I found this 22/32 HE yesterday and just had to bring it home. The serial number is 472xxx. Any idea what year it may have shipped? SCSW isn't very specific on this model. This may be the reason for my first S&W letter, pending what the experts here have to say.
First of all, I swear this gun has never been fired. The pictures really don't do it justice, and I'm not sure you can tell. It doesn't look to be refinished either. The logo, etc are just too crisp. There is a "S" with a diamond right behind it on the face of the cylinder though. Could that mean a factory refinish? The barrel is absolutely pristine inside. I haven't taken the grips off yet, and I haven't even wiped it down yet. Hopefully I'll get to that tomorrow. I'm not expecting any nasty surprises given the overall condition of the gun, but I want to check it over real good and give it the old Renaissance treatment.
Next, it's painfully obvious it's not wearing the correct grips. These do have S&W emblems on them, and appear to be some sort of combat grips. Is anyone out there familiar with them? Obviously I'll be in the market for a proper set of grips as soon as I can scrape up a little money. Any input on where I might find some, and what they will cost me?
Even though it hasn't been fired, it has been dry fired by some Bubba. Probably when it was being looked over at the shop I found it at. It looks like the firing pin impacted the edge of a couple cylinder holes, but ammo slides right in and out OK, so no real damage done.
I hope you all enjoy the pictures. I'm pretty excited about this because of the shape it's in, but bummed about the grips. No box either unfortunately. Anyone care to hazard a guess as to the value?
Enjoy!










Thanks for looking! I look forward to your input!

Zoiks that is NICE!!!

About 1928, based on the serial number. I don't understand the S<> mark (approximating a canted square or diamond with the keyboard) on the back of the cylinder. A mark like that makes me think the gun has been back to the factory for further work at some point. Maybe somebody else knows the meaning of those symbols. That's a good looking gun; if it was refinished the job was done right. But I think that is probably the original blue on it. Note that the front of the ejector rod knob is "in the white," as are the surfaces of the ratchet at the back of the cylinder. That's usually an indicator of an original finish. These surfaces are often blued on refinished guns.

This gun may or may not have the rebated frame. Take off the current stocks and see if there is a kind of long notch in the backstrap. If so, and if you seek to get some contemporaneous stocks for it, make sure you get the appropriate kind. Stocks shaped for a rebated frame won't fit on a frame without the two-level back strap.

If it is a rebated frame, you have two options for stocks -- the oversize extension stocks with two screws that wrap around the backstrap, or the Regulation Police stocks that are longer and have a square butt profile, but don't enclose the entire back strap. The extension stocks are probably to be preferred.

I don't know who made the stocks that are on the gun now. They may be completely custom, or they may be J-frame or K-frame stocks that were modified to fit this gun.

Value? You know what it is worth to you, because you just paid that for it. In a larger context, I have seen several high-quality .22/32 Heavy Frame Target revolvers offered in the $800-900 range in the last year, but I don't know if any of them sold for the asking price. Last summer I paid way more than that for an ANIB target model that dates to 1940, one of the last units made in prewar production.

I have a funny feeling I have seen this gun before. Was a photo published on the list about a year ago?

On the counterboring question -- The first .22 S&W made with a counterbored cylinder was the K-22 Outdoorsman, introduced in 1931. Later (somewhere after the 525000 serial number in the .32 HE series of numbers) the cylinders on the .22/32 models were also counterbored. Before that, they were not.

__________________
David Wilson

As David noted, the <S> is a service department stamp. It went back
to the factory for something having to do with the cylinder. If you
remove the stocks, there might be a date stamped on the grip frame.
At that time you can see if the backstrap is rebated, or not.

You might get a factory letter, and ask the historian what kind of
grips the gun was shipped with. That will help find the right ones.
If the backstrap is rebated, proper grips are available.

Later, Mike Priwer

Standish? Hell we're practically neighbors! I looked that gun over several times and almost bought it more than once..... glad you took it out of circulation so it won't tempt me anymore!



The stocks you are looking for will be the 2-screw "Bekert" Targets. They will look like this for a gun from that era....





Finding the correct stocks may be something of a challenge....

