Need help identifying this revolver pictured below. Model, year, value would be nice. I believe it's Model of 1953 22/32 Target but I'm not 100% sure. Serial number is 360907 and I count 5 screws counting the one in front of the trigger guard. Thanks in advance

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Looks like a "Bekaert". Appears to be pre 1922. Others with far more knowledge will fil you in.

By the stocks and ejector rod type 20's seems right to me also.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

...I agree...mushroom ejector rod knob is 1927 or earlier...lack of "Made in USA" roll mark puts it before 1922...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

Ship date would have been close to 1921. Not called a Beakeart, since it was not part of the original 1000 guns. Official name for this model was 22/32 Heavy Frame Target revolver.

Mainspring tension screw looks backed out. If original screw is present, it should be tightened all the way flush with the butt-frame. That is the way the factory would have adjusted the screw to have proper tension when fully seated in the frame. Nice 22/32 HFT you have there and should shoot great if rifling is strong.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Welcome to the forum.

As others have stated, you have a .22/32 Heavy Frame Target known by collectors as the Bekeart model. The gun is so named because it was reportedly built at the recommendation of San Francisco gun dealer and west coast distributor for Smith and Wesson, Phillip Bekeart to give target shooters of the day a .22 target revolver of decent size. At the time, S&W was producing their single shot .22's however their .22 revolver was the much smaller M frame Ladysmith.

Bekeart approached S&W and suggested that they take the larger I frame, then used for their larger .32 caliber guns, and adapt it for the smaller .22 cartridge. Hence the designation .22/32 indicating a .22 built on the .32 frame. S&W was reluctant to do the necessary tooling without a significant order but agreed to do it if Bekeart ordered 1,000 guns. As the story goes, he apparently placed the order and production began.

Now this is where the story gets cloudy. As we now know, Bekeart only received 294 of the first run of 1,050 guns made. The first shipment to him left the factory on June 7, 1911 however, within a week of that shipment, other distributors also began receiving shipments. It seems that early on, either Bekeart or S&W knew that he could not sell all 1,050 and 756 of them ended up at other S&W sellers.

Your gun with serial number 360907 should have shipped in June of 1922 based on others in my database but only a letter will say for sure. Although the order to begin stamping S&W revolvers with the Made in USA stamping was ordered by Harold Wesson in May of 1922, I don't begin seeing it in my database until late 1923 so ordered changes and actual production dates sometimes vary greatly.

Most of the guns from this time frame have the one screw regulation police style stocks however, occasionally I do see the two screw style without medallions. If you remove the right stock panel and look for a serial number inside you may be able to verify if they are original to the gun.

So the Model of 1953 is a later version of this gun but by about 30 years or so.

These guns have never really taken off price wise unless you have one of the original Bekeart shipped guns and or it is in pristine condition. Yours is not in great shape and I would think it in the $450 range.

Hope that helps.

Below is a photo of my collection of these. Click to enlarge it. Then click again to enlarge it once more.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Welcome to this forum.

Introduced as the Model of 1911 22/32 Bekeart, it was a special order until becoming regular production in 1915 as the 22/32 heavy Frame Target.

Its serial # indicates it shipped ~ Feb. 1923. Although the MADE IN USA stamp on the right front frame was ordered in May 1922, in did not show up on guns until later in 1923. Clearly produced after 1920 because it has a logo on the frame and no medallions in the target stocks.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

So I have a related question about these guns. I have a copy of the original add from 1911 with a very clear photo of the gun. The elevation screw on the rear sight is protruding a good bit above the sight and the bottom of the sight is sitting tight against the notch in the frame for the sight. My gun # 208271 has a rear sight from a later model # 496757. With the sight installed and the elevation adjusted upward as far as possible my rear sight is still sitting tall and nowhere near tight to the notch in the rear of the frame. This elevation screw has a smooth round head on the bottom that bears against the frame to raise the sight. Is it possible that these later guns had a notch in the frame for this round head to sit in? Without such a recess or the removal of the round head I won't be able to adjust my sights for correct elevation. I hope this makes sense.

Not really sure what you are asking but your gun and rear sight are about 15 years apart. Many of this model have broken rear sights that have cracked at the front screw. My belief is that when adjusting the rear screw to extreme heights without loosening the front screw causes the bottom base to crack.

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James Redfield
LM #497

The round head (actually a base) slips into a slot in the back of the top strap.

You'll have to remove the front attachment screw and sight. Look for the slot in the front surface of the sight notch, in front and above the hammer channel then slide the round head into the slot and reattach the sight.

Sights for the 22/32 in the #400,000 range and above have an elevation screw as you describe that slides from the rear into a slot in the top strap.

