Very attractive revolver -- but with an unusual mix of features, chronologically speaking.

Most 1920s revolvers are easily spotted by their non-medallion stocks. Most 1930s revolvers are quickly identifiable by their barrel-shaped ejector rod knobs. In the very late 1920s there was a period when you could find the barrel-shaped knob (introduced late 1927, I think, or maybe 1928) on a gun with the non-medallion stocks (standard practice through the 1920s). This gun shows the exact opposite -- mushroom shaped ejector rod (1927 or earlier) paired with 1930s silver medallion stocks. That is probably not original unless the gun languished in inventory for several years and was spruced up before shipping, but it may be -- I have a prewar I-frame .32 revolver that letters as a target model, but whose serial number is recorded in the floor floorman's notes as part of a series that was created as a fixed sight revolver. Clearly inventoried revolvers were sometimes sent to the service department to be turned into something else in response to an immediate customer demand that could not be satisfied from available stock. That may have happened in the case of this revolver.

There are no other .32 RP targets with serial numbers in the immediate vicinity of this one, but there is one known with a serial number about 1000 lower. The next higher serial number on a known RP target is some 35000 higher.

It would be interesting to know if there are service department stamps on the gun, or if there is a 1930s-era date stamp for factory rework. I agree this gun looks as though it has been refinished. Perhaps it got its target sights and medallion stocks at the same time it was reblued. If this did indeed happen in the 1930s, the Historical Foundation may be able to provide copies of correspondence and billing for the modifications involved.

Very nice revolver. Whether it was first assembled as an RP target or became one at a later date, it is clearly an RP target now.

EDITED TO ADD: I took so much time writing this response that the new photos and subsequent comments showed up before I posted it. I agree there is no doubt about the reblue, and I would expect to see a date stamp on the grip frame telling us when it happened.

__________________
David Wilson