S&W Pre Model 34, k22/32 Kit gun

[kadams]

Hello folks

I'm looking at a 1953 Pre Model 34 Kit gun .22LR, Its in very good to excellent condition with Nice deep bluing no Scratches etc. it does have a turn line, No box or papers and not the original grips, it has a set of wood aftermarket grips.

First what would be fair market price for this revolver?

and do the J frame grips fit the I frame Id like to get some S&W grips that would fit. I know the I frame grips are hard to come by. thanks For all replies.

Ken

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Hi, Ken. What is the barrel length?


Yes, the 1953 .22/32 Kit Gun is built on the New I frame which has the longer J frame grip size.

 

[22hipower]

Should look a lot like this one which is SN 13357 and likely from 1955. Value? Not sure now, probably quite a bit more than the $455 I paid for this one ten years ago. Pictures please.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

https://flic.kr/p/2nM2XLx https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

 

[kadams]

K 22/32

Yes that would be the prospective purchase, are those original grips?

 

[22hipower]

Yes that would be the prospective purchase, are those original grips?

Yes

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[JP@AK]

A nice, blued, .22/32 Kit Gun Model of 1953 should bring around $700 to $800 these days, at the least. Barrel length can be a factor. Also, they came with either a round or square butt.

As for the stocks, J frame stocks will fit just fine. Before 1953, I frame stocks were slightly shorter than they became in 1953, but so were the J frame stocks. I and J frame stocks from the same period will be the same length. In the period you are speaking of, the stocks would have the smooth diamond at the screw location.

One point of clarification: The .22/32 Kit Gun was never built on the Improved I frame; only on the New I Frame, beginning in 1953. See the brown pages by Jim Carter (pp. 144-146) in the SCSW 4th Edition.

 

[SouthNarc]

Hello folks

I'm looking at a 1953 Pre Model 34 Kit gun .22LR, Its in very good to excellent condition with Nice deep bluing no Scratches etc. it does have a turn line, No box or papers and not the original grips, it has a set of wood aftermarket grips.

First what would be fair market price for this revolver?

and do the J frame grips fit the I frame Id like to get some S&W grips that would fit. I know the I frame grips are hard to come by. thanks For all replies.

Ken

Congrats on wanting that gun more than me.

 

[kadams]

only 5$ more that was my last bid!

 

[SouthNarc]

only 5$ more that was my last bid!

And $900 was mine!

Congrats man it looks like a nice little gun.

 

[Rubone]

And $900 was mine!

Congrats man it looks like a nice little gun.

The nicest thing about it is that there are a fair number out there in good condition. Despite the "Kit Gun" moniker many were actually night stand guns and have little or no wear!! So chances are you can still find a nice one! I recently bought an example of it's anorexic but big butt sister, a model of 1955 Airweight.

 

[CZU]

This one was right at 900 4 years ago. It came from Cabelas of all places and the box does match. I had to call them to get that little tidbit of information, I don't know why they leave stuff like that out of their descriptions. Serial number 288X.

 

[JP@AK]

This one was right at 900 4 years ago. It came from Cabelas of all places and the box does match.

That was a very good buy, in my opinion. 4" round butt Model of 1953, and the original box to boot!

Together, my wife and I have a nice group of Kit Guns. So far, the elusive example is the 4" round butt with no model number. I'm pretty much finished with buying guns, but if I found one of those, the money clip would come out of my pocket in a hurry.

 

[22hipower]

That was a very good buy, in my opinion. 4" round butt Model of 1953, and the original box to boot!

Together, my wife and I have a nice group of Kit Guns. So far, the elusive example is the 4" round butt with no model number. I'm pretty much finished with buying guns, but if I found one of those, the money clip would come out of my pocket in a hurry.

Bring your money clip to Charlotte next June if the one in post #3 fits your need. No box though.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Hondo44]

Where did you get the k in k22/32?

 

[kadams]

Gun Broker

Bought it at auction on gunbroker

 

[kadams]

A nice, blued, .22/32 Kit Gun Model of 1953 should bring around $700 to $800 these days, at the least. Barrel length can be a factor. Also, they came with either a round or square butt.

As for the stocks, J frame stocks will fit just fine. Before 1953, I frame stocks were slightly shorter than they became in 1953, but so were the J frame stocks. I and J frame stocks from the same period will be the same length. In the period you are speaking of, the stocks would have the smooth diamond at the screw location.

One point of clarification: The .22/32 Kit Gun was never built on the Improved I frame; only on the New I Frame, beginning in 1953. See the brown pages by Jim Carter (pp. 144-146) in the SCSW 4th Edition.

Thanks for all the good info, im currently traveling for my work and won't get the revolver in my hands till next week, Can't wait to have a look at it and do some research on it.

 

[max503]

Those are my favorite kind of grips. They just melt into my hand.

 

[kadams]

Model 1953 Pics

I appreciate any info you can give me on the revolver. Also who may have made the grips?

 

[kadams]

one more

I just got home and got the revolver in hand

 

[JP@AK]

Okay. Now we know quite a bit more about it.
1. 4" barrel
2. Round butt
3. From the serial number it is a .22/32 Kit Gun Model of 1953 and not a Model 34 (as you noted in your original post).

Based on the serial number, it likely was assembled in 1955. I show one that has a slightly higher serial number that shipped in September, 1955. Of course, yours could have shipped later.

I have no idea who made those stocks. I don't find them attractive but who knows? Maybe they will fit your hand just fine.

Congrats on finding a nifty little Kit Gun.