...and my custom job done 20 some years ago and previously shown here.
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.22/.32 Hand Ejector (Heavy Frame Target, "Bekeart" type) Pictures
- Thread starter Goony
- Start date
bobbed hammers
just real happy to have something to offer to the room of all knowledge smith & wesson. i have #2386xx and it has the bobbed hammer as well. i've seen a few offered online with this modification and posted the question here as well. seems likely that either the pinching or snagging could be the reason. mine seems to have been just put to a grinder.
randy
just real happy to have something to offer to the room of all knowledge smith & wesson. i have #2386xx and it has the bobbed hammer as well. i've seen a few offered online with this modification and posted the question here as well. seems likely that either the pinching or snagging could be the reason. mine seems to have been just put to a grinder.
randy
Made me smile as well, not a single word of acknowledgement for a concept commonly reported as initially requested by Bekeart.
If you search the forum for other .22/32 threads, this has been discussed before. My feeling is the same as Lee suggests, this was an after purchase modification to shorten the hammer tip and prevent pinching the web between the thumb and index finger.
I received my 22/32 over the weekend. It's a nice little gun in very good to excellent condition considering its' age. The serial number is 495xxx and it does not have recessed chambers. The cylinder and barrel match, and the grips are in very nice condition.
Based on the grips with no medallions and the 2nd type ejector rod knob, you have a 1929-30 gun.
thanks Hondo!
I can't believe I for got to say what a gorgeous example of a 22/32 H F Target you have. What a great find!
.22/.32 Heavy Target bobbed hammer
I'm not sure this is interesting enough to justify space used but I am the possessor of one of these very interesting revolvers. originally obtained by accident with standard hammer but as time passed it was traded for something more interesting at the time. the next time I saw the gun the spur was missing from the hammer, the owner was not even aware so we dickered and I again had an Heavy Frame Target but now with a "Bobbed" hammer. The search was on for the missing spur and eventually it was recovered. Now I have this HFT without a spur on its hammer and I do not want a spurless hammer. I make inquiries with some of the old time S&W Collectors and find one, made the deal for it and when it arrives I install it but it does not function as a double action as it should. Not wanting to make any changes to the marrying parts I just removed the new hammer and replaced it with the hammer missing its spur. Finally located another hammer with some additional parts I found on this forum and it dropped in and function was perfect. I do not think they made "bobbed" hammers as an option from the S&W factory and my thoughts are that the hammer spurs were one of the weak spots thus causing "bobbed hammers". Apologize if this was boring. this is my story and I'm sticking to it!
I'm not sure this is interesting enough to justify space used but I am the possessor of one of these very interesting revolvers. originally obtained by accident with standard hammer but as time passed it was traded for something more interesting at the time. the next time I saw the gun the spur was missing from the hammer, the owner was not even aware so we dickered and I again had an Heavy Frame Target but now with a "Bobbed" hammer. The search was on for the missing spur and eventually it was recovered. Now I have this HFT without a spur on its hammer and I do not want a spurless hammer. I make inquiries with some of the old time S&W Collectors and find one, made the deal for it and when it arrives I install it but it does not function as a double action as it should. Not wanting to make any changes to the marrying parts I just removed the new hammer and replaced it with the hammer missing its spur. Finally located another hammer with some additional parts I found on this forum and it dropped in and function was perfect. I do not think they made "bobbed" hammers as an option from the S&W factory and my thoughts are that the hammer spurs were one of the weak spots thus causing "bobbed hammers". Apologize if this was boring. this is my story and I'm sticking to it!
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Thank you!
I had a chance to give it a good cleaning last night. It's really in very good condition with just enough character to not feel bad shooting it. All the serial numbers match (barrel, extractor, cylinder) and the bore in the barrel and chambers are mirror bright. It looks like it hasn't been shot very much all. The side plate screws are perfect and look like they've not been turned. If they were, it was with the proper screw driver by someone that wasn't a hack.
All in all, this gun looks like it was owned by someone who appreciated it and took very good care of it.
It's my first Smith with a gold bead front sight and I'm really impressed with how good the sight picture is with it.
I'm planning on having it lettered and I'm looking forward to finding out exactly were and when it started its' life.
