On the barrel flat just in front of the s/n is stamped B F. I know the B indicates original blue, but what does the "F" stand for?

This is a Mod of 1903, 32 H E, sn 231570, which should date it to 1917. I acquired in a gun auction yesterday. I should have taken before pictures, it was covered with surface rust, but I could tell the mechanics were very good. An overnight bath in Kroil, and 3 hours today totally disassembling and cleaning and I think will make a decent little plinking pistol. (Yes, I really like .32's).

Here's a couple Pictures to enjoy.













Roy just advised it shipped June 1916.

Hope to get it to the range in a couple days.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

B-F is a new one on me. Put from your pics of a clean, gutted receiver, you can really appreciate the beautiful machine work they use to do.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I can't help you with the B/F question. I just wanted to say I wish I had the nerve and talent to disassemble my guns! If I were to do it, I think I would end up with a pile of parts that I could not remember where they went!

Nice gun BTW!

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

There are a few you-tube video's, Jerry Miculek has a good video on "Trigger Job" that gives a step by step process for disassembly. Once you have a good set of "gunsmithing" screwdrivers, a small gunsmith hammer (with changeable heads), there isn't much else really needed. The Midway set includes a rebound housing tool. The mechanics are really pretty straight forward. A couple stones for removing burrs and polishing a few surfaces are also handy.

If you decide to jump in, it's best to find an old beater to practice on a few times before going at a new one.

This one was pretty gunked up with a tar like goo, which I think may have been the original oil from 100 years ago.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Nice pickup!

I haven't seen the B-F that often and usually on the grip frame. And not been able to find anything in writing about it. It seems to be a fairly scarcely used stamping.

From my observations I can only speculate that it indicates blue gun with fixed sights because I've never seen it used on a target barrel or a target frame.

Then again it could be as simple as Blue-Finish. And could explain why it's seldom seen since the F for finish is a bit superfluous.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

H Richard:

That is a beautiful .32. I know that it is finish challenged, but I have several, and they are really wonderful little shooting guns. I think the oldest one I have is this:



Which was shipped in August of 1923, according to Roy. When I received it, you could not open the cylinder, as someone had used it as a hammer, I guess, and the recoil shield was bent, locking the cylinder in place!! But I got it at a bargain basement price, as the former owner thought it was past fixing up.

When I got it apart, and scrubbed out the interior, and all of the parts, on the inside it looked like a Swiss watch. Each part was beautifully finished, even though most folks would never see them. I'll have to admit that it is not a beauty queen on the outside, but inside is great.

But the best part is that it shoots really well, and has a lovely trigger action in both single and double action.

By the way...here is a shot of the bottom of the barrel...just the "B", no "B - F":



Love the old .32s!! I have about half a dozen Smith .32s, and a pristine Colt Pocket Positive in .32 Colt New Police, which is the same thing as the .32 S&W Long. They are great guns.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Les, I know what you mean, this makes my 4th I Frame .32, the others are early 1950's Improved I Frames and so much fun. It is amazing the quality put into these little guns. The cylinder release bolt has a teeny screw retaining the plunger in the bolt! (I did not remove it as I didn't have a screwdriver that small !). The machining inside the gun is so cleanly done, and thinking that 100 years ago this was all hand work.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Hi Richard,

If I may ask, you soaked it in Kroll and then used a bronze brush to remove the surface rust? It looks really good. You did a great job on cleaning it up. I picked up a last ditch Model 99 Japanese rifle that was a bring back and need to go to work on the surface rust from having it wrapped in newspaper for 70 years.
Thanks!!

I used bronze wool, it's like 0000 steel wool, but bronze as it is less abrasive than steel wool and won't hurt existing bluing as much. It's available from places like Midway and Brownells. I plan to go over it with Mothers Mag Polish next, then a coat or two of Renaissance wax. I had originally planned to possible cold blue it, but once I got all the surface rust off it I decided to leave it alone.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

So this is your first "un"improved I-frame? I have several and will be curious to hear your impression of the trigger action of this miniature leaf spring action vs the coil spring action of the improved I- and J -frames. My gut instinct, supported by actual impressions while shooting them says the leaf mainspring will give a smoother action without the "stacking" I sometimes have experienced with the later, coil type. One of my favorite carry guns is an early post-War 32 HE snub that is pre-coil spring. Slick and smooth, just the way I like it. Of course my pre-War 22 HFT and 32 RP Target have the leaf springs as well, and it goes without saying how smooth they are!

Regards,
Froggie

Froggie:

In addition to the .32 HE posted above, I have a number of pre war leaf spring I frames in both .32 and .38 S&W. Then I have a variety of post war: both improved and J frame configurations of these oldies.

I have never hauled them all out at once, but I would tend to agree with your thesis. Possibly the post war addition of not only the coil spring, but the sliding hammer block safety would be factors in all this.

Since I'm on vacation right now, maybe sometime this summer I'll try to do a side by side comparison.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I had it out for a trial run this afternoon,and it shot very well, but ejection was a problem. Chambers were clean, but had just enough corrosion to make the empties difficult to eject. I brought it home and spent about an hour with oversize brushes, Mothers Mag polish, and plenty of cleaning patches and Hoppe's. I think I have the chambers polished enough to make ejection better. If not I need to buy a chamber hone.
The action was pretty stout, more so than I would have thought, very smooth, but the mainspring was pretty heavy. Action breaks very clean, and single action probably around 3 lbs or so, but DA closer to 12 lbs or so. I'm going to leave it alone for now. Want to get it back to the range maybe tomorrow and see how ejection works.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

No hones needed, Took to the range today and put 50 rounds through it and only thumb pressure needed to extract all rounds.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

That little .32 is just as cute as they come ! Congratulations ! Back in the early 60s, when I first knew I was going to be a Smith & Wesson guy, the 3" Model 30 was the one I decided I wanted. Sadly, I never have had one.

Larry

les.b,

I can't see that much difference between the trigger pull of my pre-War Terrier and my post-War (with trigger block) 32 HE Snub... that may be a function of my particular specimens, but that's my limited sample to compare. As expected, the pre-War Target models also have great triggers. I guess I need to check a larger sample of post-War leaf spring guns, but I don't get to handle them all that often.


H Richard,

I'm a little surprised with the heavy trigger pulls you are getting, much heavier than I would have expected. I'll have to go back and pull out my long unused RPs and see whether they are stiffer than I remembered. A nice thing about the I-frame guns is that tuneup and trigger adjustment works exactly like on the K-, L-, and N-frame guns, just smaller. That's one of the reasons I like them so much!

Froggie

I was a little surprised by the thickness of the leaf spring. I didn't measure, but looked maybe 20-25% thicker than what you see on a K frame. I have a whole box full of K frame springs, but no I frame. The rebound spring was also very stiff, and I might see if I can cut down a J frame 14 lb to fit.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244