bad_bowtie
Member
That number along with E 1 is stamped on the crane.
S&W Model 32 Terrier in .38 SW
- Thread starter shreaddogfilms
- Start date
That number along with E 1 is stamped on the crane.
Welcome to the forum. You have a jewel of a family heirloom. I'd also guess 1958.
The serial # locations left after model # stamping began:
Gun butt
Extractor star - backside
Right stock – backside
All other numbers on the yoke (crane is a Colt term), in the 'yoke cut' opposite on the frame, and the inside of the sideplate, are factory 'soft fitting' numbers.
The serial # locations left after model # stamping began:
Gun butt
Extractor star - backside
Right stock – backside
All other numbers on the yoke (crane is a Colt term), in the 'yoke cut' opposite on the frame, and the inside of the sideplate, are factory 'soft fitting' numbers.
Hi All,
I was researching my uncle's gun that I just acquired from his son/my first cousin and came across this forum and it led me to this post. I realize it's a few years old but it seems the thread is still active.
I'm a little confused by that. My uncle's gun is in the original box with matching serial number. There is a S&W brochure inside the box that's dated 1955 and on it and there are references to both a
- Model 32 - .38 Terrier
- Model 33 - .38 Regulation Police
So it seems to me that
- S&W did use both the model number and the model name to refer to these guns, at least in paperwork for some period of time
and
- the model number precedes the caliber...so why wouldn't it be called a "32/.38" vs. a ".38/32" -?
Anyway, interesting stuff. My uncle's gun is marked "Mod 33-1" on the gun and on the paper label on one box end. The box itself is stamped "Model 33" and ".38 Regulation Police" on the other end.
I'll post some pics of my uncle's gun when I figure out the posting protocols. It's pretty toasty, fired a very few times and then put up in the original box, with the brochure inside and some really thick S&W marked paper. It's all still very tight.
My cousin told me that sometime in early 60's, my uncle sold one of his shotguns to get money to buy a "S&W .38" someone had but when he went to get it, it was already sold or the person renigged on the sale, whatever. He was disappointed but that was that. Several months later or even the next year, my aunt bought him one for his birthday or their anniversary with her egg, baby chicks, and sewing money...but it turned out he actually wanted a .38 S&W Special"...so even though it wasn't actually what he wanted, he thanked my aunt profusely for the gift since she was beaming over having bought him what he wanted so much, shot the gun a few times, then put it up on the top shelf of the closet in his gun room, and secretly -so as to not hurt his wife's feelings- purchased another, similar revolver but in .38 S&W Special.
My cousin told me his dad confided in him when he was around 12 or 13 and swore him to secrecy...but a few years ago (after his dad died), his mom gave him this gun that she had bought about 50 years previously and mentioned in passing that she found out she had bought him the wrong gun and that he had secretly bought a 'replacement' for it. He asked her if she ever told him that she knew and she said something like "No, we loved each other too much to share all our secrets." or something like that.
I like how women used to understand that a secret gun purchase was actually an act of love by their husbands!
I was researching my uncle's gun that I just acquired from his son/my first cousin and came across this forum and it led me to this post. I realize it's a few years old but it seems the thread is still active.
As you see, you have entered a Proper Terminology Enforcement Zone.
S&W initiated the use of model numbers in 1957; before that models were identified by names. The standard convention for referring to the same model before numbers were established is to call them "Pre-" guns. Yours is a .38/32 Terrier, or Pre-32 for short.
I'm a little confused by that. My uncle's gun is in the original box with matching serial number. There is a S&W brochure inside the box that's dated 1955 and on it and there are references to both a
- Model 32 - .38 Terrier
- Model 33 - .38 Regulation Police
So it seems to me that
- S&W did use both the model number and the model name to refer to these guns, at least in paperwork for some period of time
and
- the model number precedes the caliber...so why wouldn't it be called a "32/.38" vs. a ".38/32" -?
Anyway, interesting stuff. My uncle's gun is marked "Mod 33-1" on the gun and on the paper label on one box end. The box itself is stamped "Model 33" and ".38 Regulation Police" on the other end.
