Saw this gun yesterday. Clearly marked 31-1. I did not realize that this model was produced in anything other than blue and nickel finishes. Chambered in .32 S&W Long. Didn't measure the bbl length,but it looked to be 3 1/2 " (probably 4"). If it ain't a 31-1,what is it?
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

Probably nickel. Sometimes gets mistaken for stainless.

I think there is a 631 which is stainless.

Unless I'm mistaken,the Model 631 is a .32 Magnum,not .32 Long. Also,I know the difference between nickel and stainless.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

A "stainless" 31-1 could be factory-nickeled, or possibly refinished with some aftermarket finish like electroless brushed nickel, Armolloy, or some other stainless-looking process.

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Pisgah

My guess is it has been refinished with something like hard chome. With a brushed finish it looks a lot like stainless steel.

FT, I'm gonna side with Pisgah in that it's an aftermarket finish. My only comment that might be of any significance is about Armolloy. If the gun appeared "factory fresh" but stainless you could only hope it is Armolloy. There use to be only a hand full of shops nation wide that refinished firearms with that process and I've never seen one done badly. As far back as the early '70's, provided he could afford it, a LEO would choose Armolloy over any other refinish for a service revolver. If the one you referred to was for sale, it would be awfully hard for me to pass up. Regards, hardcase60.

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You want me to do what?

I appreciate all of your comments,but I've been buying guns for 50 years and I'm familiar with factory finishes and aftermarket finishes as well. I own,or have owned during that time,hundreds of guns. It's my opinion that the gun is mis-marked or it's a factory-original stainless gun. There is NO doubt in my mind that it's a stainless gun! I just can't figure out how it came to be.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

We need photos!

Stainless revolvers were produced during the model 31-1 production run, but a 4" barrel fixed sight .32 S & W Long was not one of them, even in prototype form.

I just saw a model 36-1 with a rear adjustable sight and what appears for all the world to be a stainless finish. It's hard chrome, and the Target sights were aftermarket too - cool gun anyhow.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Well,that's a start.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

This is an interesting thread. According to the Standard Cat. the 31-1 started production in 1961 beginning w/ serial number 712954 and the M60 which we know to be the first production gun in stainless was in 65. FT, you didn't happen to get the serial # of the 31-1 you saw? Was it before the start of the M60 or after???

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Dan
Ps 96 SWCA 2930 SWHF 524

I looked at the serial number,but don't remember what it was. I'm just gonna have to go back first chance I get and get all the necessary info.....and pics.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

Here are pics showing the pertinent info. It is a 3" bbl. It is definitely stainless. So what's the deal. Anybody know if a 3",stainless Model 31-1 was indeed regular production run? Anybody have one? Seen one?









f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

Any relevant info appreciated.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

My grandpa had a SW 32 long (I-Frame, Model 1903?) for years that lived in his toolbox. He hunted rabbits and squirrels with it. Pistol was at least 50 years old by the time I came along. I shot at least 10 boxes of ammo in it. Accurate enough to bring home bunnies for dinner. Mild recoil, 6" barrel, blued finish. He told me he paid $3.00 for the pistol and 2 boxes of ammo for it. The pistol disappeared when my aunts cleaned up his house when he died.

Hard chrome finish is all can think of......
Otherwise unless you started at the factory with a M60 frame, where would the cylinder and barrel come from?
That H146839 should mean it was born 1969-70. The only stainless .32 barrels I know of were on the 631/632's right?

FT, that sure is a nice looking gun and one I'd like to have regardless of the finish.

Getting on to you request. I only have an observation or 2. The first thing I notice is the more subtle or satin look of hard chrome vs stainless. From what I can tell from the photos is the finish has more of consistency or uniformity in the flow of the finish. When I look at my stainless guns I can see the "grain" of the finish. Hope that makes sense.

The other observation is the trigger and hammer also appear to have the same finish and not what you would normally see on a gun from that time frame.

This is just my opinion based on the photos as viewed on my iPad and early Sunday morning ramblings. . YMMV

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Dan
Ps 96 SWCA 2930 SWHF 524

Calling S&W with the serial number might offer some insight.

The finish on the butt, around the serial number, looks stained or worn in the photo.

