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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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Old 01-29-2014, 07:43 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Default Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?

I have a few 32 Long Smiths and enjoy shopping for more as we all do. The other day I came across this 32 Regulation Police and what appears to be a Target model. The book says the Target model brings a premium which might cause someone to fake one. Below are some pictures of it. Is it me or does the front sight look like the half moon sight was ground away and this piece attached? It just doesn't look right. And there is also an "old repair" on the adjustable rear sight. Opinions? Red flags are going up for me on this.







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Old 01-29-2014, 07:57 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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DC Wilson will be along shortly...but the contour and different finish on the rear sight leaf and front blade relative to the rest of the gun suggest to me that it is modified from a 6" fixed sight RP.
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Old 01-29-2014, 08:54 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsfricks View Post
Is it me or does the front sight look like the half moon sight was ground away and this piece attached?
That is how all Target sighted guns were made before the War.

How about some pics of the front sight?

It looks like the rear sight leaf was broken or shortened and welded back together. The rear sight would normally have the serial number on the bottom, but it may be missing after the welding and filing.
The gun also appears to be a reblue.
So, you may need a letter to tell if it shipped as a Target.
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Old 01-29-2014, 10:10 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Thanks for the input. It's for sell online and things just didn't look right to me but wanted to run it by the experts.
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Old 01-29-2014, 10:19 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Here's a few more. I'm not sure if that is a reblue or not.









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Old 01-29-2014, 10:22 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Definite re-blue.
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Old 01-29-2014, 10:29 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Factory reblue.
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Old 01-29-2014, 11:28 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Very attractive revolver -- but with an unusual mix of features, chronologically speaking.

Most 1920s revolvers are easily spotted by their non-medallion stocks. Most 1930s revolvers are quickly identifiable by their barrel-shaped ejector rod knobs. In the very late 1920s there was a period when you could find the barrel-shaped knob (introduced late 1927, I think, or maybe 1928) on a gun with the non-medallion stocks (standard practice through the 1920s). This gun shows the exact opposite -- mushroom shaped ejector rod (1927 or earlier) paired with 1930s silver medallion stocks. That is probably not original unless the gun languished in inventory for several years and was spruced up before shipping, but it may be -- I have a prewar I-frame .32 revolver that letters as a target model, but whose serial number is recorded in the floor floorman's notes as part of a series that was created as a fixed sight revolver. Clearly inventoried revolvers were sometimes sent to the service department to be turned into something else in response to an immediate customer demand that could not be satisfied from available stock. That may have happened in the case of this revolver.

There are no other .32 RP targets with serial numbers in the immediate vicinity of this one, but there is one known with a serial number about 1000 lower. The next higher serial number on a known RP target is some 35000 higher.

It would be interesting to know if there are service department stamps on the gun, or if there is a 1930s-era date stamp for factory rework. I agree this gun looks as though it has been refinished. Perhaps it got its target sights and medallion stocks at the same time it was reblued. If this did indeed happen in the 1930s, the Historical Foundation may be able to provide copies of correspondence and billing for the modifications involved.

Very nice revolver. Whether it was first assembled as an RP target or became one at a later date, it is clearly an RP target now.

EDITED TO ADD: I took so much time writing this response that the new photos and subsequent comments showed up before I posted it. I agree there is no doubt about the reblue, and I would expect to see a date stamp on the grip frame telling us when it happened.
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Old 01-29-2014, 11:51 PM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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This is my Smith & Wesson Regulation Police model that jsfricks referenced. It is up for auction on gunbroker.com now.

I did receive an email from the OP inquiring about the front sight and the bluing a few hours after he started this thread. His email made me curious, so I started looking for photos of S&W Regulation Police models on Google and lo and behold I find my photos posted here on the forums.

A little background... I inherited the pistol in question from my father who passed away in 2009. He was an avid Smith & Wesson fan and collector and this is one of the pieces from his collection that was passed on to me.

I know very little about the history of this particular gun, but attempted to do due diligence and research on my own prior to listing it for auction. I cannot say whether or not it has been re-blued, nor am I personally knowledgeable enough in the process to make that determination. I am on the level and upright in my dealings with others, so I only listed those details that I felt I could determine by comparing my pistol to other examples that I found depicted for sale elsewhere on the internet. I found other examples of target models that were virtual matches for mine and I found evidence that S&W either offered a partridge front sight or any of the other front sights for Military and Police models on the target models which is why I represented it as such.