Drew

I was looking at this thread one more time, and in this picture



I can see what looks like a shell casing outline around the firing pin.
That is typically the result of a fair amount of firing. If that is what
it is, I'm wondering why you think its unfired .

Later, Mike Priwer

For comparison, here's my .22/32 Target from 1940 that I mentioned above. This one does have the counterbored chambers. The S/N is 533038.

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David Wilson

There are also firing pin peening marks over most of the chambers in the cylinder. These are caused by dry-firing and the major reason S&W cautions again dry-firing rimfires. The top chamber looks pretty severe and should be "ironed" out by a gunsmith that has the correct tool.
A strange combination of items on a cool revolver.

Wow! Seeing all these beautiful 22/32s makes me want to go shopping for one! Y'all have some beautiful pieces of art! Thanks for sharing!

__________________
Misty

And they are also fun to shoot.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Regulation Police grips would also work and may be a bit easier to find. I think that they would be great for persons with small hands:



Drew, David and Richard have posted photos of some truly fine examples of 22/32's. Yours is also a fine example. However,.....on the other end of the spectrum, may I present for your Sunday morning viewing enjoyment (..or maybe not so much):


A poor example and continuing work in progress (albeit, not so much progress these days). If anybody knows where I can find a rear sight for one of these gems, and also somebody that can re-roll stamp the S&W logo onto the side plate; my grandson, to whom this thing will eventually be bequeathed, will someday be thankful. -S2

S2, please don't poor-mouth that fine revolver! I would have a lot of fun with a gun that I would not be afraid to take into the woods.

If those are the original stocks, the gold medallions say pre-1920s to me. I'm not positive, but there is a chance the S&W logo was never on that gun to begin with. Some 'teens-era guns did not have the logo. I don't know if the .22/32s were among them.

The rear sight may be tough. I would ask Dave Chicoine (oldwestgunsmith.com) and Jack First to see if they have anything in stock. It's possible that a .32 Regulation Police Target Revolver rear sight would either fit or could be adapted, so don't look exclusively for .22/32 rear sights. Any prewar I-frame rear sight might be a candidate.

Great project. Good luck.

__________________
David Wilson

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, David. Looking for a rear sight for that old clunker is one of the things that gets me off my duff and helps fill the coffers of the local gun shows. SN 2254xx puts it around 1918, I think. The grips are original and someday will be professionally re-finished, along with those smaller RP ones. The side plate originally had a large S&W logo; traces of which remain but can't be seen in my photo. The side-plate was so badly pitted that not much of the logo remained after my draw-barring. The adjacent frame will somehow have to be filed, and otherwise rendered flush with the side plate without the dreaded over-polished "melted" look to it. Eventually, if and when I give up on finding an original rear sight for it, I've got an old serrated J-frame sight that may have to be pressed into service. I've had this old boat anchor for around 10 years, and I've even shot it a few times; actually it's not too bad of a shooter. Only thing that sort of bothers me about it is its lack of recessed chambers. I had a 22 primer blow out on me as a kid (in an old Stevens "Crackshot") and I don't want that experience repeated by my grandson. Good reason for safety glasses, I suppose. End of ramblings. -S2

Thanks for the comments and advice everyone! I have since removed the grips and found a date of 12-78 and what appears to be a factory stamp on the grip frame. I'll try to get the pictures up later today.
Drew, we are almost neighbors I'm sure. I live just off White's Bridge Road, so I'm actually closer to North Windham. Yes, the gun did come from KTP. They have been setting on it for some time, and due to that I was able to convince them to knock $100 off, so i got it for $525. Figure I can't get hurt at least.
Mike, you are right, I'm now sure the gun has been fired. It really does appear LNIB until you really start to look closely. The cylinder shows no marks or powder residue, but may have been replaced when it went back to the factory. I don't think it's been fired much since then, if at all. The barrel looks new too, inside and out to me. The serial # is stamped on the barrel flat, and it matches. There are three charge holes that were peened by some idiot who dry fired it, but they look worse than they are. Shells go in and out without trouble.
In any event, I will be shooting the old girl in the spring, but it sure won't be going into the woods with me!
I'll try to get more pics up today, and see if you guys can help with a little more input. Would a factory letter reflect work done at the factory in 1978?
Thanks,
Terry

I have #225,1xx which letters as having shipped in August of 1915.