Regardless, the .32 revolvers are a blast to own, carry, and shoot. You will enjoy it if you buy it.

The Flash Chrome hammer and Trigger is indicative of a stainless gun made in the seventies and eighties. A nickel gun would have a case colored hammer and trigger. it's not the matte nickel S&W put out briefly in the 90s. I do not see a barrel pin which would indicate manufacturer 1982 or later.

Appears to be a M631, mismarked, made in 32 long. Perhaps a special Factory run no one's heard of. Perhaps made in the custom shop. Or it could be some kind of third party gunsmith special. Definitely worth a call to the Mothership. Or maybe even springing $75 for a factory letter.

If it is an industrial hard chrome finish it sure looks a lot like stainless steel. This is a very curious revolver.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Too bad the original owner in his successors didn't keep the original Factory box!

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

How much are they asking for it?

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A Snider squibbed n the Jungle

The picture showing the "32 S&W Long" on the barrel looks to me to be soft enough on the edges to indicate a buffing, also the s/n on the butt. I'm still saying an industrial hard chrome finish on all. The s/n would indicate 1981, but the numbers are a little uneven and could have been hand stamped? This one needs a factory confirmation to pin it down.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I think Occam's Razor applies here - the simplest, most direct hypothesis is the most likely explanation.

Structurally it appears to be as it is stamped, a model 31-1. The SN puts it in the range of a non-pinned barrel. The 631 came much later, only in 2 and 4" barrel lengths and with three letter/four digit SNs, so there were no regular production stainless J frame .32 Longs in 1981.

So, the hypothesis can be - S & W made a prototype stainless model 31 (barrel and cylinder in particular), stamped it with a regular SN and sold it; or it is a standard gun that was hard chromed. If you are willing and curious, I would budget the extra $75 in the total purchase price for the history letter that will confirm one or the other. Good luck in your decision.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Curious??

Why has nobody suggested checking with a magnet??

IIRC S&W Stainless will not be attracted to a magnet.

I have been know to be wrong - according to my ex ...

Bekeart

I believe the type of stainless steel used in S & W revolvers will attract a magnet.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Tom open the cylinder and look for the letter "V" or "S" stamped on the cylinder face, if absent I would bet money it has been hard chromed.

The V or later S stamp was used to identify SS cylinders from carbon steel in the raw so they didnt get mixed up pre blueing

Although the very first SS Model 60's supposedly had a lower iron content IIRC all SS S&W revolvers will attract a magnet,

The .32 H&R Mag wasn't introduced as a cartridge until 1984. A Smith made in '82-'84 could at most be a .32 S&W Long.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

It would be nice if they made a 3" J frame with fixed sights again.

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Co-Owner NoDak Spud LLC

Once again,thanks to you all for your observations and opinions. I am considering buying the gun if I can come to an agreed upon price between me and the shop. I really have no use for it,but may be able to buy it for a "reasonable" sum.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

Well,I bought it. Now,just what I'm gonna do with it remains to be seen.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

Get it lettered. You will make back the $75, ten times over, if it is something rare, legit, and heretofore unknown.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Any telltale stamps under the stocks, like an N?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I'm with the Kernel, I wouldn't rest until I got a letter. It just could be a prototype. I know of where there is a model 63 from the 70's with a 6" barrel. Never cataloged, and maybe the only one.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Just as polished nickel is a slightly different color than polished chrome, thin frosted Armoloy type chrome plating is a slightly different color that the stainless steel S&W uses. That Model 31-1 is the color of Armoloy, not stainless.

If you can not see that than consider the hammer and trigger. The silver hammers and triggers S&W installed in earlier stainless revolvers were "flash chromed." The difference in color between them and the stainless steel frame is easy seen. The hammer and trigger in this Model 31 are the same color as the frame because they were after market plated the same as the frame.

These threads asking if an obviously hard chromed revolver is a one and only supper rare stainless revolver are a standard feature of this forum. You all know the answer.

Regarding the magnet test, a high chrome content is what makes some stainless steels non-magnetic. It also makes the the steel harder to machine which is why S&W does not use it.

I just tried a magnet on a 640, a 60 and a 64. A magnet does adhere to them, barrel, frame and cylinder. FWIW.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103