. Broken springs can be replaced using a few coils from a retractable ball point pen. The hammer should rebound from the firing pin based upon the geometry of the mainspring and stirrup. It should not rest on the firing pin.

Can you remove the side plate and post a photo of the mainspring, stirrup and hammer with the strain screw tightened?

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Mike Maher #283

Here is the image as requested:

7A84A600-4827-45F3-AFBF-A2BA3851B097.jpg

Thanks for the photo. I'll venture that the stirrup is in backwards. The hammer and mainspring appear to be correct, i.e., no hanky-panky replacement. Remove the mainspring and hammer and turn the stirrup 180* and reinstall. The rebound depends on the mainspring pulling up on the stirrup while the tail of the stirrup interferes with the bottom of the slot in the hammer and cams the hammer off the firing pin. Please get back (working or not).

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Mike Maher #283

Do you mean remove the hammer and drift the pin out and flip the strut around?

Correct. That's the only thing that I can think of that might be wrong. That's the best I can figure with this long-distance smithing.

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Mike Maher #283

259630 shipped in April 1931

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

7B6CC1D8-2CD7-40B6-83B6-BF3323E5B7E4.jpg

Here’s the hammer

Here’s the hammer with the stirrup flipped around

49F93DE0-A198-4320-B7C4-ABEEAED6938A.jpg

Firing pin is still not rebounding

0C49BC68-ABCF-4463-8EC9-4C5FAD2E6864.jpg

A-ha! The hammer is sitting correctly now, but I made an oopsie with the trigger spring. It will go click, but the hammer won’t rebound and the trigger won’t reset. I think I put the spring in wrong. I’ll fix it shortly.77E1B0EC-2B69-4A33-8C6B-3D77E2005E9C.jpg

Ok now this is strange. When I put the trigger spring into the gun, and manhandle the trigger guard back on, it will dry fire but it won’t reset unless I do it manually. I wonder if I’m not installing the trigger spring correctly.

Check to make sure that the longer leg of the spring is on the trigger. Firing pin is out of the breach now too.

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Mike Maher #283

It appears both sides of the spring are the same length.

1E1E00DD-BD32-4231-B3B5-4E97C8B5F734.jpg

Check the length with calipers as I believe one leg longer. It's possible the spring is slipping out of position when the T-guard is being reinstalled. Put a mark on one leg and note which way it faces. Reinstall and test. If it doesn't reset then remove the spring and reinstall with the mark facing the opposite way, i.e., flip it over. Did I say that I hate reinstalling DA trigger springs?

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Mike Maher #283

I don't know if this helps or not but here are some pictures of the orientation of the trigger spring. According to Chicoine and as Mike alluded to earlier, the rebound function is performed by spring tension of the mainspring and stirrup. So, it is unlikely the trigger spring is affecting the rebound.

Attached Images

	shdisassembly.jpg (51.1 KB, 70 views)
	shschematic.jpg (91.2 KB, 72 views)

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

This helps immensely. Thank you. Could the stirrup have been the right way round originally? I’ve worked on a fair number of old guns, and this one is a doozy!

You're welcome. I'm no expert but I suspect it was correct initially. It's possible the mainspring is weak. You might try putting a spent primer or some folded paper between the strain screw and mainspring to see if you can increase the tension and restore the rebound. For more specific info on these guns, buy a PDF copy of Assembling/Disassembling Antique Firearms by David Chicoine. I use the free Amazon Kindle reader to view it. I'd like to say it will tell you your exact problem, but it doesn't. He starts with a factory assembled gun and tells you how to disassemble it. But, in the areas of your concern (hammer stirrup/spring/trigger spring) he just says note the orientation so you can put it back that way when reassembling. Nevertheless, it is an excellent reference book, with pictures, if you plan to work on more of these old guns.


If you look at the first picture I posted and do a close-up (press WIN KEY and + simultaneously) of the stirrup, you'll notice the concave part of the stirrup arm is down. That's how it should be oriented, IMO. Also, in the second picture, note the orientation of the stirrup (460) and hammer (449).

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

awesome i also want one of those... lately looking into the classics. could take her off your hands if you ever decide to part ways...lol

OK, I think the stirrup is now backward. I ask to have it reversed but I believe it was correct initially. Pass the crow but I still can't explain the original hammer rebound problem. The only thing that we haven't addressed is the mainspring. I'll see if I have a known 5th model, .38 Safety Hammerless mainspring to measure. I wish I had the revolver in-hand as all this changing and testing could be done in an hour or so.

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Mike Maher #283

Back to the original question, I have a 81xxx in overall excellent condition except for the nickel finish. I've fired black powder rounds in it but any idea to DOM?

I will disassemble the gun again, put the stirrup back where is belongs, and see about this mainspring. I have already located a brand new production one from Jack First Gun Parts if I need it.

I measured my .38 Safety mainspring, and it measures 3.162" from the butt to the tip of the horns. The closest I can get with a ruler is 3 5/32" or just over 3 1/8".

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Mike Maher #283

The new spring available from Jack First is 3 3/16” long. I’ll find a ruler and measure my current one.

The spring I measured is 1/32" under Jack Firsts 3 3/16". If I had a ruler that only was divided by sixteenths, then I'd say 3 3/16" too.

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Mike Maher #283

So…my gun has been fixed. It was indeed the mainspring. With the assistance of my father, the spring was gingerly bent to add more tension. Now it works perfectly. Thanks for all the help!