.32 Long revolver

[rufrdr]

I picked up a 50s vintage .32 SW Long revolver in a trade recently. I was told by the previous owner that it had been used by a relative who drove a prisoner transfer bus for a county sheriff, thus it was carried and not shot.

The grips are oversize (fortunately) and while not exactly numbered to this revolver, are only about 40 off from it.

The 1950s M&P .38 is shown for scale.

The .32 is accurate but tiny! Without the larger grips, I doubt I could hold onto it for any kind of accurate shooting.

[Mbrgr1]

32 Regulation Police, I have big hands and have no problem shooting them, it's a great round with mild recoil.

Looks to be in good shape. 1953ish?

[Hondo44]

That’s a nice one!
As Mbrgr1 posted, it’s a .32 Regulation Police model, more specifically an Improved I frame - 1st Variation 5 screw from 1952, 4” barrel.

[Mbrgr1]

Originally Posted by Hondo44

That’s a nice one!
As Mbrgr1 posted, it’s a .32 Regulation Police model, more specifically an Improved I frame - 1st Variation 5 screw from 1952.

That's why we use the official signal!

[Hondo44]

The grips being only 40 numbers different is most likely from on of two reasons:

If the gun was owned by the police dept that had an armorer to service or clean their the guns, they could have been switched with another close numbered gun from the same order from S&W.

Or the grips were accidentally switched at the factory before being shipped new.

[rufrdr]

The S.N. is 5982xx and my mistake, the grips do match the revolver. Why I remember it being off by 40 I have no idea except possibly old age, which is a bit frightening.

Where does that number put it in production?

Thanks all.

[Hondo44]

The number won’t indicate the date anymore accurately then my post #3 above unless you get a factory letter with confirmation of the shipping date.

[Mbrgr1]

Originally Posted by rufrdr

The S.N. is 5982xx .Where does that number put it in production?

Thanks all.

There really is no reason to not post the whole serial number, there are two very close to yours that shipped in Aug and Sept 53 and yours could be one of them?


If you are really interested in an exact ship date, buck up for a letter and you will know!

[Model19man]

Originally Posted by Mbrgr1

T
If you are really interested in an exact ship date, buck up for a letter and you will know!

Or you could save some time and money and join the S&WCA and ask Roy on the sub forum.

[Mbrgr1]

Originally Posted by Model19man

Or you could save some time and money and join the S&WCA and ask Roy on the sub forum.

Then get a letter!

[Muley Gil]

S&W .32 Long RP, 4” blue, # 586848, shipped in February 1953.

[Hondo44]

Originally Posted by rufrdr

The S.N. is 5982xx and my mistake, the grips do match the revolver. Why I remember it being off by 40 I have no idea except possibly old age, which is a bit frightening.

Where does that number put it in production?

Thanks all.

It’s important to know that neither production dates nor shipping dates correspond to the serial numbers; guns were not produced in serial number order. Sometimes they can be close or way off, and everything in between. With few exceptions production dates are not even known by the factory. In most cases shipping dates are known.

[Brooks]

That's nice! Small...! Reminds me of the revolver Stuart Margolin gives to Charles Bronson in DEATH WISH.

[Inland7-45]

I have 3

Photos to follow

.32 Regulation Police 3 1/2” barrel nice original blue and numbered to gun stocks. Made in 1924.

.32 Regulation Police 4 1/2” barrel , worn original nickel finish, original numbered to gun stocks. Nice bore, tight smooth action. Great shooter. Made in 1940.

.32 Hand Ejector 2” barrel rd butt. Original numbered to gun stocks. Original finish. Pre model 30. Made 1955.

All three are fun to shoot. Started off with about 300 rds of factory ammunition when I bought the nickeled .32 in 2006. Fired off the factory stuff and put everything away until a few years ago. Started off reloading by picking up a set of RCBS Cowboy dies and 500 cast bullets from ACME. I have since added 300 pcs of Starline brass and 800 from PPU. I have loaded everything up with Missouri Bullet Co 98-100 gr RNFP. For the next run I will use home cast bullets from my new RCBS mold.

For now I am going to have some fun shooting off what I already have loaded. I have had the best luck with W231 and have enough CCI 500s to keep me going for awhile. Loading data is from Speer manual.

I would like to add more .32s to my collection of C&R trinkets. Maybe a J frame or a Colt for the next one.

[Inland7-45]

Here are the photos

[old tanker]

.32 S&W Long revolvers are pleasant to shoot. Once upon a time they were considered adequate for police use.

A Hand Ejector from 1952; a Pocket Positive from 1938; a Police Positive from 1923; and two large frame Iver Johnsons, the hammerless is from 1929, the other dates to 1911

[Hondo44]

I believe you meant 1952 for your .32 Hand Ejector Improved I Frame - 1st Variation. And it’s a beauty!

[rufrdr]

Originally Posted by Mbrgr1

There really is no reason to not post the whole serial number, there are two very close to yours that shipped in Aug and Sept 53 and yours could be one of them?


If you are really interested in an exact ship date, buck up for a letter and you will know!

Full S.N. is 598220.

[Muley Gil]

Originally Posted by Inland7-45

Here are the photos

The factory advertised the barrel lengths as being 3 1/4" and 4 1/4".

[old tanker]

Originally Posted by Hondo44

I believe you meant 1952 for your .32 Hand Ejector Improved I Frame - 1st Variation. And it’s a beauty!

You are right, on both counts. Fixed it.

[JSR III]

With few exceptions production dates are not even known by the factory. In most cases shipping dates are known.

Unfortunately manufacture dates were kept by the floor foreman so that the piece workers that assembled them could get paid. Most of those records are either lost or yet to be discovered. The senior Senator of the SWCA from CA has some IIRC and shares the information from time to time. The shipping department did keep serial number records as a means of inventory control and accounting and those records are what are used for shipping date requests in the SWCA request forum and by the Historian/s when a factory letter is requested.

Multiple examples have been discovered where a gun for whatever reason shipped way out of "normal" sequence and can show a ship date years or even decades away from others with near serial numbers.

Sometimes guns were given to gun magazine writers to examine and write about and returned years later and eventually released to the public. Sometimes they landed in the factory collection or with a family member and again returned at a later date. The other main cause of ship date differences was the fact that guns were stored in a vault on shelves with no concern for serial number order. Newer models were placed in front of older ones and therefore were grabbed first while the older inventory sat around. The shipping department was only concerned with filling an order in exchange for payment and there was no concern as to what serial number was stamped on the gun. As long as a record was maintained showing inventory disposition, everyone was happy.

The company was concerned with making money (and they made a boatload) not so much having some order to serial numbers. That is something only collectors are concerned about.