Revolver Smith & Wesson 32 long

[OmegaRed]

Hi all

I'll start with an apology, I don't really understand about firearms, I'm trying to help my brother and father (they don't speak any English), they got this Smith & Wesson caliber 32 long i believe, they can't get any information about it and not even the police has any idea of what age is this gun (Italian police), they didn't even have it in their catalog,
we couldn't find not even a picture on the web that matches,
so i thought what better than this forum
i attached few pictures, i can have pictures of everything you need,
the gun is in their possession

thanks a lot for any kind of help you can give me

[opoefc]

Welcome to the Forum. We need more info. about the gun to tie it down exactly, such as the serial number, to start. It appears to be a .32 hand ejector, Model of 1903, 3rd model, made in the 1920s, if the grips are original to the gun. The right side grip will be stamped with the serial number on the back, if they are original to the gun. .32 S&W Long would be the correct caliber and should be marked as such on the side of the barrel. If all parts are original, the barrel and cylinder will have the serial number stamped on them and will match the serial number stamped on the butt. Ed.

[glowe]

Welcome. You have a well used example of a Model 1903 as Ed states. The stamping MADE IN USA was added in 1922, so the gun can not be any older than that year. The mushroom shaped ejector rod knob on your revolver was changed in 1927/1928, so your revolver was most likely made between 1922 to 1928. A serial number can narrow down the shipping date more accurately.

[OmegaRed]

thanks for the very fast answers guys, this are the pictures of all the numbers that are on the gun, we know that should be original in all the parts, but of course as i can imagine only you can most probably state it.

[OmegaRed]

this are few more picture,

i don't think you need more, but if you do, do not hesitate to ask, any accurate info would be very appreciated, like:

is any part missing? is it all original or has it been modified? do you think in this condition is it worth something? do you suggest to shoot with it?

the previous owner stated that it works perfectly but it doesn't know how long it is not been used

thanks guys

[opoefc]

As near as I can tell from the photos, the gun is all there and shows use and some neglect in it's care over the years, but it probably is still in fair mechanical condition and if you can find the correct ammunition, .32 S&W Long or standard .32 S&W center fire, you should be able to shoot it safely. I have no idea what is the current value in Italy ( That's where I'm assuming the gun is located ) as firearms prices and sales are often affected adversely by local laws and restrictions on ownership. In the US, the value would be around $250 as a shooter. Ed.

[OmegaRed]

thank you very much, do you think did this gun reached Italy during the WW2? it is like military one?

[Jim Watson]

1. It is not a US military weapon. But a lot of soldiers were able to carry their own pistols.

2. If there is not a serial number on the bottom of the butt, same as on the barrel and cylinder, somebody has removed it. That would not be legal in the USA.

[OmegaRed]

so there was suppose to be another number on the butt? in this one there is nothing on it.
maybe a stupid question for all of you, but do you think there is any reason why someone erased it?

[handejector]

Note the square front corner of the gripframe.
That is a 32 RP.

There should be a serial number on the FRONT of the grip frame above the screw.

[OmegaRed]

Originally Posted by handejector

Note the square front corner of the gripframe.
That is a 32 RP.

There should be a serial number on the FRONT of the grip frame above the screw.

i think there are no more serial number than the one i sent in the pictures i'm afraid

[glowe]

Originally Posted by handejector

Note the square front corner of the gripframe.
That is a 32 RP.

There should be a serial number on the FRONT of the grip frame above the screw.

Lee, there is no step in the butt-frame for the standard RP stocks?? I wonder if the bottom of the butt has been filed to remove the serial number and as a result the front corner looks more squared?

Also, I see different amounts of rounding on my 32 HEs. Here is an example of both a standard 1919 32 HE and a 1920 32 RP for comparison.

Isn't it unusual for a 1926 era 32 to have a patent date hammer??

[Hondo44]

OmegaRed,

Benvenuto to the forum.

It's a 32 Regulation Police Model that has had the rebate notch on the backstrap filed flush with the lower backstrap. One will notice in the 3rd photo, post #4 with the grip removed, that the backstrap appears to have a tapered thickness.

To remove the butt serial # would not need the 3/32" of material removed that would be required to square off the front toe. Notice the distance between the grip locator pin and the butt in the OP's photo; it has not been reduced. Ordered May 8, 1920: grip frame toe left sq for easier grip fitting of sq butt I frame .32 and .38 Regulation Police Model stocks.

I believe the serial # was removed from the front strap.

The patent stamp for the color case hardening process was ordered in June ’26. The stamp wasn't dropped until during WW II production.

This .32 revolver serial # and the features referenced above date it to late 1926 to 1928. It's safe to shoot with currently available .32 Long ammunition.

How about a photo of the grip frame front strap and the butt?

This is a photo of the grips and grip frame before modification:





Pre May 8, 1920 round toe:


After May 8, 1920 square toe (also shows after 1952 coil mainspring):

[handejector]

Originally Posted by glowe

Lee, there is no step in the butt-frame for the standard RP stocks??

We don't know that. We have not yet really seen the backstrap.

Originally Posted by glowe

I wonder if the bottom of the butt has been filed to remove the serial number and as a result the front corner looks more squared?

I doubt that. The rear corner still has the proper radius. The bottom would have to have a slope up to the front corner for that to have happened, but the angle on the bottom surface appears normal.

