Well as I have two Colts from the 1920s

[S&W5906]

I figured it was time to add a S&W. So in keeping with the 1920 Colt in .32-20 WCF and the 1927 Colt in .32 Colt Police CTG, I added a S&W in .32 Long CTG. It is a blue .32 HE Third Model with a 378XXX serial number, 5 screw, with knobed ejector rod with 4.25" barrel. Patd info ends with Dec 29, 14 on the barrel and June 5, 1917 on the grip. Wood grips. On the barrel flat there is a B a distance in front of the SN. Serial number puts it after the first treated cylinders and in the early 20s. Pictures tomorrow if things go well.

[Hondo44]

Cool, can't wait to see it. B is for blue finish.

The rebated back strap and sq butt grips with date indicate it's actually a 32 Regulation Police, 1st introduced in 1917. If it has "Made in USA" roll stamped on the right side of the frame, it was made after mid 1922. And most likely has no grip medallions.

[DCWilson]

Brother Jim is correct that the stamped patent date on the stocks show them to be Regulation Police stocks. Usually those will fit only on an I-frame revolver with the rebated (stepped) backstrap, but instances are known in which a frame has been notched or the inner profile of the stocks modified so they will sort of fit on a basic round butt frame. If the serial number on your gun is stamped on the forestrap of the grip frame rather than the butt, then it should indeed be a .32 RP. If the serial number is stamped on the butt of the gun, then it probably started life as a round butt .32 Hand Ejector and got its RP stocks later on.

The Regulation Police revolvers are essentially the same as the .32 HE revolvers except that they have longer square butt stocks so that the smallish guns could be held and fired more conveniently by people with larger hands. The RP was introduced in 1917 in both .32 Long and .38 S&W, the latter being a five-shot gun. The grip design was patented, and that is what is commemorated by the date on the left grip panel. Under normal circumstances, RP stocks will fit ONLY on I-frame revolvers with the rebated backstrap. They can't be swapped onto any other I-frame revolver without modification.

Looking forward to the pictures!

[S&W5906]

I also thought it would be the RP instead of the HE but if so, then the Std Catalog of S&W is wrong. To quote the 3rd edition,

Service sights are a round blade front sight with a square notch rear,.....
Some variations have been found with target front sight and service rear sight.


The serial number is located on the front tang, cylinder face, barrel flat, and front of the yoke.

Sight on the rear is round and not square and the serial number does not appear on the yoke front. Yoke and frame match by the numbers on both.

Grips don't match the ones in the book on page 125 as the bottom inside ledge is rounded out instead of straight across. On the gun picture of the RP, the screw head is on the right side which is odd as mine is on the left.
Grips also have 4 holes on the bottom, 2 on each half.

Case color on hammer and trigger are still visible. Looks like it is time to order a letter.

Pictures below. #1 Top is S&W, middle is Colt .32, bottom is Colt .32-20

#2 S&W above Colt .32

#3 S&W above Colt .32

#4 S&W above Colt .32 above Colt .32-20


It also came with a Bauer Bros. MFG. H 31 marked holster.

[Hondo44]

Originally Posted by S&W5906

I also thought it would be the RP instead of the HE but if so, then the Std Catalog of S&W is wrong. To quote the 3rd edition, Quote:
"Service sights are a round blade front sight with a square notch rear,.....
Some variations have been found with target front sight and service rear sight."

"The serial number is located on the front tang, cylinder face, barrel flat, and front of the yoke."

Sight on the rear is round and not square and the serial number does not appear on the yoke front. Yoke and frame match by the numbers on both.

Grips don't match the ones in the book on page 125 as the bottom inside ledge is rounded out instead of straight across. On the gun picture of the RP, the screw head is on the right side which is odd as mine is on the left.
Grips also have 4 holes on the bottom, 2 on each half.

Case color on hammer and trigger are still visible. Looks like it is time to order a letter.

That's a nice 32 Hand Ejector and you were right!

The SCSW, although the best resource out there, has many, many inaccuracies.
The quote about target front sight does not apply to the "I" frames, just K frames. The serial # is on the rear face of the yoke, not the front and can only be seen looking thru a chamber with a flashlight. The yoke and frame match by the numbers on both because they are factory assembly #s and will also match the # on the inside of the sideplate.


David is correct, the RP sq butt grips have been added if the serial # is on the butt, not the front grip strap. The rounded 'toe' on the grip frame that you caught is another clue that it is a round butt. Did someone cut a groove in the backstrap or modify the RP grips to fit?

The grip screw entering from the left is correct and matches the RP on page 125; it's just the angle of the photo. What looks like a screw head slot is actually the edge of the screw hole.

The 4 holes in the bottom of the grip have been added. Occasionally Smiths have been seen with extensions added to the bottom of the grip by their owners. I presume that was done to yours but removed by seller because it wasn't factory. I would not recommend spending $50 on a letter for that gun unless you want the exact shipping date or hope that it was shipped to sn interesting person or location. It's clearly a 32 HE from what you have told us. It was shipped after mid-1922 because it has "MADE IN USA", and made before c. 1927 when the mushroom extractor rod knob yours has, was ordered changed to the barrel style.

[S&W5906]

Originally Posted by Hondo44

That's a nice 32 Hand Ejector and you were right!

The SCSW, although the best resource out there, has many, many inaccuracies.
The quote about target front sight does not apply to the "I" frames, just K frames. The serial # is on the rear face of the yoke, not the front and can only be seen looking thru a chamber with a flashlight. The yoke and frame match by the numbers on both because they are factory assembly #s and will also match the # on the inside of the sideplate.


David is correct, the RP sq butt grips have been added if the serial # is on the butt, not the front grip strap. The rounded 'toe' on the grip frame that you caught is another clue that it is a round butt. Did someone cut a groove in the backstrap or modify the RP grips to fit?

The grip screw entering from the left is correct and matches the RP on page 125; it's just the angle of the photo. What looks like a screw head slot is actually the edge of the screw hole.

The 4 holes in the bottom of the grip have been added. Occasionally Smiths have been seen with extensions added to the bottom of the grip by their owners. I presume that was done to yours but removed by seller because it wasn't factory. I would not recommend spending $50 on a letter for that gun unless you want the exact shipping date or hope that it was shipped to sn interesting person or location. It's clearly a 32 HE from what you have told us. It was shipped after mid-1922 because it has "MADE IN USA", and made before c. 1927 when the mushroom extractor rod knob yours has, was ordered changed to the barrel style.

Thank you for the info. The serial number is indeed inside visible through a cylinder opening. And the factory assembly number is in the slot of the sideplate and matches the other two so we know the gun parts are a set.

[Hondo44]

You're welcome. Did someone cut a groove in the backstrap or modify the RP grips to fit?

[S&W5906]

Originally Posted by Hondo44

You're welcome. Did someone cut a groove in the backstrap or modify the RP grips to fit?

Factory from what I can tell. The bluing matches the rest of the gun.

[Hondo44]

So there is no notch in the back strap like this, correct?



Then the grips were modified.

[Green Frog]

Originally Posted by Hondo44

...Then the grips were modified.

Hondo (and David) is there any record of the factory modifying or making special RP-style grips specifically designed to fit round butt frames without the rebate? Inquiring minds...

Froggie