I picked up a small 2" barreled flat latch 22lr from a forum member sometime last year. It had almost no blue left and looked like it had been carefully sanded with very fine sand paper, Seams and screws fine, Stamping all clear and nice. It was advertised this way and I got it cheap. It was called a pre model 34 in the add and I assumed it was a J frame. LOL Anyway, I picked up a 4 inch barrel and already had what I thought was a J frame 22 cylinder with a long ejector rod. LOL

Anyway a couple week or so back I got a Mohawk 600 project done (changed out the 222 barrel for a model 700 223 barrel), so I got out the little S&W 22 and removed the barrel. New barrel screwed in a tiny bit to far, so I took it off and made a few bunch marks on the shoulder and it tightened up perfect, tapped in the pin and the fun began.

The ejector rod I had was right hand thread and the center pin a bit small. I now suspect it is not really a S&W cylinder. All my other rods were to short. Checked a few places for a rod and no luck. The I checked with a resident I and J frame expert and he told me he had one for an I and one for a J. He had me do some measurements and informed me I had an I frame gun. Now I have to go through all my little 32s and figure out which are Is and which are Js.

Anyway I got the pins to day and the longest of the 2 he sent fit perfect. I used a K frame center pin which I had to grind down on both ends to get it right.

But, now I have a little 4" I frame 22 camp gun, fun , kids can practice with gun. Probably dunk it in a blue tank this summer sometime.

The grips came on the gun, I just got rid of the finger grooves they had as they were to small form my mitts.

Bravo!

I have 2"ers and 4"ers. One Model 1953 I frame like yours was reblued, nice job but not factory so when I saw a 3 1/2" Airweight barrel (they're not marked Airweight) for sale, I grabbed it. Just to have something different and put it in my I frame.

I had a pre war style barrel knob ext rod from early post war with left hand threads so I notched the 3 1/2" barrel and installed the rod too.

It's my favorite .22 shooter.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

They are neat little guns. I remember years ago when I bought my first model 36-1 I could have gotten a J frame 22 for the same money and didn't even contemplate it. Dumb kid. Now dumb adult. LOL.

I have several I and J frame 32 S&W longs. I need to get them all out and do some comparisons. Need to be able to tell Is from Js. Great little guns. My wife carry's one loaded with 90gr semi wad cutters on her morning walks. I got her a J frame 642-1, but she don't like it as well, even with regular 38 specials. She does keep a model 15 on her side of the bed.

Unless I am worried about changing or replacing some few of the parts, I consider my Is and Js to be the same except for the earlier I frames with leaf type mainsprings... these I regard as having superior trigger pulls, but maybe that’s just me. Otherwise, I think of my little Smiths as... little Smiths!

Spring style notwithstanding, that little kit gun you’ve assembled looks like a dandy, and would be ideal for woods loafing, running a trap line, or just popping targets of opportunity in range or field. Looks like you have a winner!

Froggie

But, your getting smarter every day that you keep at it! Compare cylinder lengths! ? !
jcelect

Great stuff.

My remaining I-frames are .32s, from '29 through '58.

Lots of fun.

Attached Images

	32 HE ca. Nov '29 (2).jpg (94.1 KB, 12 views)
	Model 31 TT TH.jpg (96.7 KB, 10 views)

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Ya, Hondo informed me that is the best indicator. Just looking at them it is a bit hard to tell especially if you don't have one of each in hand.

These photos compare a .22/32 Kit Gun "J-Frame" (Model 63 stainless Kit Gun, top), and a Model of 1953 "New I-Frame" (Pre-Model 34/Model 34 22/32 Kit Gun, bottom).

Same size trigger guards and grip frames, but note the 1/8” difference in frame length in front of the trigger guard, also compare the cylinder length and cyl window length. The simple identification "giveaway" of the I frame pre and post 1953 is the cyl square profile from the side view.


Photo credit: JP@AK

Blurry
Photo credit: BlackAgnes

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Don't you just love those itty bitty I Frames? This one is a 2", transition.


I've also got a Pre 30, 3 1/4", and a Pre 30 2", and a 30-1 3". Kind of like the .32 caliber, so I also added a couple 431PD and 432PD as well as a 16-4 in 32 H&R.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

My "late" I frame in 38 S&W. Pre Mod. 33.

$200 for the gun, $60 for a replacement hammer (it had been bobbed). 10 min. to drop it in.

Before:


After:


Aside from a HFT, my only I frame 22 is a Pre 35. It's late enough the bug screw is gone:

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611