32 Hand Ejector 3rd MDL.

[CajunBass]

I stopped by the LGS this morning and noticed this poor little waif in the corner of the case. My wife thought it looked sad, like no one wanted it, so she decided I needed it.

A five screw 32 hand ejector, with a 3" barrel, six shots, and round butt. S/N is in the 333XXX range, no prefix. Numbers all match on the butt, cylinder, and barrel flat. The stocks have a different number, but I'm not sure if they'd be numbered to the gun or not. I figure they're not the originals anyway.

It was tagged at $400.00. I got it for a little less. Anybody got any idea about how old it is? I know little to nothing about these guns. Is it a J or an I frame?

I even found a box of 32 wadcutters to go with it. It probably won't get shot much, but it's nice to know I can.

 

[JP@AK]

Well, as you stated it is a Third Model. Based on the extractor rod knob, it comes from no later than the first half of the 1920s. It is an I frame (no .32 J frames until c. 1961). Someone who knows the prewar I frames can probably get closer on the original ship date.

The stocks come from much later. Non-diamond Magna small frame stocks don't come along until after January, 1966.

 

[JP@AK]

A five screw 32 hand ejector, with a 3" barrel

Actually, it should be 3 1/4".

 

[Casual Smith Nut]

CajunBass you certainly married well!
As Jack said the grips are from a much later i-frame but good news is the newer ones do give a little more to hang on to.

Is the top rear sight squared off or just a divot? The squared off rear sights are much easier to use.

Should be a fun little shooter.

 

[CajunBass]

CajunBass you certainly married well!
As Jack said the grips are from a much later i-frame but good news is the newer ones do give a little more to hang on to.

Is the top rear sight squared off or just a divot? The squared off rear sights are much easier to use.

Should be a fun little shooter.

The rear sight is just a little "divot" which is a good word to describe it. I'll make a note of that.

As to the wife, please don't tell her. She already pretty smug as it is. She's the best salesman the gun store has. All to me.

 

[Sistema1927]

If I had seen that I'm not sure that I would have dickered over price. Four bills in today's market seems like a pretty good deal for what looks to be a solid little .32 Hand Ejector with a desirable barrel length.

 

[JP@AK]

Just to be clear, there were no more I frames when those stocks were made. They have to be J frame stocks.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Looks like it was made in 1920...maybe early 1921. Heat treatment of the cylinder began in 1920 at serial 321000.

 

[Retired W4]

Black rubber stocks in good condition are hard to find. I hear there are some nice reproductions out there. That is a nice little 32.

 

[Hondo44]

That's an excellent example of the Model .32 Hand Ejector I Frame. Good buy.

As posted above it has J frame Magna grips. They are 1968 or later and have had 1/8" trimmed from the butt in order for them to fit the I frame.

These are actually an improvement over the skimpy original grips.

You'll love shooting it, have fun.

 

[StrawHat]

I like the little I frame.

It doesn't get out a lot but it is a lot of fun when it does go for a walk with me.

Kevin

 

[Igiveup]

Who made the beautiful holster? I

 

[StrawHat]

Who made the beautiful holster? I

That Mexican Loop was made by Leathersmith Mike.

Home | Leathersmith Mike

I favored that style until I found out about the Sunday Scabbard.

Kevin

 

[Casual Smith Nut]

Just to be clear, there were no more I frames when those stocks were made. They have to be J frame stocks.

That's right. Late i-frame magnas would have the little diamonds in the center. Thanks for correction.

 

[handejector]

I hate to be a parade rainer, but I figure people usually want to know the facts.
That gun has an above average reblue.

 

[CajunBass]

I hate to be a parade rainer, but I figure people usually want to know the facts.
That gun has an above average reblue.

Yea, No problem, but thanks. I figured that out last night looking at it closely. It's not something I'll worry about. I got it just to keep her happy, and maybe to shoot it once in a while. Looks pretty decent cleaned up and oiled down anyway.

