Manufacture year, S&W 32 cal. Top-Break Revolver

NRAgroupie

NRAgroupie

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My Grandfathers 32 cal reissue patent date 1/3/1882.
Serial # 1 3 0 040. Can any one give guidance on how to find the manufacture date. Please and Thank You.
 
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Thank you for responding, this site wouldnt let me post pics, will try again.

murphydog said:
Welcome! Is it a concealed hammer (double action only) or exposed hammer version? When we know this, we can give you an approximate production year. A specific date and history can be obtained with an official letter:

Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation - Letter Process - Insuring that the rich history of Smith & Wesson will continue for generations to come

Hope this is helpful.
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Thanks you.
 

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If I'm not mistaken; you have a 4th Model .32 DA there. Around 239,600 were made between 1883-1909. I would estimate yours being shipped around 1892. Figures quoted from the Standard Catalogue of S&W, estimate of year is by no means definitive. A Factory Letter is the only way I know to get a more precise Date. Hope this helps.
 
That is a very odd serial number stamping. It almost looks like the "4" was added later. Normally the numbers are equally spaced. I wondered when I first saw your post why you wrote the serial number the way that you did and now I see why. It is possible that the gun was originally numbered as 1 3 0 0 0 and then it was realized that the number had already been used so a 4 was added to move it down the serial number sequence list.

Or it could merely be that the worker stayed out late the night before and was hung over, we will probably never know. :confused:


PS: Is the serial number placed on the gun anywhere else? Not sure if S&W placed serial numbers on the cylinder face during this time period as I am just getting into these early guns.
 
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The serial number will be on the butt, barrel - between the 'ears', latch, cylinder and stocks.
 
Agree with the above. Its official name is .32 Double Action, obviously chosen well before the marketing people got involved with christening guns with "nuclear whiz-bang" or something like that :).
 
It almost appears the s/n was stamped by hand. Doesn't appear to me to be normal S&W font either. Interested to know what the s/n's are on the cylinder face, latch, and ears.

After studying the pics again, it appears to me the only the first "0" looks correct. Weren't club guns serialized with just a "0" ? Do you suppose this was a club gun, which at some point someone, for whatever reason, decided to give it a full s/n ? I know it's from way out there in left field, but ....?

WB
 
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I know this is an old thread, but I have one just like this numbered 30043. The only place I haven't looked for that number is under the stocks. Mine also belonged to my grandfather, and was at my dad's house up until a year or so ago when I brought it home.
It is a neat little gun, and I now have 4 S&W's. Shield 9, Shield 380 EZ, and M&P 15-22. Never thought of myself as an S&W guy, but I am pretty happy with what I have.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
 
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