I'll post some pics of my uncle's gun when I figure out the posting protocols. It's pretty toasty, fired a very few times and then put up in the original box, with the brochure inside and some really thick S&W marked paper. It's all still very tight.
My cousin told me that sometime in early 60's, my uncle sold one of his shotguns to get money to buy a "S&W .38" someone had but when he went to get it, it was already sold or the person renigged on the sale, whatever. He was disappointed but that was that. Several months later or even the next year, my aunt bought him one for his birthday or their anniversary with her egg, baby chicks, and sewing money...but it turned out he actually wanted a .38 S&W Special"...so even though it wasn't actually what he wanted, he thanked my aunt profusely for the gift since she was beaming over having bought him what he wanted so much, shot the gun a few times, then put it up on the top shelf of the closet in his gun room, and secretly -so as to not hurt his wife's feelings- purchased another, similar revolver but in .38 S&W Special.
My cousin told me his dad confided in him when he was around 12 or 13 and swore him to secrecy...but a few years ago (after his dad died), his mom gave him this gun that she had bought about 50 years previously and mentioned in passing that she found out she had bought him the wrong gun and that he had secretly bought a 'replacement' for it. He asked her if she ever told him that she knew and she said something like "No, we loved each other too much to share all our secrets." or something like that.
I like how women used to understand that a secret gun purchase was actually an act of love by their husbands!
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Targe,
Welcome to the forum!
Your uncle's former gun, Model 33-1, .38 Regulation Police, identifies it as a .38 S&W Hand Ejector, square butt grip frame with a longer than 2" barrel. The Terrier having a round but grip frame with 2" barrel (although there are exceptions to those distinctions).
The -1 indicates the engineering order for the frame size change introduced in Jan 1961, from the New 'I' frame introduced in 1953, to the .38 S&W Special 'J' frame size with slightly horizontally lengthened cylinder and cylinder frame window, originally introduced in 1950.
Prior to mid 1957 S&Ws had model names only. You are correct, after assignment of Model #s, Smith did use both the Model name and # for several years. After model # assignments, those model named guns made prior with the same engineering characteristics have been referred to as pre models by collectors. The pre 1957 version of your gun would be a pre mod 33, to indicate a 38 Reg Pol that was the same as a Mod 33, but produced too early to be stamped as such.
When you see a reference like .22/32, that refers to the caliber and frame size, not a model #. So the example above is a .22 caliber handgun on a .32 cal size 'I' frame, (although a misnomer after Oct 1960 when it too was produced on the .38 Special 'J' frame). The .38 S&W was originally also produced on the .32 cal. 'I' frame from it's introduction in 1917, and in fact there are some references to it as the .38/32. Although to my knowledge, not marked on any boxes as such, but don't quote me on that, I don't know everything. Of course after Jan 1961, that was no longer applicable either, because it became a .38/38!
Although the 1955 date used in the boxes and literature began in 1955, those same dated boxes, etc., were used for several years thereafter as well. If your were to supply the serial# or a partial #, I can provide the likely year it was produced and/or shipped.
I hope this is helpful.
Thx for sharing that great story from your aunt. I would suggest that you date, sign, print it out, and keep in the gun box to document the gun's provenance for future generations. It's a fine family heirloom with a neat story.
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"No, we loved each other too much to share all our secrets."
This might be my favorite quote from now on.....Thanks to Targe's Aunt for that.....
Oh, and I love this thread about Terriers. Going to the gun show in Pittsburgh today, and will be looking for one.
This might be my favorite quote from now on.....Thanks to Targe's Aunt for that.....
Oh, and I love this thread about Terriers. Going to the gun show in Pittsburgh today, and will be looking for one.
Very nice and brand new. Based on the thumb piece and diamond grips, it was produced in the 1966 to 1968 period.
Sweet old gun. Nice touch with the Detective novel and the 200 gr. Super Police loads.
Interesting thread. MY LGS has had one in the case for some time, and has finally started to lower the price. I'm not really interested in it, but yesterday my wife asked to see it, so I/we had a chance to look it over closely. I wish I had read this thread before so I'd know more what to look for.