I don't know if your gun at #208271 mounts the sight the same way but I'm pretty sure it does from the beginning in 1911.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Thanks Jim. You confirmed what I was thinking. Now I have to decide on milling the frame or filing the head off the elevation screw. This gun is rough enough that it will never be a collector gun but is nice enough that I really enjoy shooting it. It's also fun to tell folks that they are shooting a 104 year old gun after they give it a try.

How cool is it to learn your gun is 30 years older than you thought . You have a fine revolver there I hope you will inform us of how it shoots and post some range pictures .Once we get you hooked and a 22/32 target is a good way to do that we will then give you all kinds is reasons you " need " one more revolver . Welcome ,thanks for shareing your firearm with us.

Jim, do you have a source for this? If so, I would love a copy for my collection.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Hi James,

Yes, the SWCA 25th Anniv Edition of "The Journal", a compilation of previous monthly Journals printed 1995 in two volumes. Vol I, pg. 158 is the most current and well researched article on the .22 Hand Ejector, i.e. Bekeart Model, 22/32 HFT.
The original 292 serial #s are listed here.

Prior to this article, sources vary:

Neil and Jinks lists 1912 as the start of reg production,
History of S&W lists 1914 as the 2nd production run at which time the 22/32 HFT name was coined.
SCSW refers to the Journal article and lists 1915 as the beginning of reg production.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I have a copy of what I would think is the original add for this gun from the Bekeart Co. calling it the Model 1911 Heavy Frame Target Revolver. It claims the gun is manufactured for them exclusively and will be ready for delivery June 1st, 1912 for the restricted retail price of $20.

So you don't have a slot for the screw's round base in the top strap?

That's a valuable screw. Before cutting the base off I'd search for one w/o the base. Or just screw it in upside down and use it that way. Easier to just turn the round base with fingers than having to have and use a tiny screwdriver!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I'm thinking more toward milling the top strap for the screw. Instead of trying to mill a slot for the elevation screw head to slide into I'm thinking of just spot facing a recess for the screw head to sit in. It would achieve the same result in one machining operation without the need for the special cutter for the micro size slot. I really hate to modify anything but this gun will never be more than a shooter in the condition it's in.

Could you post a photo of the article? I would love to see it. I have one that speaks about a "second" thousand guns exclusively being delivered to Bekeart even though we now know that he never received all of the first 1,000. Perhaps merely advertising bravado of the day trying to solicit more buyers.

Just to clarify a couple of points for those following this thread. The early books report that there were 292 guns shipped to Bekeart from the initial production run. It is also reported that this first run was 1,000 or 1,044 guns.

We now know that those numbers were clerical errors as this information was being researched from hand written log books and it was difficult to read.

The first run started at 138226 and ended at 139275 covering 1,050 serial numbers. I have the shipping destinations for all of the 1,050. The shipments to Bekeart were on 6/7, 6/22, 6/28, 6/30, 8/31 and 10/13/1911 and total 294 guns. The left stock bottom imprint numbers run from 1 through 1018 in my database.

The next group of guns in my database start at 161141 and run to 165954 and have stock imprint numbers in the 1094 to 2071 range. These guns shipped from May of 1912 to January 1913.

The next group to show up are the 490 M.W. Robinson guns that shipped in five shipments in 1914 on 1/31, 2/18, 2/21, 2/27 and 3/19. The left stock imprint numbers range from 2117 to 2582.

So, my research into this model leads me to believe that the first 1,000 (or so) are the "Bekeart" shipped guns in the 138226 to 139275 block shipping in 1911. The second 1,000 are in the 160000 to 165000 range shipped during the last half of 1912. The third 1,000 or less are the Robinson guns from 207926 to 208415.

The next guns to appear in my database start at 220150 and from there on up to guns in the 500000 range I show NO guns with a left stock bottom imprint number.

Again, except for the 1,050 guns in the 138226 to 139275 range, I do not have shipping date and destination information on every gun produced. My sampling is large enough however for me to make a few assumptions.

I don't think that the stock imprint numbers exceeded 3,000 and perhaps never got beyond 2,600. Knowing that the first run was for 1,050 guns, let's assume that the second run was the same. That represents 2,100 guns produced. Add the 490 guns that went to M.W. Robinson and you have roughly 2,600 guns.

Again my database is from factory record research, this forum and the internet but obviously does not include every gun produced or guns owned whose information has not made it to one of these sources. With over 2,000 guns recorded however, it is IMHO, a large enough sampling to give some credence to my results.

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James Redfield
LM #497

That sounds like an easier solution and great alternative.

As long as the sight tang has enough spring tension to lower the sight all the way down when the screw is turned out.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I just installed the sight minus the elevation screw and it sits flush with the frame so it should work out well with some minor machining.

James it sounds like the same add. This add does mention the second thousand but when I saw the expected ship date of 6/12 I figured maybe it was jus advertising hype. Anyway here it is.

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