Need Help to identify S&W .32 Top-Break

WAC3ARMORY · Jan 7, 2016

Hello all,

I am trying to get a good ID on this S&W .32 Top break. It might not be a .32, very old and worn. My .32 caliber bore brush barely scrapes the edges of the chambers and bore, may just be from wear over time. At any rate, I am not sure if this is DA and SA or just Double action.

When I try to cock it back for single action, there appears to be a second sear and cock notch in the hammer. I can get it to hold from time to time, but it is too worn out. That is of course if it is a DA/SA. Trying to get parts ordered to replace the hammer and that sear if it is DA/SA so the customer can start using it again.

I'll put up some images here of the parts and components, see if you can help me out. Thanks.

Image with last 6 of 101159 shows the "secondary sear" I'm talking about that will be replaced. 135341 shows the hammer with that rear "secondary cock notch", potentially for the SA option (if that is its purpose).

-respectfully,

Wilson Campbell
Gunsmith/Owner
WAC3ARMORY
Mansfield, TX

tlay · Jan 7, 2016

You have a 32 DA. If you give us the serial number we can tell you apx. when it was shipped. It is DA and SA. Some of these have the sear worn so badly that the hammer won't hold back in single action. Finding parts for these is hard. Try Jack First or Numrich.

WAC3ARMORY · Jan 7, 2016

Howdy tlay

tlay,

Thanks for the info. This thing is worn pretty bad. I took a file to the base of that secondary notch to try to give the sear some more room to get in there, but because of the link in there for the main spring, it ain't working out.

The serial is 279874. I was trying with Numrich, but couldn't get the search to come up right. Still fiddling with it. That sear piece feels eaten up and rather brittle from all the rust that was on it. Got her cleaned up good, all the internal parts as well. I figure if I can get the hammer and that sear replaced, she ought to do alright.

-respectfully,

Wilson Campbell
Gunsmith/Owner
WAC3ARMORY
Mansfield, TX

glowe · Jan 7, 2016

Welcome to the Forum. As Tom states, you have a 38 Double Action revolver. There were five models total from 1880 to 1911. The first two models had a different style trigger, so it would be Third or Fourth, since the Fifth Model had a forged front sight. The pearl stocks are after market, since the factory only supplied pearls with S&W medallions in the top round. lastly, the Fifth Model does not normally have patent dates on the top rib, but rather just the address.

The revolver was designed to work in both single and double action and the hammer has a manual half cock sear that engages with a slight rearward pull of the hammer. After firing, the firing pin remains protruding through the frame until you put it in half cock.

deadin · Jan 7, 2016

Are you sure it's a .32?? Those cylinder flutes look awfully long for a .32 and more like a .38
What's the length of the cylinder? A .32's cylinder is .92" while a .38 is 1.21"

WAC3ARMORY · Jan 7, 2016

Thanks for the replies

glowe,

I'm thinking this one is much more new. I've attached an image of the Patent labels on the rib. Up to Jan 3 of 82 is what's on there.

I figured it was a 38, but the customer informed it was a 32, I've just been trying to confirm so I can get the proper parts and make sure my customer is well informed.

deadin,

Yeah that is what I had figured, It's 1.21, Like I mentioned above, i just want to make sure I ID this thing correctly. Wanting to make sure the customer is properly informed and that I get the proper parts.

Thanks to you both for the info. Much appreciated. Attached some more images here.

-respectfully,

Wilson Campbell
Gunsmith/Owner
WAC3ARMORY
Mansfield, TX

Wiregrassguy · Jan 7, 2016

Definitely a .38 S&W because the cylinder extends in front of the trigger guard from the recoil shield. Parts may be difficult to find. Jack First makes some replacement parts like screws and springs. But larger parts like hammer and trigger are pretty scarce in my experience.

WAC3ARMORY · Jan 7, 2016

.38 Double Action Revolver in Jack First

wiregrassguy,

I just found it in the Jack First catalog. Forgot I had this thing in the back, haha.

It has all the parts listed here. Gotta give them a call and find out. Thanks.

-respectfully,

Wilson Campbell
Gunsmith/Owner
WAC3ARMORY
Mansfield, TX

WAC3ARMORY · Jan 7, 2016

All right, So to kinda wrap this up: This is a S&W .38 DA Revolver which can operate in SA as well. It is not likely very old or antique, has a patent stamp of Jan 3 82 on it. I found it in the Jack First Catalog.

I was hoping to be able to replace the Hammer and the "Rear sear" as it is called, but Jack First does not have them available. If I had the proper metal and a good cutter I could mill our that Hammer, but unfortunately I don't. Numrich does not have either part. The Rear Sear is being manufactured by Jack First, however it'll be up to a year before they come out.

So if anyone comes across this post in the future, hopefully this information will help you out and make things a little easier on you than it was for me trying to hunt this information down, haha. Thanks a bunch to all the fellas who posted on here, I do appreciate it!

-respectfully,

Wilson Campbell
Gunsmith/Owner
WAC3ARMORY
Mansfield, TX

deadin · Jan 7, 2016

These guns aren't scarce. I think I would just spend my time looking for a donor. You should be able to pick up a junker (just make sure the hammer and sear are usable) for $50-60. Jack First will probably hit you for twice that just for a newly manufactured sear.

You might also look into building up the old sear nose and hammer notches with a MIG or TIG weld and then reshaping them. (Just takes a lot of filing and stoning......)

Just to be frank, unless the owner has some sort of emotional attachment to the gun, it really isn't worth the effort it will take to make it usable again.............

tlay · Jan 7, 2016

I may have what you need. But I have so many different parts for different models it is hard to tell. If you can take a good photo of them next to a ruler and email them to me. Email all the parts that you need.

glowe · Jan 8, 2016

WAC3ARMORY said:
. . . It is not likely very old or antique, has a patent stamp of Jan 3 82 on it. . .

I don't think anyone has mentioned the age of that revolver. 38 Double Action revolvers with serial numbers below 382,022 are considered as antiques by the BATF. 279,XXX 38 DA, Third Model would have shipped around 1893.

Need Help to identify S&W .32 Top-Break

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