I have a friend who has a nickel plated .32 long ctg with pearl handle grips. The ser# on the bottom of handle is 68135. On top of the barrel are these dates: pat'd april 9, 1889 march 27, 1894 aug 4, 1896 dec 22, 1896 oct 8, 1901 dec 17, 1901 sept 22, 1902 july 7, 1903. It has a 4.25" barrel its got the s&w stamped on the left side frame under the release. It all so has a full half moon front site and a long grove for the back site. I have no access to a camera or I'd send pictures.
.32 long ctg
- Thread starter lacrux14
- Start date
The small-frame S&W .32 revolvers were popular in the first half of the 20th century. The company produced nearly half a million of these over the 40 years before WW II. The gun you describe is called a .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903, Second Change. About 44,000 of this particular variety were produced. Based on the serial number, it was probably shipped in 1907 or 1908.
These guns aren't exactly rare, but then you don't see them on every consignment shelf of every gun store, either. Value depends on condition. The best condition specimens of this model, if they have the original box, might bring close to $1000 at auction. Without the box and in just good condition, maybe $300.
Without photos or a hands-on inspection, it's hard to make an estimate of condition.
If the gun is shootable, don't use modern ammunition in it. [Ignore this sentence. I have no idea what I meant when I wrote it nearly four years ago. Of course you can use modern ammo in a prewar .32 HE.]
First post, I see. Welcome to the forum.
These guns aren't exactly rare, but then you don't see them on every consignment shelf of every gun store, either. Value depends on condition. The best condition specimens of this model, if they have the original box, might bring close to $1000 at auction. Without the box and in just good condition, maybe $300.
Without photos or a hands-on inspection, it's hard to make an estimate of condition.
If the gun is shootable, don't use modern ammunition in it. [Ignore this sentence. I have no idea what I meant when I wrote it nearly four years ago. Of course you can use modern ammo in a prewar .32 HE.]
First post, I see. Welcome to the forum.
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jsmith
Member
lacrux14 - The .32 S&W Long Cartridge has been around since 1896 when S&W developed its first modern hand ejector revolver in that year to chamber the new cartridge. This cartridge started out as a blackpowder load but made the transition to smokeless powder very early in its life. It has been a smokeless powder cartridge for nearly its entire life.
I own two early S&W .32 revolvers, a Model 1896 shipped in 1897, and a Model 1903 made in 1903-1904, and I shoot modern ammunition in them all the time. These guns were built heavy and strong enough to handle smokeless powder, which originally was called Nitro powder. The original blackpowder loading for the .32 S&W Long was actually hotter than the modern loading in smokeless. The modern loadings are equivalent, sometimes slightly less, to the original black powder loadings.
As long as this gun is mechanically safe, there will be no problem shooting it with factory ammunition. If reloads are used, be careful not to use hot loads! The .32 S&W Long is not a round to hot rod in older guns.
jsmith
I own two early S&W .32 revolvers, a Model 1896 shipped in 1897, and a Model 1903 made in 1903-1904, and I shoot modern ammunition in them all the time. These guns were built heavy and strong enough to handle smokeless powder, which originally was called Nitro powder. The original blackpowder loading for the .32 S&W Long was actually hotter than the modern loading in smokeless. The modern loadings are equivalent, sometimes slightly less, to the original black powder loadings.
As long as this gun is mechanically safe, there will be no problem shooting it with factory ammunition. If reloads are used, be careful not to use hot loads! The .32 S&W Long is not a round to hot rod in older guns.
jsmith
Hey I have just inherited a S&W .32 long ctg. It was my great grandfathers and I was just wondering if it safe to shoot and what ammo to load it with. It seems to be in good working order. I have photos of it on my computer but cannot seem to post them. When I try to post them it asks me for a URL? Any help would be greatly appreciated
Capco33, here's a cheat sheet to using PhotoBucket for image hosting:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-forum-office/78728-posting-photos-forum-new-format.html
You can also upload photos directly to the forum server. On the page where you compose your message, scroll down until you see a button that says "Manage Attachments." Click on that, then you can pick up the image files directly from your own hard drive or memory card.
Hello-
About 10 years ago I bought my first pistol used and it was a 32 s&w long CTG.
The serial number on the bottom of the hand grip and on the bottom of the barrel is ( B 3660 ). But on the inside of the right side plate, cylinder yoke and the cylinder housing the number is ( 8840). The last date on the patent list on the top of the barrel is ( Sept 2, 1902 ). It has black plastic grips (That may or may not be original).
I am just curious about the year and possible value of the pistol.
Any help would be appreciated.
About 10 years ago I bought my first pistol used and it was a 32 s&w long CTG.
The serial number on the bottom of the hand grip and on the bottom of the barrel is ( B 3660 ). But on the inside of the right side plate, cylinder yoke and the cylinder housing the number is ( 8840). The last date on the patent list on the top of the barrel is ( Sept 2, 1902 ). It has black plastic grips (That may or may not be original).