OmegaRed,
We need to see pics of the front and rear gripstraps- the back and the front of the grip frame.

[handejector]

Also-
something kept bugging me about the grips. They just seemed to have odd proportions.
Upon looking closer, I see that the bottoms are rounded off. The rounding extends into the checkering, and there is no bottom border for the checkering.
Those may well be a pair of RP stocks that have been modified to round butt.

[glowe]

One last try. Here is the picture posted by the OP and a picture showing the stepped butt-frame occurring fairly close to the bottom.

[handejector]

You may be right, Gary. Maybe the step isn't there. Maybe it was there and has been ground away.

Easiest solution-
show pics of front and back straps.

Something is going on with that gripframe. Pics sure would help.

[OmegaRed]

sorry for late answer guys, but was not that easy for let understand my father,
hopefully i understood what you want to check, if there is any other part you want to see, let me know

[OmegaRed]

few more on the side

[OmegaRed]

that's all i think,
thanks for all the interest and help

[Hondo44]

Yes, when I stated the notch had been removed in post 13, I neglected to state the obvious that the RP grips have been rounded and wood removed that formerly covered the lower half of the backstrap to fit the formerly rebated round butt.

Why the serial was removed from front strap is anyone's guess, it wasn't needed for reshaping the grips.

[glowe]

Here we go again. The front side of the butt-frame look untouched as does the back, but the bottom of the butt is angle sanded and I would still say that the serial number was removed and it resulted in the square front edge of the frame.

This, unfortunately, brings up another old story - in the US, that gun is illegal to own without a clearly marked serial number on the butt. The BATF states that you can not legally own such a gun as it is today. Others can comment on how other countries might deal with this issue, but I really think the butt was ground to purposely remove the number. The reason will most likely remain a mystery, but in the US many guns have had the serial numbers removed so they could not be traced when used in an illegal activity.

[Hondo44]

Gary,

The 3rd photo in post #19 is the dead giveaway, there's a peak just above where the rebate notch used to be. A factory finished back strap never looks like that (for once I'll say "never"). It's crude; the notch was filed off and not blended well.

The most evident problem is the thickness of the back strap, it's not uniform and is thinner on the bottom half because it had been milled for the rebate and gets to proper thickness just above where the notch was and the peak now is.

The front strap does look unmolested but clearly the grip frame (and # removal) was done a long time ago and now shows years of wear and actual age patina.

[wraco]

I also have one very close to OmegaRed's gun. . sn 551990. . It has the notch in the backstrap, sn on the front of the grip frame above the strain screw. . It looks just like Hondo's gun.

My doesn't have the patent dated hammer and the bottom of the left stock reads . ."Pat. June 5, 1917"

Rod

[Hondo44]

Rod,

Your gun is a 1951 vintage and the hammer w/o the patent stamp is correct. Are the stocks numbered to your gun on the backside of the right grip?

[glowe]

Originally Posted by Hondo44

Gary,

The 3rd photo in post #19 is the dead giveaway, there's a peak just above where the rebate notch used to be. A factory finished back strap never looks like that (for once I'll say "never"). It's crude; the notch was filed off and not blended well. . .

I will take you word for it Jim, but I just can't quite see what you see. Did you notice that the stock pin looks closer to the bottom of the butt-frame than it should be? I compared it with mine in one of the posts and the OPs looks lower.

Maybe we should chip in and buy a factory letter for the OP to settle the issue??

[Hondo44]

Gary,

The 'peak' is subtle, I agree, but the thinned back strap on the bottom half is unmistakable IMHO.

I can't deny that the butt has been worked on but to have removed the round toe, the locator pin would have to be a lot closer to the bottom of
the butt.

Lay a straight edge on one of your round butt frames where the roundness of the toe would be completely removed, then check the proximity of the straight edge to the locator pin. It will be close to touching the pin.

[wraco]

Originally Posted by Hondo44

Rod,

Your gun is a 1951 vintage and the hammer w/o the patent stamp is correct. Are the stocks numbered to your gun on the backside of the right grip?

Jim:

My gun is the same as your top one. . Mine has a blade hammer spring, notched backstrap, and a large mushroom ejector knob. . The serial number is on the front grip frame, above the strain screw . 551990. .

Here's sn 551990



I have another one of these 32 HE. . it has gutta percha target grips. . sn 98546. . It's not stamped on the front grip frame. . It's a round butt frame



Rod

[Hondo44]

Originally Posted by wraco

Jim:

My gun is the same as your top one. . Mine has a blade hammer spring, notched backstrap, and a large mushroom ejector knob. . The serial number is on the front grip frame, above the strain screw . 551990. .

I have another one of these 32 HE. . it has gutta percha target grips.

Here's sn 551990



Rod

Rod,

The one above is a 1922 to 1926 (with no hammer Pat stamp) vintage.

#551990 would have to be 351990. Check the serial # again with magnification, 3s can look like 5s.

[wraco]

Jim:

You're right, I misread the sn. . I checked using my illuminated desk lamp magnifier. . The sn is 431996

Rod

[Hondo44]

Originally Posted by wraco

Jim:

You're right, I misread the sn. . I checked using my illuminated desk lamp magnifier. . The sn is 431996

Rod

OK, that would date it to 1926.

Your round butt # 98546 is a Mod of 1903 from 1909 with extended Gutta Percha target stocks.

Two very nice old .32s!

[wraco]

Thanks Jim

Rod