.22/32 Heavy Frame Target

[gfors]

After much anticipation, my .22/32 Heavy Frame Target arrived yesterday a little too late to hit the range. I have not pulled grips off yet, but all the numbers I can see match: front strap, cylinder, barrel flat. Logo is a little faint. Don’t know if that’s because of a re-blue or just a lazy roll mark. I’ll look for rework stamps when I pull the stocks. Here are some pics, James, with info for your database. Let me know if you need more info. I don’t mind sharing. Hope to get this gem to the range soon, although my trigger finger may need to go on a diet, as it barely fits in the trigger guard.
SN is 517448; seller claimed 1929 ship, but not verified, yet.

 

[Goony]

517529 shipped in June, 1930.

 

[raljr1]

That is a very nice example. Most of these I see have been used a lot. Here is mine, a little rough. Serial # 492381 shipped in January 1929.

 

[Retired W4]

Looks all original to me George.

 

[ol777gunnerz]

reblue

I have owned 3 of them, all were shipped pre 1920 all 3 had been back to the factory for re-bluing & replacement parts.

 

[gfors]

Cleaned and Lubed

Decided to give it a thorough going through. It was dry and a little dirty inside, but not too bad. Can’t see a penciled number on the right panel. It looks like a previous owner may have stamped his name on the left panel (unless Cehoupt is a maker of some sort). Most of the parts inside look similar to my K and N frames, but that cylinder stop sure looks frail. No rapid DA with this one, although I doubt you could get good enough grip for that, anyway.
Did not see any factory re-work stamps on frame.
A drop of oil here and there; now, it’s smooth as butter.

 

[larryofcc]

Stocks

George, check the right stock for a penciled serial number using a good light and magnifying glass. I have missed a few penciled numbers that I thought were not there.
I have a Triple Lock that one of the owners wrote all kinds of stuff inside the stocks. Fortunately, he didn't write over the serial number. He must have been real proud of that gun.
Nice gun you have. I have one I got real cheap. Big Larry

 

[gfors]

Thanks for the kind words and replies, guys!
I really like this little gem.

 

[JSR III]

SN is 517448; seller claimed 1929 ship, but not verified, yet.

FWIW, I have a dozen guns in the database starting with 517. They all shipped in late 1930 or early 1931 except one that left in 1936.

I have the details of your gun listed in the database but not the ship date or destination. As we all know, shipping dates of guns with near serial numbers means nothing with S&W as is the case with the one that shipped in 1936.

That is a fine example of this model and one that any collector would be proud to be the caretaker of. We should all look that good when we reach our 90's.

 

[gfors]

Range Report

Had a therapy session, after work, yesterday. I took the 22/32, a 4-screw M18, 3" 65-3, and 15-2 (with wrong stocks). I just love shooting these great guns!
At 25 yards, one-hand, DA, the little I-Frame is amazingly accurate. It bound up a couple of times, in 8 rounds. I think that may explain the 2 "fliers". The HFT likes Remington .22 Long (from Grandpa's basement, decades ago...) and CCI Quiet .22LR 835 FPS. I left the HFT in the hands of my gunsmith, who is very familiar with S&W revolvers. He thinks the ratchet might need attention, on one pad.

 

[dingomann]

Man, that is some nice shooting for 25 yards offhand. When I get a handgun, I shoot it from a rock solid rest to see how accurate it is, then I shoot it offhand to see how accurate I am! Also, to me the name looks like C F or C E Houpt. Houpt is a German name, I believe.

 

[gfors]

Man, that is some nice shooting for 25 yards offhand. When I get a handgun, I shoot it from a rock solid rest to see how accurate it is, then I shoot it offhand to see how accurate I am! Also, to me the name looks like C F or C E Houpt. Houpt is a German name, I believe.

Thank you!
Googling "C E Houpt" (it's definitely an "E"), I found a Lutheran minister, performing marriages, in Lancaster and Philadelphia, in the 20's and 30's. The time frame is right. I am going to take a gamble, and send off for a Letter of Authenticity. Maybe it will name him, as the purchaser...

 

[glowe]

FWIW, I have a dozen guns in the database starting with 517. They all shipped in late 1930 or early 1931 except one that left in 1936 . . .

James, do your 517 guns have a 1914 patent dates? I noticed the OP's gun has an earlier 1909 patent date? All I have owned had 1914 dates on barrel if built after 1920?? It seems unlikely that a barrel would sit around for 15 years or so and then put on a 1930 gun? Just curious.

 

[ol777gunnerz]

info

When target shooting offhand, I always shoot single action for a much lighter trigger pull for accuracy.

 

[MHF]

I’ve got 2 hft’s with 09 patent dates, but I dated both guns in the teens?
Serial 279xxx, 163xxx

 

[glowe]

I’ve got 2 hft’s with 09 patent dates, but I dated both guns in the teens?
Serial 279xxx, 163xxx

Thanks for the information. I did a Commentary on the 38 Perfected a few years ago and, as you probably know, they had a Model 1903 frame and mechanism. From records and members contributions, I determined that the I frames did not adopt the 1914 patent until 1919.

Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patent Date . . First Ship Date
M1903, 3rd Model . . . . . . .1914 . . . . . . . .1919
38 Perfected. . . . . . . . . . . 1914. . . . . . . . 1919
32-20 M&P, 4th Change . . .1914. . . . . . . . 1915
38 M&P, 4th Change . . . . . 1914. . . . . . . . 1915

 

[JSR III]

James, do your 517 guns have a 1914 patent dates? I noticed the OP's gun has an earlier 1909 patent date? All I have owned had 1914 dates on barrel if built after 1920?? It seems unlikely that a barrel would sit around for 15 years or so and then put on a 1930 gun? Just curious.

Gary, unfortunately that is a tough question because I did not initially record last patent date plus much of my info comes from the interweb and photos don't always show the barrel top large enough to capture the date. Also some come from Roy's ship date forum and there are no photos at all to grab info from.

The other issue is that there is no way of knowing if a barrel has been changed and so an early numbered gun could have a later barrel with the 14 patent date.

So that stated, from my database, I show 517386 with no date but probably shipped in the mid 30's with an 09 date and 423933 also with no date probably shipped in late 1925 with a 14 last patent date.

One must also take into consideration that 1929 was the great depression so that probably factored in to S&W sales so possibly guns sat for a while.

 

[gfors]

December 1930 Ship Date

Dr. Jinks says December 1930 ship date for 22/32 HFT, SN 517448.

 

[1blindref]

A little late to the party - as usual.

Here's a couple of pictures of mine, including the letter. It's not too far off of your serial number.

 

[JSR III]

That's a real beauty. Could I get the last patent date for the database? Love the dog bone Remington box of ammo used for the photo.

Thanks,