I have a 3rd Edition 22/32 Heavy Frame .22L Revolver, .22 LR Barrel and Cylinder. The barrel is marked .32 Long OTG. Need explanation.
.22/32 Heavy Frame Revolver
- Thread starter mowen
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...Ben![IMG_2177[1].JPG](https://cdn.smith-wessonforum.com/attachments/650/650696-f9788a85b8468b102a71fb48990abcab.jpg?hash=NXmTRHJzpg "IMG_2177[1].JPG")
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Somebody's been playing around swapping parts.
Take off the grips and post a picture of the left side of the grip frame. It has gone back to S&W for work (* behind the serial on the butt). Could be there were no .22 barrels and S&W used a stamped .32 barrel to replace the original barrel. Is there any indication the barrel was sleeved?
The marking is ctually 32 Long CTG - not OTG
CTG is shorthand for CarTridGe
As for how/why a revolver chambered for 22LR would be marked 32 Long, that's a really good question. Very odd.
Guy, if I had the time this past weekend, I would have asked to take the stocks off and look for service marks...I took the pictures just before the show opened and got the best shots I could of all the serially numbered parts (all numbers matched)...I also looked on the inner face of the extractor, and without better light or magnification that number appeared to be the same as the others...I saw no signs of rework, and although I am far from an expert it all looked original...The one thing I forgot to do was to look closely for evidence of a sleeved barrel...
If it was my gun, it would eventually be lettered followed by a deep dive for further documentation, but alas, it's not mine...I'll have to leave it to Mike to furnish pics of the frame areas under the stocks...
...Ben
I don't think so, but if you spotted something I missed, please say so...
...Ben
That serial number is pretty low for a Bekeart. IIRC, they started around 160K. Could be someone had a .32 HE, wanted a .22 Target revolver and sent it back to S&W to make it so. But, I would expect S&W to replace the barrel, not sleeve it. It is also possible the barrel stamp is a mistake. I also expect to see a diamond or O on the replaced part.
Guy, I looked at the gun carefully in the time allotted, and it had only a rimfire firing pin with no evidence it ever had a centerfire pin...
...Ben
139237 is one of the initial production run of 22/32 HFT's from 1911. It is not one of the 294 actually shipped to Philip Bekeart. If the stocks are original, there should be a 3 or 4 digit number stamped into the base of the left panel. I've no explanation to account for the barrel being mismarked as to caliber. Very odd indeed.
OP
Yes,There is an * after the serial number
OP
Yes,There is a * after the serial number. On the left grip frame near base is 12.14. Also on forward grip frame is 75 with a / across the 7.
So, S&W service work was done in December 1914 (12.14). I don't think we can resolve the mis-stamp unless the barrel is sleeved. IIRC, many records before 1920 were lost or destroyed so a deep dive would likely come up empty. A conundrum, to be sure.
Clearly a factory mismarked barrel. Most likely when the gun was newly manufactured. Could have been replaced when it went back to the factory in 12/14. But I would usually expect to see a diamond stamp following the barrel serial number if that was the case.