It's really neat to be able to fondle a gun that's 80 +/- years old. The craftsmanship that went into these old Smiths is nothing short or remarkable. I think I get as much pleasure out of just looking at them as I do actually shooting them.
I'm hoping to get her to the range in the next few days to see how she shoots.
I just looked back to see what you paid for it and I feel that you sure got your money's worth on that deal. I find your gun very interesting because it seems to have been made at the point, 1929-30 when some features were changing: The non-medallion grips of the 1920s were just being phased out and silver ones introduced, the 2nd style ER knob was just transitioning from the 'mushroom' head, and the serial # penciled on the inside of the right grip was being changed to a stamping. I'm curious to know if yours is penciled on or stamped.
What beautiful .22s... What kind of pricing would I be looking at for one in shooter-grade? I don't need a 95% gun, I prefer function and character. As long as the action is tight and locks up right, it can look like a 30 year old VW for all I care. 
It's a crisp enough example that I can believe this. However, it's not atypical for ones that have been shot a bit more to have a ring (or donut, if you prefer) of pitting about an inch in from the muzzle. You normally need a magnifying glass to see this clearly, but it certainly occurs. I suspect .22 ammunition back in the day used corrosive priming, and that for some technical reason the residue accumulated at that specific point in the barrel, so if the revolver wasn't cleaned religiously, it ate up the bore there. It doesn't seem to affect accuracy, though.
What beautiful .22s... What kind of pricing would I be looking at for one in shooter-grade? I don't need a 95% gun, I prefer function and character. As long as the action is tight and locks up right, it can look like a 30 year old VW for all I care.
I've seen the condition you're looking for as low as $450-500 but as high as $600 asking price or auction starting price. That's why 1blindref"s was such a buy at $633. Check these closed auctions for actual sale prices:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/SearchResults.aspx
Wow...Pricy. One further question, are all K22's considered C&R guns or did the K22 last beyond what is considered C&R?
Gatorbaiter
Absent Comrade
Top is a 22 Target, bottom is a 32 Target. When I got this 22 the tip of the hammer spur was broken off, I obtained a replacement from Dave Chicone:
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No, only those made before 1961. They made them for at least another 25 years after 1961 and are still made in some form, 10 shot stainless I believe.
Green Frog
Member
Gatorbaiter,
Way cool! That .32 Target with pearl stocks and nickel plating is very interesting. There can't be too many out there with that combination of features. Does it show signs of extensive shooting, or is most of that wear and nickel loss from storage and carrying?
Froggie
Way cool! That .32 Target with pearl stocks and nickel plating is very interesting. There can't be too many out there with that combination of features. Does it show signs of extensive shooting, or is most of that wear and nickel loss from storage and carrying?
Froggie
Gator, have you shown that adjustable-sight .32 before? I don't recall it, and I'd hate to think my memory couldn't hold on to something like that if I had seen it. Can you share the serial number, or the first part of it?
Looks to me like that gun does not have a stud for the trigger rebound slide, which makes it an early Model of 1903. I have heard about two other adjustable sight four-inch .32s from that era. In general, target I-frame .32s were blued guns except for a few of the very early ones. S&W eventually adopted the policy that they would not provide a target revolver with a nickel finish, but there are a few from the early days. I have a nickel six-inch gun target shipped in 1904. The four-inch specimen is very cool. S&W made very few of those through the decades. In my opinion they should have made more.
Looks to me like that gun does not have a stud for the trigger rebound slide, which makes it an early Model of 1903. I have heard about two other adjustable sight four-inch .32s from that era. In general, target I-frame .32s were blued guns except for a few of the very early ones. S&W eventually adopted the policy that they would not provide a target revolver with a nickel finish, but there are a few from the early days. I have a nickel six-inch gun target shipped in 1904. The four-inch specimen is very cool. S&W made very few of those through the decades. In my opinion they should have made more.
I was happy with the price that I paid.
The seller of that gun usually has very clean S&W's and is very good about answering questions. I knew that I wouldn't get hurt paying what I paid for that gun.
I didn't see any numbers stamped into the grips. There weren't any clear penciled numbers, but I'll check them with a magnifying glass to make sure.
Thank you very much for your insight regarding this gun.
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