 

[dingomann]

That is nice. I have a twin to it also wearing trimmed J-frame grips. I like them, because I used to shoot this a lot. Sometimes factory loads but usually with just a pinch of Bullseye and a cast bullet or even a single-0 buckshot pellet. Very fun and accurate; I used to shoot out in my shop with a bale of paper for a backstop. Mine is #325501, so not too far from yours.

 

[raljr1]

If you shoot it, you will enjoy shooting it, and then you will shoot it more frequently.

Robert

 

[Green Frog]

Ah, good old Green Top... actually not the "old" Green Top, since they moved into their more spacious digs in the old Gander Mtn building, but a wonderful place, nonetheless. I've spent many dollars and many more hours there. Is that where you just got the K22 as well?
On to the subject at hand. Those wad cutters won't last long as 32 HEs have voracious appetites. Do you reload? The 32 S&W Long is a joy to reload. I favor 95-100 gr lead SWCs over mild loads of Bulls Eye or 231. I've used them in everything from my little 32 HE snub and Regulation Police Target to my faux K32. Hornady used to make a swaged 95 gr SWC that my guns ate like popcorn. Now I seem to cast more myself.
Be careful though, you may find yourself neglecting that K22, and you know how jealous they can get!
Froggie

 

[CajunBass]

Ah, good old Green Top... actually not the "old" Green Top, since they moved into their more spacious digs in the old Gander Mtn building, but a wonderful place, nonetheless. I've spent many dollars and many more hours there. Is that where you just got the K22 as well?
On to the subject at hand. Those wad cutters won't last long as 32 HEs have voracious appetites. Do you reload? The 32 S&W Long is a joy to reload. I favor 95-100 gr lead SWCs over mild loads of Bulls Eye or 231. I've used them in everything from my little 32 HE snub and Regulation Police Target to my faux K32. Hornady used to make a swaged 95 gr SWC that my guns ate like popcorn. Now I seem to cast more myself.
Be careful though, you may find yourself neglecting that K22, and you know how jealous they can get!
Froggie

Oh yea. Green Top is about the only place I buy a gun. I know there are other places around, but I almost never go in any of them. I don't remember them when they were in the little green building on RT 1 but I do remember them after they moved to the "first new" store beside it, even before they expanded to start selling fishing tackle and such.

I smile when I walk over the GM logo in the sidewalk at the door. One of the managers of then brand new GM told me they planned to put GT out of business. My grandfather used to say, "You brag about your dog after the hunt."

A quick GT story. My wife moved here from Chicago. One morning, even before we got married, I said I was going to go buy a gun. She looked at me and asked "Do you have a FOID card?" HUH? We don't need no stinking FOID card (at least not yet). We walked in the door at the "old" store and the first thing she saw was a rack of AR/AK type rifles. Her eyes got as big a coffee cups. She grabbed me and hissed..."Is this legal?" (Forget about the big neon sign on the roof outside that screamed "GUNS"! I whispered back..."No! The cops don't know about this place. Don't tell anyone!"

She HIT me? Can you believe it?

Then she asked if she could buy a gun. Sure...and she bought her first gun, a Ruger Single-Six, 50th anniversary model. She said she wanted a "cowboy gun." She still has it. That was I guess over 20-25? years ago.

Yea, I reload. It's about the only ammo I shoot. I'll buy some factory stuff once in a while, mostly SD type, but otherwise I roll my own. I've been looking around online and checking to see what I'd need to reload for this little puppy. I wish Lee made a "wack-a-mole" Lee Loader kit for it, but apparently they don't. I'd never load a bunch of these things, not for this one little gun, and I don't see me buying any more. Now a K-frame 32 would get my attention, but I want a Ferrari first.

The only place I shoot is at (naturally) Green Top's indoor range. No exposed lead bullets allowed. So I've taken to shooting only plated bullets, usually Berry's. The only 32 they list is for a 32 acp (71 grains IIRC). Not sure if that would work in the S&W long or not.

Anyway, this is way too long already. I guess everyone has figured out I'm a Green Top fan. We stop there just to visit a couple times a week. If you see an old fat guy with white beard, sitting on a walker, (bum back) it's probably me. Say Hi.