I came upon a S&W 32 revolver The owner claimed it was a BANK VAULT revolver It lacked a model number But the serial number was 8556x excellent shape looks unfired I am attempting to look the piece up in the standart catalog but getting nowhere I have the piece on a 48 hour hold at $500.00
Any Ideas

Attached Images

5347d1335294377-need-help-32-wcf-ctg-year-value-2012-04-24-150010.jpg (36.5 KB, 240 views)

Did you take pictures? I am just learning about this exact gun to purchase one myself.

Several have given good info. Since this revolver has gone through many changes since 1899 and it may be an I or J frame or perhaps a K-32 on a K frame. I think the pros want photos.

Look at the ID your S&W sticky and give us some details.
There are five different .32 caliber S&Ws with serial numbers that high.

For most of them, $500 is a lot unless in superb condition.

Are You sure he did not say "It locks up like a Bank Vault"?

This lists the information we need for an opinion:

To IDENTIFY your Gun >

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Sorry for all the confusion --- I looked the piece up on the internet and found this picture. The one in question matches perfectly but only has a 4 inch barrel.
The dealer in question has never sterred me wrong . and I have been around long enough to know to buy the piece not the story.

The piece was sold to him by a local elder whose name is associated with a very small rural town. The women claimed that her grandfather was the president of a local bank back in the 30's. She said that the federal law required that all baks maintain a weapon in the bank vault in case of a robbery. When the bank failed her Grandfather removed the gun from the vault at the closing and the family has had the weapon since then.
I am interested in it mainly because If i get it lettered and the story is true than it should show as shipped to the bank or some one in the local area, which would support the story
So I posted the picture from the net on the original post does anyone have a idea of the date of birth since that might support the story.
I should not that the dealer is the only gun shop pawn within 25 miles of the area. The women still lives in the town, A friend who has some gunsmithing experience said the gun looks unfired
So any ideas on when it was made?

Like you said, judge the gun on its own merits, not the story. Unless they are saying the bank president chased off John Derringer with it.

What you SHOW is a .32 Hand Ejector.
No 85560 is a model of 1903, third change, made 1906-1909.

There are people who collect VERIFIED police department guns, so if it letters to the bank, it would be of interest in some circles.

I'm afraid we can't go by a photo of a gun that 'looks' like the one your considering. Many models look too much alike to the non-collector.

I don't think you have a .32 (as in S&W Long), I think you have a different chambering, a .32 WCF, aka 32-20, aka 32 Winchester. What exactly is the full cartridge marking on the barrel??

And if the photo truly looks "exactly" like it except for barrel length, with Mushroom ER Knob, pre war thumb piece, and no medallions in the grips, the only model it could be is a K frame ".32 Hand Ejector Model of 1905 - Fourth Change", in .32-20 Winchester and made ~ in the early 1920s; page 131, SCSW 3rd. The Barrel could be marked .32 WCF CTG or 32-20 CTG for that vintage. That's if the grips in the photo are correct vintage or original to that gun. And it may not have been shipped for up to 10 years after that. Do you know ~ when the bank gun was acquired or when the bank opened?



An I (small) frame .32 S&W Long couldn't be from before 1917, because the first small frame 32 with a square grip, was the 32 Regulation Police, introduced in 1917, but those had an enclosed gun butt. And would be way out of the serial range of 85,000. So it has to be a K frame. But the K frame 32 Long had target sights and wasn't introduced until 1936. The first one with fixed sights like in your photo wasn't introduced until 1948; both out of the serial range. And the gun shown is a pre WW II model.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

Who the heck is John Derringer??

I think Jim probably nailed it for you: the gun sounds like a .32-20 Hand Ejector from about 1920. That presumes the number reported was actually taken from the butt of the gun, and not from the frame surface you can see when the cylinder swings open. At the time we are talking about serial numbers were not stamped on that surface and anything you see there are process control numbers that mean nothing once the gun is finally assembled.

I have it in mind that four-inch barrels on this model were not as commonly seen between WWI and WWII, so there might be a value kick for that. But we are still dealing in probabilities here, so without further description of the rollmarks on the gun -- or better pictures -- it is hard to feel completely confident about the identification.

__________________
David Wilson

Or maybe even John Dillinger!

I did not know it was a federal law to have a gun in the bank way back then, but I knew the federal government doled out firearms from government stores to banks in an attempt to stem bank robberies.

IIRC, many banks were given M1917 revolvers. Even the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle was issued to banks!

Most bank tellers back then were men, and each one was expected to be ready to grab a gun and shoot if/when the situation required it.

I guess somebody was serious about stopping crime!

__________________
You're shy a few manners.

The guy robbing the bank. Weren't you paying attention?

Maybe he was Henry's second cousin's nephew's illegitimate son, and that's why he used two Rs.

__________________
I always take precautions

I WOULD PAY THE ASKING PRICE FOR IT, IF IT IS UNFIRED. I WOULD THEN HAVE IT LETTERED, AND SEE WHERE YOU STAND AT THAT POINT. IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY, YOU COULD PUT IT UP FOR SALE ON GB, TO RECOUP WHAT YOU HAVE INVESTED IN IT……..

__________________
'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

I am in contact with the dealer and he will send me a picture of the piece The number I provided is on the Bottom of the Butt strap . We will see