My pistol is very similar to the one in this thread, with the notable exception of the front sight on theirs which has been worked on according to the author. Note the 1920's S&W Regulation Police catalogue description.

The Earliest (for now) Regulation Police Target Revolver

I welcome the input from those of you who may be more knowledgeable on the subject of the Regulation Police models.

Edited to add: Thank you DCWilson for your kind input into this issue. I welcome your opinion and if you need more specific information to help identify things, please let me know.

Last edited by aforrest; 01-30-2014 at 12:49 AM. Reason: New information from another poster.
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Old 01-30-2014, 12:22 AM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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AForrest, first, welcome to the forum. This is the best place to find out about Smith & Wesson revolvers. I do not think the original poster intended to say the regulation police revolver was a fake, he was asking for more knowledge from the more informed members.
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Old 01-30-2014, 12:29 AM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peyton View Post
AForrest, first, welcome to the forum. This is the best place to find out about Smith & Wesson revolvers. I do not think the original poster intended to say the regulation police revolver was a fake, he was asking for more knowledge from the more informed members.
Exactly correct. I'm still a rookie at this and have to check with the experts here on many of these. Mods, If I've broken any rules by posting these photos then please delete this thread. I made sure I didn't put a link to the auction.
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Old 01-30-2014, 12:35 AM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Thanks Peyton.

jsfricks: I apologize for being a little cranky, since I know you didn't mean to imply that I had misrepresented the pistol. I was a little put off by the photo thing, but I am new to the forums and didn't understand that you couldn't link to the auction. Not exactly my best way to jump into a thread, but a little knowledge goes a long way. No problem with the photos now that I understand.

I pulled the grips on this pistol a few minutes ago and there are 2 stamps on the left side of the frame under the grip. "9 75" and "R-S" Any thoughts on what these mean?

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Old 01-30-2014, 12:44 AM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Once again Alan, I do apologize. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and that is what the experts need to inform us "less knowledgable".
More knowledgable folks will be along but the 9.75 should mean it was sent back to the factory on Sept 1975 and the R S should mean it was refinished in the standard blue finish.
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Old 01-30-2014, 12:48 AM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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No need to apologize, Jeff. My mistake for not understanding the rules regarding photos around here. I'm sorry if I was a bit abrasive over the whole thing. I'll try to get a photo posted of the stamps in a minute.
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Old 01-30-2014, 12:55 AM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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Here is a photo of the stamps in question. My father was co-owner of a gun shop for many years here in Hillsborough and I wonder if he was the one who sent this pistol back to the factory.. I did not receive any paperwork or other materials with the gun, so I have no way of knowing.
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Old 01-30-2014, 09:02 AM
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Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target? Is this a S&W 32 Regulation Police 6" Target?  
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There is also S <> (S with a diamond) on rear of cyl at about 7 o'clock. That would most likely indicate work performed by the Service Dept.

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Old 01-30-2014, 10:20 AM
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Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target?  
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That's a much later return to the factory than I had predicted, but there are some interesting consequences of that dating. First, I doubt the factory remilled an old frame and added half-century old target sights to the revolver. That increases the odds it left the factory with adjustable sights. If it did, that means there should be a serial number stamped on the underside of the sight. If you take it off to check, be sure not to lose any small parts. It still looks as though the rear sight foot was broken and welded at one point, so part of the serial number (if there is one) may be illegible. That break may have postdated the factory refinish, or maybe not. I think the factory would have replaced a broken sight if it had a spare, but if they were out of old parts they might have just done what they could to make a previous fix look better. And, of course, if the sight was broken when it went to the factory, the service department might have been the place where it was repaired and reinstalled.

Guns with serial numbers close to this one were shipping in late 1926 and early 1927. The stocks are later. Do you see a serial number on the inner wooden surface?
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Old 01-30-2014, 01:31 PM
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Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target?  
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The OPs photos were removed inadvertently, so I'll link to the originals.















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Old 01-30-2014, 01:48 PM
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Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target? Is this a S&amp;W 32 Regulation Police 6&quot; Target?  
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I don't know where or when that front sight was installed, but I sure wish I had one like it on my RP Target!! I've got one of those skinny little things that makes my old eyes water every time I try to find it. Other than the repair to the rear sight, that is a gorgeous example of the breed and I would be proud to own it. The finish on that revolver is very nice and overall it looks like a good one. The twists and turns in its 80+ year history just make it more interesting IMHO. Nice find.

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