I am just curious about the year and possible value of the pistol.
Any help would be appreciated.
Hello Balemaster, and welcome to the S&W forum. Sounds like what you have is a .32 Hand Ejector, Second Model. A four-digit serial number indicates production in 1903. Unless your gun has been completely thrashed, it is probably worth at least a couple of hundred. If it is in really good shape, value would go higher. Can you post pictures? Look back a couple of posts in this thread for instructions on how to do it.
These older S&Ws can be great fun to own and (with the proper ammo) shoot.
WILDCATT
Member
32 S&W
I have a 32 hand ejecter.serial no.1228**it also has the 1902 date.
there still is a little factory blue on barrel,action works fine and I shoot it
with my handloads.I am very care full to keep them at low side.It has 6" barrle and is acurrate.the rest of gun has patina[rust].just as I bought it,20 yrs ago for $20 at gun show.I should have got the colt with it.same price.
I have a 32 hand ejecter.serial no.1228**it also has the 1902 date.
there still is a little factory blue on barrel,action works fine and I shoot it
with my handloads.I am very care full to keep them at low side.It has 6" barrle and is acurrate.the rest of gun has patina[rust].just as I bought it,20 yrs ago for $20 at gun show.I should have got the colt with it.same price.
The hand grips on my 32 Hand Ejector, Second Model are cracked and chipped. Does anyone know where I can get new ones or if that is even a good idea?
wraco
Member
I picked up a nice one made in 1910, a 1903, 32 S&W HE a week or so ago for $275 shipped. It's tight, lots of bluing, no pitting, excellent bore and nice hard rubber S&W stocks. Here's a couple of pictures the seller sent me. The camera flash doesn't do the gun justice, but here it is nevertheless.
Rod
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Rod
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i too have a s&w 32 long ctg. nickle plated in very good condition. however, the s&w logo is on the right side..if your holding it to shoot...in all the pics ive seen the logo is under the cylinder release. why is this?
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ar15ed
Member
you probably have an earlier 32 he 1st model, or 2nd model. they used the right side (sideplate) trademark til about serial number 19425, then at 19426 went to the left side (frame) stamp, with the "first change".
There was a production order in the late 1930s relocating the logo to the side plate, so thunderchild's gun could be late prewar production.
Does the ejector rod knob have two diameters, like a mushroom, with a narrow knurled band? or only one, with a wider knurled area? The two-step knob is from the 'aughts, 'teens and early '20s, and the single diameter knob is from the very late '20s and '30s.
Or you could just tell us the serial number, xing out the last couple of digits if you want to.
Does the ejector rod knob have two diameters, like a mushroom, with a narrow knurled band? or only one, with a wider knurled area? The two-step knob is from the 'aughts, 'teens and early '20s, and the single diameter knob is from the very late '20s and '30s.
Or you could just tell us the serial number, xing out the last couple of digits if you want to.
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
Dave-my .32 is 520520-you say not to shoot modern ammo in it? What gives? I thought it was safe to shoot with .32 S&W and .32 longs. BTW my .32 has the S&W logo on the side plate AND under the cylinder release.
Hmm... I wrote that in August 2009 and no longer have any idea what I meant. Since then I have acquired a couple of prewar .32s and while I shoot mostly S&B target wadcutter ammo in them, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot standard factory ammo that was produced yesterday.
Maybe I said that just to see if anyone was paying attention.
Logos on both sides? Your gun was undoubtedly produced during the company's short-lived belt-and-suspenders frame marking policy. It lasted a whole afternoon, I think.
Seriously, no clue why. I don't recall seeing other guns with logos on both sides, but I'm not surprised to hear that they exist.
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
So this is a one off, valuable, rare, one of a kind, VALUABLE, worth whatever the market will bear handgun????????????
Or not
I don't care-I like the little bugger, me.
Or not
I don't care-I like the little bugger, me.
JF3D
Member
Interesting Fact. Teddy Roosevelt was the Police Commish in NY City around 1985. He issued the .32 S&W to the NYPD. At the time, it was considered a Quantom leap for them. 
Green Frog
Member
Assuming it is marked .32 S&W on the side of the barrel and that is the relatively small I-frame gun, you probably have a .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 - 5th Change. It would probably have been made early in 1911. It came standard in 3 1/4, 4 1/4 and 6" barrel lengths (measured from the front of the cylinder to the muzzle of the barrel.) Something over 160,000 or them were made between 1910 and 1917. All of this info is available from the book, Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson by Supica and Nahas. I trust this will be of some help to you.
Regards,
the Green Frog
Regards,
the Green Frog
Green Frog
Member
With that repeating serial number and the double S&W stamps, your revolver is redundant is redundant.
Froggie Froggie
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