New Model 3 Revenue Cutter Service

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WinterPark

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I recently came across my Grandfathers old gun from his time in the Coast Guard. I am new to this so bear with me. I need some help finding out some more about it. Below are some pics. Everything I could find online indicated that the Revenue Cutter guns ended at a serial number earlier than mine. Is this just because they are rare and not reported? Because this sure seems like a Cutter gun

Serial # 284499
 

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Welcome to the Forum. Nice old Family gun. However, one problem with your gun being a "Revenue Cutter" gun, is that it's the wrong model. Revenue Cutter guns are New Model No. 3 single action guns. Your gun is a double action. There is currently a Revenue Cutter S&W revolver on Gun Broker , item # 310124977, if you want to see what one looks like. It's very rough, but it's real. This is not to say, your Grandfather's gun was not something he may have personally owned during his Coast Guard service, but it was not issued to him by the Coast Guard. You can obtain the info. on the gun from the S&W factory Historian, Roy Jinks, by requesting the info. via an application form you can down load from the Forum. It will tell you when, where and to whom the gun was shipped. Click on "downloads" on the tool bar and follow to "Factory letter app. form" Good Luck, Ed.
 
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I agree it's not a new model Number 3, but it looks more like a .32 Double Action 4th Model to me. The OP didn't state the caliber, but it has a 5 shot cylinder and a round trigger guard.
 
I have no idea what the caliber is. Is there a simple way to find out?
 
Try different cartridges in the chambers and see what fits. Measure the charge hole diameter ( chambers) of the cylinder with a micrometer to determine, in hundredths of an inch, the diameter. It will read .32, .38 or .44/100ths. Or take it to your nearest gun dealer and ask what the caliber is. Ed.
 
Well a .38 caliber definitely does not fit nor a .44 so I assume it is .32 caliber. It has a 6 inch barrel. I cant seem to find any online. Hmm. Should I repost this?
 
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No, You're posted in the right category. .32S&W ammo. is an obsolete round, so finding it for sale will require some searching. Any larger gun show will probably have a table, or so, with a box for sale. Sometimes Cowboy ammo. can be found in .32 caliber. Ed.
 
I have a Revenue Cutter. Wooden model of the USRC Dallas, ca. 1815. Started it when I was in college and finished it years later while single and under-employed. Would like to build another, but I don't have the time or undisturbed space to do so.

Oh...nice revovler. I have a fondness for the antique S&W revolvers.

Rob
 
Great information posted above. I have seen .32 S & W on the shelf of a sporting goods store recently, so there has been a production run of this not too long ago - this is different than .32 S & W Long, which will not chamber in this gun.

Also, make sure the nickel surfaces of the gun are lubricated (any standard gun oil will do), and be sure not to store the gun in the holster as it may trap moisture and affect the finish. If it has been stored there it seems to have survived nicely, however.

The serial number suggests it shipped in about 1909. Enjoy and cherish your grandfather's gun.
 
WinterPark - MidwayUSA has 32 S&W ammo currently available from Remington for a fairly high price, but it is an easy cartridge to reload. Your 32 DA was shipped from the factory around 1900 - 1902. Looks to be in great shape, and should shoot fine. They made hundreds of thousands of this model, so value is still quite low.
 
Teddydog said:
I have a Revenue Cutter. Wooden model of the USRC Dallas, ca. 1815. Started it when I was in college and finished it years later while single and under-employed. Would like to build another, but I don't have the time or undisturbed space to do so.Rob
Click to expand...

Rob, US Government Revenue Service Revolvers are known with serial numbers from the mid 17,000s through 28,000s. Verified serial numbers were manufactured from the late 1880s through the 1890s, so your date is off by 60 years. Might have been a typo, but if you have a verified example, the years above should give you a feeling of where yours dates.
 
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