S&W 32 Long Colt CTG gifted
- Thread starter DavidV123
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These little gems are highly sought after. I can tell you it is a five screw gun with outstanding pre war "diamond grips". It also has the large knob ejector rod. It appears to be in excellent original condition considering its age. You may want to carefully remove the red paint on the front sight, but that is up to you.
More knowledgeable folks will surely comment on its value. Welcome to the forum, I hope you stick around awhile.
More knowledgeable folks will surely comment on its value. Welcome to the forum, I hope you stick around awhile.
Welcome to the Forum. You have a 32 Hand Ejector, 3rd Model, also called a Model 1903. Your revolver was shipped either late 1921 or early 1922, since 1922 was the year S&W started stamping the side frame "MADE IN USA".
Very nice 3 1/4" S&W.
Very nice 3 1/4" S&W.
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
That was a lovely, very generous gift. Must have come from someone who thinks an awful lot of you. And I'm deeply envious.
Welcome from Louisville!
Welcome from Louisville!
Can't add anything to the preceding except that the gun is chambered for the .32 Long as produced by S&W. The .32 Colt cartridges can be chambered in .32 S&W revolvers (with terrible accuracy), but not the other way around.
S&W won the war of the dueling .32 formats, and Colt eventually started chambering their .32s for the .32 S&W Long. But they weren't about to give the opposition credit for anything. Changing the shape of the bullet to make it a different round, they called it the .32 Colt New Police.
At auction your gun would probably bring between $300 and $400.
S&W won the war of the dueling .32 formats, and Colt eventually started chambering their .32s for the .32 S&W Long. But they weren't about to give the opposition credit for anything. Changing the shape of the bullet to make it a different round, they called it the .32 Colt New Police.
At auction your gun would probably bring between $300 and $400.
David V,
Welcome to the forum.
That's one of the nicest "S&W 32 Hand Ejector 3rd Model" revolvers of that vintage I've seen and a wonderful gift. It was introduced in 1917 and the "32 HE Model of 1903, 5th Change" actually was the earlier model immediately preceding your model.
I believe however, you'll find that it is actually stamped 32 S&W Long CTG (cartridge) rather than Colt. I agree with the value David has given.
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David,
Excuse me in advance if I misunderstood your post:
Although the terrible accuracy and lack of reverse interchangeability between the 32 S&W Long vs. the 32 Short Colt and 32 Long Colt CF is true (albeit, the eariest versions with outside lubricated "heeled" bullets of .313" shoot well). The 32 Colt New Police is a different cartridge altogether from those earlier 32 Colt cartridges. It is in fact identical to the 32 S&W Long except for the flat tipped bullet as you say. It was produced by Colt specifically so that the cartridge stamping on their own revolvers chambered for the 32 S&W Long, would contain the 'Colt' name.
The 32 CNP is completely interchangeable with the 32 S&W Long and in my experience, equally accurate when fired in S&W revolvers.
Excuse me in advance if I misunderstood your post:
Although the terrible accuracy and lack of reverse interchangeability between the 32 S&W Long vs. the 32 Short Colt and 32 Long Colt CF is true (albeit, the eariest versions with outside lubricated "heeled" bullets of .313" shoot well). The 32 Colt New Police is a different cartridge altogether from those earlier 32 Colt cartridges. It is in fact identical to the 32 S&W Long except for the flat tipped bullet as you say. It was produced by Colt specifically so that the cartridge stamping on their own revolvers chambered for the 32 S&W Long, would contain the 'Colt' name.
The 32 CNP is completely interchangeable with the 32 S&W Long and in my experience, equally accurate when fired in S&W revolvers.
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Green Frog
Member
DavidV, welcome aboard. Your revolver is a nice example of the 32 Hand Ejector and is of the final type developed prior to WW II. As has been stated, it should be chambered in 32 S&W Long, which was one of the more popular 32 revolver chamberings of the day... so much so that the older 32 Colt Long lost out to it and Colt made their "own" 32 Colt New Police chambering to copy it. I seriously doubt that your revolver would have been specially chambered for the less popular 32 Colt and so marked, and there would have been no reason to mark it 32 Colt New Police. From the looks of it, the revolver seems to be in good shape, and if so would be perfectly fine to shoot with modern factory loads or factory equivalent reloads. If you will go through recent threads in the archive (use the search function) you will find many posts about the 32 HE and nearly identical 32 Regulation Police.
As for worth, they are gaining in collector interest all the time, and popular as shooters, so $300 - 400 or perhaps a little more on a good day seems about right.
Regards,
Froggie
As for worth, they are gaining in collector interest all the time, and popular as shooters, so $300 - 400 or perhaps a little more on a good day seems about right.
Regards,
Froggie
Jim, we are in agreement. The .32 CNP is just the .32 S&W Long with a different bullet in the case and different name. I was trying to correct the OP's seeming misimpression that the original .32 Colt and Long Colt (different cartridges) were the rounds intended for use in the S&W revolver he inquired about.
Just to hammer the point from a different direction: I have an 1896 Colt New Pocket in .32 Colt. I cannot chamber a .32 S&W Long round in it because the cases have different dimensions. But within a decade Colt was manufacturing that model and its successors the Pocket Positive and Police Positive in the .32 CNP, a move that shows they recognized the market triumph of the S&W cartridge.
Just to hammer the point from a different direction: I have an 1896 Colt New Pocket in .32 Colt. I cannot chamber a .32 S&W Long round in it because the cases have different dimensions. But within a decade Colt was manufacturing that model and its successors the Pocket Positive and Police Positive in the .32 CNP, a move that shows they recognized the market triumph of the S&W cartridge.
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As there is no cost involved to list here in the Guns For Sale section, I would provide detailed information on the revolver and good quality pictures. I bet you will sell it here, but you will may have to go through an ffl in your area to handle the shipping and paperwork, if needed.
Many collectors on this site have a ffl or C&R license and that will simplify the transaction if one of those members buys the gun.
Many collectors on this site have a ffl or C&R license and that will simplify the transaction if one of those members buys the gun.
There is an administrator's post in the Classified section with rules to follow when posting items for sale. You can get good guidance there, and then just use common sense in describing or showing what you are offering. You know what you would want to see or read if you were looking to buy a gun advertised by someone else. Other people need to have the same questions answered by you about your gun.
DWalt
Member
As an additional item of information, the wood grip panels shown are period-correct for that revolver. In the 1920s, they would not have S&W medallions. Yours appears to be a very nice example, and many here would be interested in it.