This one is a five screw, with the half moon front sight. The finish is what I think of as post-war flat, with diamond magna grips that show just the tinest bit of wear. The guns finish shows none that I remember, but it did appear to have been fired at some point. Caliber was 38 S&W. I THINK the S/N was 69XXX, but can't swear to that. No box or papers.
Nice little gun. It actually looked like someone washed a 2" M&P in hot water and shrank it. After looking at it my wife said "Cute but not for me." Which was a relief to me since they're asking $850.00 for it. I got no idea if that's high, low, indifferent for one of them. It's been there for a while, so I suspect it's high.
This one is a five screw, with the half moon front sight. The finish is what I think of as post-war flat, with diamond magna grips that show just the tinest bit of wear. The guns finish shows none that I remember, but it did appear to have been fired at some point. Caliber was 38 S&W. I THINK the S/N was 69XXX, but can't swear to that. No box or papers.
Nice little gun. It actually looked like someone washed a 2" M&P in hot water and shrank it. After looking at it my wife said "Cute but not for me." Which was a relief to me since they're asking $850.00 for it. I got no idea if that's high, low, indifferent for one of them. It's been there for a while, so I suspect it's high.
bigolddave
Member
I passed on a fairly late one today at a gun show; the price was $635, and probably slightly negotiable. The two I have are older and in better shape, and I've got just a little more than that in the pair.
Is it stamped Model 32 in the yoke? That's a prewar s/n you provided so it can't be a M32 because it's from 1937.
If you left off the R prefix part of the serial # it would be from 1971 but is a Model 32-1.
If you left off the R prefix part of the serial # it would be from 1971 but is a Model 32-1.
By the way, welcome to the forum.
That 32 is an inspector mark, not a Model stamping, it has to read MOD 32 in the "yoke cut" of the frame. It didn't become the Model 32 until after 1957.
That 32 is an inspector mark, not a Model stamping, it has to read MOD 32 in the "yoke cut" of the frame. It didn't become the Model 32 until after 1957.
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Welcome to the forum!!! We love Terriers!! We also love pictures.
Best Regards, Les
Best Regards, Les
Darxeid:
Are you getting the serial number off of the butt of the gun? Sometimes there is an assembly number in the yoke area which is not the serial number. If your gun is a Mod 32-1 the serial number you are quoting seems to me to be far too low. Post war serials run from 54474 to 132678 according to the "book".
I'm not an expert on these little guns, but Hondo44 is, and he will no doubt be along soon. In the meantime, check the butt of the gun just to make sure.
If you PM me the pics, I will post them for you.
Best Regards, Les
Are you getting the serial number off of the butt of the gun? Sometimes there is an assembly number in the yoke area which is not the serial number. If your gun is a Mod 32-1 the serial number you are quoting seems to me to be far too low. Post war serials run from 54474 to 132678 according to the "book".
I'm not an expert on these little guns, but Hondo44 is, and he will no doubt be along soon. In the meantime, check the butt of the gun just to make sure.
If you PM me the pics, I will post them for you.
Best Regards, Les
Hondo stated in an earlier post that depending on some things it's either from 1937 (which now i know is not the case) or 1971 which does make it an M32-1. there is no serial on the butt, which i don't know why. but there is a number inside the gripframe that matches the number on the yoke.
Something doesn't compute:
A Mod 32-1 is Jan 1961 or earlier.
The #, if it is the serial # is from pre 1940 and has a round front sight and no barrel rib.
That can't be. Are you taking the serial # from the gun butt and are you sure you're reading it correctly?
Are you sure there's no R on the other end of the butt?
Which of these does it look like? Especially compare the trigger guards to yours:
Top gun is like a pre war:
Photo by les.b
The top gun is a 38 Spl but looks like a Model 32-1 just with a longer cyl here:
Photo by TNZ71.
A Mod 32-1 is Jan 1961 or earlier.
The #, if it is the serial # is from pre 1940 and has a round front sight and no barrel rib.
That can't be. Are you taking the serial # from the gun butt and are you sure you're reading it correctly?
Are you sure there's no R on the other end of the butt?
Which of these does it look like? Especially compare the trigger guards to yours:
Top gun is like a pre war:
Photo by les.b
The top gun is a 38 Spl but looks like a Model 32-1 just with a longer cyl here:
Photo by TNZ71.
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