Interesting thread as my dad gave me (I believe) a 1st model HE from 1896. The serial # is 3875 but the "7" almost looks like a "Y" and maybe it is? There is another very tiny # on the inside of crane where they normally are. (I need to get a magnifier to see it hold-on....sorry it took so long), still to hard to make out but looks like it might be a 2238. I'm fairly certain it is not the same # as on bottom of butt handle. The gun has the site screwed into the top strap and the cylinder stop is on top strap as well. It has incredibly tight lock up and in fact I shot 3 cartridges from it to test. So nice shooting I purchased a 3" barrel 30-1 that has only very minor wear on crown of barrel but otherwise looks almost unfired. There is barely a visible cylinder ring and bluing is nearly perfect. Has box and and reg card too. Was a nice find to pair with the old one. I may make a new thread to inquire on what I have. I am close to selling them as difficult to find ammo. However I'm torn cuz maybe I should keep as a collector???

You don't say, but if it is chambered in .32 S&W Long, it sounds very much like a Model of 1896, or Hand Ejector First Model, S&W's first Hand Ejector revolver. Yours is fairly early. I believe all of these are legally considered to be antiques. I cannot even guess at a value if it is in high condition and has the original box and paperwork (but maybe you were talking about your 30-1. I'm not sure), but probably a lot more than you think. Someone will pop up with an estimate. Meanwhile, take some good pictures of everything and post them here. You also need to order a factory letter ASAP. Start a new posting.

Thx DWalt I will do so later today. The 30-1 is much better condition and with box but I will post pics of both here later on new thread. I'm not good judge of condition on antiques but I'm told it (1896) is considered in "fine" condition.

Trying to get pics posted. Frustrating....I'll figure it out....

Well I read the post pic info and still not able. I'm trying to use pics from IPad or choosing the "take photo" option but getting nowhere. Too much time wasted. I'm out but thx DWalt.

I think this one is much like yours.
SERNO:178XX, no thumb latch, no front latch, separate screw for the crane,
pinned front sight, 32 cal, 4.25 bbl, blue finish {what's left of it}.
-DP

Attached Images

	S&W blu 1896 (1).jpg (124.3 KB, 71 views)
	S&W blu 1896 (2).jpg (126.1 KB, 68 views)

Wow, thx for the help! Yes it looks very similar except I noticed yours has 5 screws and mine has 4 screws. I don't have the screw at the top of the side plate near the hammer. Also mine looks to be in very similar condition to yours.

Thank you, Blazer, for letting me crash your party.
Looks like we own a little piece of S&W hand ejector history.
-DP

The Model 1896 came both ways, 4 or 5 screws with no relationship to production dates or the vintage.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

The Model of 1896 is easy to distinguish from others. The Patent Dates are engraved on the cylinder, unlike other 32s. The images of mine are below. If your blued gun is in really nice condition, I am interested in purchasing it to go with my nickel-plated one.


Also here is my 30-1….

__________________
Terry
SWCA, SWHS, IWLA, NRA

This is not true. Some were shipped before 1899 and some were shipped after. The ATF considers all 1896s shipped after 12/31/1898 to be modern guns. The serial numbers on these do not tell you the shipping or manufacture date. I have one with a relatively high serial number that was shipped in 1896 and I sold one with a much lower number that shipped in 1901. The only way to verify antique status on these is with a S&W archive letter.

For more information on these I started a thread specifically on the 1896 and the different variations that is a sticky in the notable thread index. I encourage everyone that has one or more of these to post pics in this thread if you have not already:

1896 First Model HE / Different Variations

Thanks

I don't know if there is an "Official" list of pre-1899 S&W cutoff SNs, but the list in common circulation is below:

S&W Single Action (SA) .32 and .38 top break revolvers, all are pre-1899
(S&W Spur Trigger: With the exception of one rare S&W model, production of single-action spur trigger revolver frames had essentatially stopped by1892. So, just about all of these will be antiques.)

S&W Double Action (DA) .32 top break revolvers w/hammer (serial #
below 209301)

S&W DA .32 top break hammerless ("lemon squeezer") revolvers
(serial # below 91400)

S&W DA .38 top break revolvers with hammer (serial # below 382022)

S&W DA .38 top break hammerless ("lemon squeezer") revolvers
(serial # below 119900)

S&W Model 3 and New Model 3 single action revolvers, all are pre-1899

S&W .45 Schofield revolvers, all are pre-1899

S&W DA First Model revolver, all are pre-1899

S&W DA "Frontier" revolvers, all are pre-1899

S&W DA "Favorite" revolvers, all are pre-1899

Important Note: An article by Roy Jinks (S&W factory historian), some
years ago reported that all of the *frames* for the large frame
top-break S&W's were made prior to 1899, and hence all New Model #3's, .44 DA 1st Models, DA Frontiers, and related models are considered
"antique" by the ATF, even though they may have been cataloged and evenassembled well into the early 20th century. Special thanks to Roy Jinksand the S&W Collector's Association for this information.

S&W Model 1891, all are pre-1899

S&W 1st Model hand ejector (.32s only), all are pre-1899

Thanks to all. I'm going to get letter from S&W. Any idea on what it's worth?

We've discussed this at length here many times. The general consensus is that ATF goes off of the ship dates on 1896s even though the frames were all made prior to 1899. For whatever reason the Frontier DA topbreaks even though cataloged into the 20th century are all considered antiques but the ATF has never done the same with the 1896.
Here's an old thread discussing it:

Pre-1899 Hand Ejector Classification

Who knows? Maybe something has changed. Perhaps more research is in order.

See my comments in Pre-1899 Hand Ejector Classification