First off, I want to say how much I have enjoyed this forum and that I have already learned much from reading the many discussions here. This is my first post and I wanted to ask for information regarding a revolver that my great granddad had and has come down to me. From what I have learned on this formu, it is a Smith and Wesson 32 Long. There are four screws on the plate side and a screw infront of the trigger guard. The revolver it in nickle with the trigger and hammer blued. The grips are pearl. The barrel from tip to forcing cone is 4 1/4 inches. There are several patent dates on the top of the barrel with the last one being February 6, 1906. The serial number is 1021XX. Can anyone tell me more about this revolver such as which model and frame this would be and possible DOB.

In reading this forum I see that I have a couple of more S&W revolvers that are of interest to folks here such as my Brazilian 1917 and, what I take to be a pre-Victory 38 S&W. I will inquire about these under a seperate post. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

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Zack

First off, I want to say how much I have enjoyed this forum and that I have already learned much from reading the many discussions here. This is my first post and I wanted to ask for information regarding a revolver that my great granddad had and has come down to me. From what I have learned on this formu, it is a Smith and Wesson 32 Long. There are four screws on the plate side and a screw infront of the trigger guard. The revolver it in nickle with the trigger and hammer blued. The grips are pearl. The barrel from tip to forcing cone is 4 1/4 inches. There are several patent dates on the top of the barrel with the last one being February 6, 1906. The serial number is 1021XX. Can anyone tell me more about this revolver such as which model and frame this would be and possible DOB.

In reading this forum I see that I have a couple of more S&W revolvers that are of interest to folks here such as my Brazilian 1917 and, what I take to be a pre-Victory 38 S&W. I will inquire about these under a seperate post. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

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Zack

Zack, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your first post. Sounds like you have a .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903, Fourth Change. Serial numbers range from 96126 to 102500, and the experts (SCSW, Nahas and Supica) seem to think they all come from 1910. This is an I frame gun.

I'm not sure about a blued hammer and trigger on a nickel gun. Maybe someone else here will be able to tell you about mixed finishes.

This sounds like a neat gun. Can you post photos?

David W.

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David Wilson

Pictures certainly would be helpful.

Are the hammer and trigger really blued, or do they have patches of blue case-coloring ?

Is the butt round, or square, and do the pearl stocks have a gold medallion mounted in them?

If you remove the grips, is there a large capital N stamped somewhere on the lower part
of the grip frame ?

Its not uncommon to find factory nickel guns with factory pearl grips.

Later, Mike Priwer

Thanks for responding so fast to my questions. I know that this revolver was re-finished 20-30 years ago as it was in poor conditions. The blue trigger and hammer could be the result of that work. I'm not sure if the grips are original as I found a set of brown plastic ? grips that will fit it in some of my Granddad's stuff. They have the S&W logo at the top but have a chunk broken off the right grip. For as long as I can remember it was in an old leather holster up over the door frame in an unfinished closet as my Granddad's home. As a young kid, I got to see and hold Great GrandDad's revolver on special occassions. It was rarely fired as cartridges cost too much, according to my granddad. He should see what ammo cost now.LOL. I removed the grips and did not find an "N" but did find a very small curly looking "9" but is more curly/lazy than the number nine. This was next to the grip stud. Took a good magnifying glass to make that out. As requested here a couple of pictures:







Thanks again for any information

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Zack

Thanks for getting the pictures.

The gun has definitely been refinished , and you confirm that. I think it was a
blue gun originally. This refinish is not very good, but the gun is, at least,
presentable. Unfortunately, someone blued the hammer and trigger, also polished
flat some of the pin ends.

Those pearl grips are not factory. If there is a pair of either brown or
black hard rubber grips, look in the inside of the right panel. The serial
number might be stamped, or scratched, into the panel.

Later, Mike Priwer

Thanks for the info Mike and DCWilson. The revolver has been nickled for as long as I can remember seeing it and I'm now 57 years old. The nickle was in poor condition when it was sent off to be refinished, back in the 70s as I recall. I guess I would have to send off for a Letter from Roy to get the full story. May just do that for it's 100 birthday.

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Zack

Zack

Usually, but not always, nickel guns have an N stamped on the grip frame, and also on the
rear face of the cylinder. This was so that the finishing department got the right finish
on the gun.

However, its not always the case, but it seems to be, most of the time.

Later, Mike Priwer

Hey thanks for the post. Getting a S&W like this passed down to you is awesome. Our stories are similar and your grandfather's gun and my great-grandfather's gun look an awfully lot a like.

Here is the link to my post:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/e...691042733#4691042733

Your 1903 has a serial of 102xxx, and is a 4th change and the experts her are saying it is from 1910.

My 1905(I was told it is also classified as a 1902) has a serial of 181xxx, been told its a 4th change, and dates from late 1911 or early 1912.

To everyone out there that has helped out so far I was wondering if this sounds right? What is the difference between a 1905/1902 and a 1903? Is the difference in the fact that mine is also a M&P? Not sure that his 1903 isn't an M&P? They look exactly the same to me but the dates and changes don't jive?

Mhardy

Back in those days, different model guns had different serial number series. For the sake
of this discussion, lets just focus on three different series.

The smaller I-frame model, for 22 and 32 caliber, is the Model of 1903. While it shares
engineerng changes with other model lines, it is always in its own serial number series.

The medium frame gun, primarily for the intermediate caliber 38, is introduced in 1899.
The gun is offered in two different calibers: 38 and 32 Winchester, and the factory
elects to separate this optional chambering into two separate serial number series.

So - simultaneously, we now have three separate serial number series going.

While undergoing numerous engineering changes, the Model of 1903 retains that name
throughout its life. The Model of 1899, actually called the Military & Police Model of 1899,
has its name changed, a couple of times.

The model of 1899, which is the primary introduction of the side-swing cylinder, is unique
in that there is no front locking point for the extractor rod. In 1902, this is changed,
and a locking lug is added, under the barrel, to capture and secure the end of the extractor.
With this feature, the factory introduces the M&P Model of 1902, and drops the Model of 1899.
The two M&P serial number series do not change - they just continue on, as though nothing
has happened.

The most relevant feature of the Model of 1899 is that the gun is a round butt gun. This
is also true of the 1902. And more importantly, the factory retains this model identification
for several decades. It always means a round butt frame.

Somewhere in late 1904/early 1905, the factory introduces the square butt frame into the
M&P line. This square butt is not an optional feature of the M&P line ( like caliber ), but
rather it introduces a new model: the M&P Model of 1905 .

Henceforth, to the factory, 1905 means a square butt M&P , and 1902 means a round butt M&P.
This distinction is carried to the beginning of WW2. Post-WW2, the 1902 and 1905
designations are dropped, BUT for two more decades, there are still two separate and distinct
M&P models: one with a round butt, and one with a square butt.

Enter the collectors. For a variety of reasons, they have elected to change this
naming convention. The reasons are important, for purposes of consistency, but they
create a certain confusion relative to the factory nomenclature. To the collectors,
from about mid 1905 forward, both round-butt and square-butt models are referred to as
the Model of 1905. The collectors drop the notion of a Model of 1902.

So - its important to keep in mind that serial numbers go with models , and its very
possible to find three different models of a gun, all with the same serial number.

This explanation is purposely brief, just to focus on the naming and serial number issues.

Later, Mike Priwer