Bear with me, I'm new. I have a K frame, 5 screw SN: S 982XXX
matching in all 3 places. It is a 5" barrel marked Smith & Wesson
on the left side. Smith & Wesson Springfield Mass U.S.A. patented Feb 6 06, Sep 14 09, Dec 23 14 on top and 32 long ctg on right. S&W logo on plate with made in USA. It has a serrated trigger and checkered hammer spur, fixed sights, 6 shot fluted cylinder, (32-20), mainspring tension screw in grip. Under the yoke stamped 8 . 4. Grips are more modern. Assembly numbers match.
In addition, stamped on the butt is D P D C 11459 all help is appreciated. This is an enigma to me.

Welcome to the Forum. Nice way to start out. These are not common revolvers.

First, let's clear up the caliber. It is NOT a .32-20, it is, as the barrel states, chambered for the .32 S&W Long cartridge.

S982xxx probably shipped in April, 1948, and very likely was one of 50 units shipped to that distributor at that time. It is one of a relatively small group of Military & Police revolvers that were chambered for the .32 Long in the late 1940s. The vast majority of the S prefix M&P revolvers were chambered for the .38 Special.

Here is a picture of the example in my collection, still wearing its original stocks. This one was also in that April 21 shipment, as documented by a factory letter from the S&W Historian.


You are fortunate to own an unusual revolver from a signally important period in S&W history - the immediate postwar period.

I wonder if you would be so kind as to share the complete serial number with me. I have an extensive database on these S prefix revolvers and I'd like to add yours to the record.

Pictures also would be nice!

BTW - the extra marking on the grip frame is almost certainly a law enforcement department mark (perhaps the District of Columbia?). The digits would be a rack number for the department.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Welcome to the forum. And that's a pretty nice fond, not many of those.

Also That vintage S&W needs to match in ALL SIX locations:

SERIAL # LOCATIONS: To confirm all parts are original, one can check for the 6 matching serial # locations for fixed sight pre war Hand Ejectors and all post war Hand Ejectors thru ~1956 and a few as much as 3 years later.
NOTE: Observing serial #s for accuracy or even existence, especially on penciled stocks, requires magnification, bright light, and an attitude that it is there!

1. Grip frame butt (prefixed by a letter(s) following WWII) - or fore strap on I frame Regulation Police models and single shots with grips that cover the butt
2. Barrel - bottom of barrel or in extractor shroud
3. Yoke - on rear face only visible thru a chamber with a flashlight (except the .32 Model 1896 and no doubt a few others)
4. Extractor star - backside
5. Cylinder - rear face
6. Right stock only - on back; stamped (after 1929), except most post war target grips because individual fitting not required.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

There is not a great deal of information known about the .32 Long M&Ps, and they will be found in both the S and C series SNs. It has been stated that a total of 4813 were made, most with 4" barrels. 5" and 2" barreled versions are less common. It has also been said that most of them were made for export sales, but to just where, or why, is uncertain. At least I have never seen information about where most went. Some have turned up in Mexico and South America. In any event, you have a very interesting and unusual find. It would be great if someone knows what D P D C 11459 signifies, probably some overseas police department property stamping. It could be an important clue as to the original destination of these M&Ps. This is one (5") that I have (which has no such property stamping).

While it is certainly a department stamp and most likely holds the key to the destination mystery, D.C. is not it, unless some department other than the police, whose stamp always was MPDC, for Metropolitan Police, D.C.

Good point. Having worked in the District as COS for a U.S. Senator, you'd think I'd have remembered that!

At least some of the .32 M&P revolvers that shipped to Sloane's ended up south of the border. Mine didn't, so far as I can tell, but some did. Perhaps the OP's did, and acquired the dept. stamp down there. Hard to say.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Welcome to the forum ! What a way to make an entrance. Folks around here are always happy to help. As a side note lots of folks look for a long time to find one of those.

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Randy

Not an expert but in my experience a DC stamp is often for Department of Corrections.

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No life story has happy end.

In municipal documents for the City of Dallas, DPDC is the departmental code for Dallas Police Department. I didn't spot what the C might mean.

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David Wilson

A question for the group. Wouldn't most U.S. police departments have switched to a larger caliber by the time this gun was produced?

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Randy

I don't remember the details, but about this time NYPD was buying a bunch of .32s for newly hired women officers.

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David Wilson

Someone in this forum has to know to what "overseas location" the .32 M&Ps were shipped (at least most of them). But so far, no one has revealed where it is. My feeling is that it was somewhere south of the border, but I have nothing to base that on. Historical letters don't say, at least I have seen none that do. The person I bought mine from had no idea, in fact he also had no idea as to its scarcity. My guess is that only a very small number exist in the USA today, maybe only in the hundreds, if that many. I'd have to look, but I think there are only about 15-20 SNs of the .32 M&Ps on my list. The .22 RF M&Ps (Model 45) are sort of in the same category. I have one of those also. This one:

You asked for pictures. I have attached 4 angles with some numbers.

I would also like to know where these 50 units were sent in April 1948.

Attached Images

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Interesting - it does look like the barrel is stamped 32 Long CTG...but that looks like 32-20 ammo.

I see the same thing as jmace57, barrel stamping says 32 S&W Long but the cartridge displayed is obviously a 32 WCF.

Have you been able to chamber a 32-20 in that cylinder? If so, it has been altered somehow, either a new cylinder or a gunsmith ran a reamer into it.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Yours may have been shipped to Sloan's Sporting Goods in NYC. My suspicion is that Sloan's was the U. S purchasing rep for whoever or whatever it was that bought them.

If yours has been rechambered to .32-20, that would cut its value enormously.

I remember reading that some PD's ordered .32 caliber revolvers for female officers. The thinking was that the fairer sex could not handle the recoil of a 38 Spl. How times have changed.

Did all the legit .32-20's have the earlier large extractor rod knob? I think S&W quit chambering that round by 1930, although they shipped some later, from remaining stock.

Will the longer .32-20 chamber in the OP's cylinder?

I think the .32 Long guns were for policewomen and for sales in places like Brazil, where the .32 is popular. If our man in Rio de Janeiro sees this, maybe he'll comment? Ray? Are you here?

Policewomen usually had smaller .32's. The basic .32 Hand Ejector with three inch barrel would be typical.
Or a Colt DS or Cobra.

True, but most cop .32's were on I or J frames and the women carried them in their purses. Kinda hard to purse carry a K-frame gun with a four or five inch barrel...

I think the whole idea with NYPD or any other major US department ordering these for female officers can be disregarded.

The .32 S&W Long M&P’s are much too rare and exotic to have served any such function, quite apart from the fact that the issue with female hands has usually been size. Agencies like Chicago PD and NYPD made the Chiefs Special with a 3” barrel in the standard .38 Special caliber available for that purpose.

Absalom is correct as far as K frames are concerned.

But, the 32 Long was a popular chambering with Police Departments around the turn of the century. Roosevelt ordered 32 Longs for the NYPD when he was Police Commissioner for NYPD.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.