32 Long Manufacture Date

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Dannymac

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My Dad purchased a Nickel plated 32 Long a couple weeks ago and I'm trying to help him find the date of manufacture. I have the serial # and also some pics that may help. He's not tech savy so I'm trying to find out for him. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Serial # is 85333.
 

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Welcome to the Forum. That revolver would be identified as a 32 Hand Ejector, Model of 1903, 2nd Change. It would have left the factory around 1909-1910.

See correction on Posts 4 & 5.
 
Last edited:
Danny, Your Dad's .32 S&W Model 1903, 2nd change, ser. no.85333, was made April 28, 1908, as part of a production run of 200 blue guns with hard rubber stocks. Ed.
 
Last edited:
opoefc said:
Danny, Your Dad's .32 S&W Model 1903, 2nd change, was made April 28, 1908, as part of a production run of 200 blue guns with hard rubber stocks. Ed.
Click to expand...

Your right Ed, thanks for the correction. I do not know how I came up with the early date above, especially since this model was only made for two years, 1908 and 1909! Serial number range for the 2nd Change was from 51,127 to 95,500.
 
Last edited:
glowe said:
Your right Ed, thanks for the correction. I do not know how I came up with the early date above, especially since this model was only made for two years, 1908 and 1909! Serial number range for the 2nd Change was from 51,127 to 95,500.
Click to expand...

So it wasn't made April 28th 1908?
Just clarifying after reading all the post. My Dad asked me the other if I had found out anything on the gun, just wanna make sure I give him the correct information.
Thanks
 
Dannymac said:
So it wasn't made April 28th 1908?
Just clarifying after reading all the post. My Dad asked me the other if I had found out anything on the gun, just wanna make sure I give him the correct information.
Thanks
Click to expand...

The info in opoefc's post #4 is correct.

Look at the serial number that is stamped under the barrel. It should have a "B" stamped there. That is the indicator that it shipped with a blue finish. Make sure and gently clean off any active rust and oil. Using some metal polish on any bare spots will blend those into the nickel. Nickel plating on the hammer and trigger are other indicators that the nickel is after market.
 
Last edited:
April 28, 1908, is correct. That's the info. shown in the Floor Foreman's handwritten daily production log book. S&W did not make guns individually, but in batches, usually several hundred at a time ( except for special orders made in the Service dep't. ) Often several hundred frames of some models ( not .32 HEs) were forged, stamped with serial numbers, and stored for future assembly into firearms as the market might demand and these stored frames may find their way to production via a "last in, first out" system that then resulted in higher serial numbers being logging out in the shipping records, than lower numbered guns. Obviously done on purpose to confuse us 150 yrs. later ! Ed.
 
Dannymac said:
So it wasn't made April 28th 1908?
Just clarifying after reading all the post. My Dad asked me the other if I had found out anything on the gun, just wanna make sure I give him the correct information.
Thanks
Click to expand...

My first post was estimating when it might have shipped from the factory, which is how the historical letters are written using ship dates not manufacturing dates. As noted in other replies, Ed has the specific manufacturing day for some models and that is totally accurate. I also stated that the gun was manufactured for only those two years, which is consistent with Ed's date.

Most S&Ws were not shipped in serial number order, so an early gun could sit in inventory for a day to over a year before it was sent out the door. A few might sit for years. Our historian who researches and writes factory letters has access to shipping records of most all early models of S&W and uses those records to date a gun.
 
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