hi everyone
my brother-in law gave this to me need info (age,etc)
keeping it, wife wants it for a ccw
any help grateful

number in swing arm is: A53682 with an 8 under it

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That's a Hand Ejector that probably shipped in 1952. That model became the Model 30 a few years later. They're fun to shoot! If you can't find any ammunition locally, Graf's has some offerings for mail-order, as does LuckyGunner. The number behind the yoke is an assembly number and isn't useful, though the serial number on the butt allows for guessing a ship date.

Edit to add: Those may be the original grips. It would be interesting to take the grips off and see if the serial number on the butt is also on the inside of one of the grips.

Welcome to the Forum. I hate to say it, but that is one beat up 32 Hand Ejector. If your wife needs a handgun for a CCW firearm, she needs a gun in great condition inside and out. Who knows how many rounds went through that one, besides the insides may be rusted and/or worn as the exterior indicates. I would only want the best for my wife! These revolvers are very common and can be found in great mechanical condition for under $300.

Ammo is readily available via online ammunition sites. Much of the ammo is foreign made, but very high quality.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Do a thorough cleaning inside and out and it should be a great self defense gun for a lady.

Not for my lady!!

Ralph Tremaine

Nice gun, but she has much better choices for a ccw.

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Just hanging with my dogs

That revolver will make a great sd gun for your wife (or anyone not experienced shooting handguns).

Your wife will find it pleasant to shoot and she will be able to develop a level of skill and accuracy with it that embarrasses most of the guys shooting more robust rounds from small handguns.

Being able to reliably hit what you aim at is much more important than the ballistics of the cartridge you shoot with. Center hits with a 32 are more effective than misses or peripheral hits with a cartridge that has more impressive ballistic table numbers.

I’d be surprised if your revolver isn’t perfectly functional. Shoot it.

In the unlikely event you discover a problem with the gun, then have a gunsmith check it.

1st thing i did was have it checked,bore is clean very little use.have sale paper for gun and ammo. less than 1/2 box shot, peters .32 s&w long 88gr.
case its been in caused pitting. old guns are still better built than some of this new junk, i will take steel over composite anyday.

For as rough as the finish is the gun looks solid. Have it cleaned and checked mechanically. Shoot it, enjoy.
Walt

Welcome aboard from Wyoming.

Okay so your early '50s .32 Hand Ejector has a bit of rust. You can fix that.

I soaked this 1953 Chiefs Special in a 50-50 mixture of auto trans fluid and acetone for a month (might not have needed to do it that long). Then I used bronze wool (not abrasive to the remaining blueing like steel wool would be) to rub the rust off. Then I gave it a good oiling. Too easy. The little Chiefs functions flawlessly, and, yes, I carry it on occasion.

Fifty-nine years ago my grandmother shot a .32 and taught me how. Great little guns!

Hope you and your wife enjoy it.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Welcome to the forum.

Your 32 #587397 is a Model .32 Hand Ejector Improved I Frame with 3 1/4" barrel and round butt grips.

Others with the same features and close serial #s shipped between mid 1952 thru the 1st quarter of 1953. It was designated the Model 30 in June 1957.

OLD GUN CLEANING AND SAFETY CHECK PROTOCOL FOR HEIRLOOMS & NEW GUN OWNERS:

Simply put, the only usual issue with these marvels of yesteryear is they are gummed up and dirty. Old oils of its time do not match the quality of these old guns nor the technology of today, and actually dry up and harden to the point of impeding operation and accelerating wear. The simple solution does not need a gunsmith or removal of the side plate. Just one of many premium modern gun care products from any sporting goods, gun store or hardware store.

Most are both cleaning and preserving agents; Breakfree, Kroil & M-Pro7 are some of the best, and there are others, but do not use WD-40. Disassembly is not necessary. With grips removed and a spray can version of the product, flood and flush the revolver thru every opening and crevice until the black gunk stops flowing out, let it drain for an hour and wipe it down thoroughly with the same product.

Scrub barrel bore and cylinder chambers with a simple cleaning rod kit found at the same places as the cleaning agents above; patches cut from rags is all you really need. And scrub any observed exterior and crevice crud with an old toothbrush with bristles cut off short for stiffness.

To remove grips for cleaning the gun: loosen the grip screw completely and carefully push down on the screw head until the bottom grip separates, then remove. Now carefully push the top side grip off with a finger or toothbrush from the backside thru the grip frame.

The gun is now original and will never have greater value. I would not refinish it and throw away all of the "character" acquired thru its life so far. It will only retain that value by retaining its originality. The only way to make it more original is to remove anything that it did not have on it when new, like any black tarnish or corrosion. Black and dark brown areas thru the blue, on bare metal or where nickel plating is worn off is very unsightly. Areas on nickel guns with no nickel plating left at all, will polish bright and blend with remaining plating.

A careful polish with the correct products is the way to do that. Well known polishing products are Flitz, Semi-Chrome, Mother's Mag Wheel polish or the equivalent.

An application of wax, Renaissance wax is a popular one, will enhance and protect the finish if you want something to do while watching the news!

For rust spots, Blue Wonder cleaner will remove the rust but leave the bluing. Or use Bronze wool, not steel wool, size 0000 and toothbrush with bristles cut short, and a gun cleaner like M-Pro 7 (odor free), Kroil or Breakfree and gentle scrubbing.

Rust pitting must have all red color removed to arrest it's cancerous growth (use 5x glasses or stronger to see progress). White areas of cleaned pitting can be 'toned down' and
touched up with OxPho Blue cream (from Brownells) and works best after heating the metal with a blow dryer until it’s too hot to touch. Actual rust pits in the surface can only be removed with a re-finish, but not always if too deep. If you choose to ‘touch up’, clean with acetone or lacquer thinner to remove all traces of oil.

Once cleaned and lubricated, with a few simple checks you can determine if it’s safe to use; no need to waste time and money on a gunsmith, especially if you don't know one. Open the cylinder and verify the barrel is unobstructed. Cock the hammer in single action mode. Gently push on the hammer to confirm that it will not drop w/o pulling the trigger. Cock the hammer slowly and confirm the cylinder locks in position for each of the 5 or 6 chambers about the same time the hammer cocks. If satisfactory, now operate the gun in DA pulling the trigger slowly; again confirm the cyl locks before the hammer drops. After each cycling of the action, confirm that the cyl is still locked in position.

Cylinders can have fore and aft movement and rotational movement. Check rotational movement with the hammer cocked just to make sure it won’t skip to another chamber. That's all that is really important from a safety concern. Then unless you experience 'spitting' at the barrel/cyl gap when fired, you have no reason for concern.

You have a quality made, very well engineered, assembled with skilled craftsmanship, and hand fitted revolver, no longer affordable on a competitive market basis, and the likes of which we'll never see again, ever.

Shoot it to your hearts delight, and it will delight you with its fine accuracy, and comfortable recoil.

Any current off the shelf ‘standard’ factory loaded ammo is loaded safely for use in these old guns.

Enjoy shooting it and you'll be amazed at its accuracy.

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Jim
S&WCA #819