.32 break open ser# 81239

[trapper2359]

Good day all,

Finally getting around to looking into this piece inherited from my LAPD dad. I'm 66 and it's been around for as long as I remember.

Serial number is on butt of gun and again on receiver end of cylinder.

Pic of lettering on barrel rib is attached as well as pic of additional lettering on frame above cylinder.

Year built?

Common/Rare?

Collectable?

Potential value?

I'm no appraiser, but if forced to give a condition i would give it a 7 or maybe an 8? Everything appears to work as it should, and I can state for a fact it has not been fired in 56+ years. Pretty dusty right now, so unsure of barrel condition. No rust to speak of, but there are a few tiny areas of discoloration.

It does not appear that anyone has ever attempted to remove any of the screws.

Thanks in advance. Please let me know if I'm in the wrong thread?

Best Regards,

John

 

[mmaher94087]

These are my favorite small frame Smith & Wesson's. Yours is a nice example of a non-molested .32 Single Action, Top Break. I'm lousy at value estimates but I'd say it is $350 to $400 all day long. These were made starting around 1875, are collectible and are somewhat common with a 3 1/2" barrel. Ninety-seven thousand plus were manufactured with the majority 3 1/2" barrels and nickel finish.

 

[wlw-19958]

Hi There,

Welcome to the Forum!

Mike has beat me to it. Your revolver is a: .32 S&W Center Firer
Single Action. These were made from 1878 until 1892. A total of
97,574 of these were made (according to SCS&W 4th. Ed.).

About 90% of these were nickel plated with hard rubber grips. The
most common barrel lengths encountered are 3-1/2" followed by 3"
long. Yours is a good representative example of the model.

Cheers!
Webb

 

[trapper2359]

These are my favorite small frame Smith & Wesson's. Yours is a nice example of a non-molested .32 Single Action, Top Break. I'm lousy at value estimates but I'd say it is $350 to $400 all day long. These were made starting around 1875, are collectible and are somewhat common with a 3 1/2" barrel. Ninety-seven thousand plus were manufactured with the majority 3 1/2" barrels and nickel finish.

Thank you!

 

[trapper2359]

Hi There,

Welcome to the Forum!

Mike has beat me to it. Your revolver is a: .32 S&W Center Firer
Single Action. These were made from 1878 until 1892. A total of
97,574 of these were made (according to SCS&W 4th. Ed.).

About 90% of these were nickel plated with hard rubber grips. The
most common barrel lengths encountered are 3-1/2" followed by 3"
long. Yours is a good representative example of the model.

Cheers!
Webb

Thank you!

 

[trapper2359]

These are my favorite small frame Smith & Wesson's. Yours is a nice example of a non-molested .32 Single Action, Top Break. I'm lousy at value estimates but I'd say it is $350 to $400 all day long. These were made starting around 1875, are collectible and are somewhat common with a 3 1/2" barrel. Ninety-seven thousand plus were manufactured with the majority 3 1/2" barrels and nickel finish.

Thank you!

If i were to choose to clean this one up, what is safe to use on the nickle?

Okay to clean up the bore?

Is there a best practice for polishing up the nickle?

I'm proficient at gun cleaning, but very unfamiliar with this design. What can I diy, what do I stay away from?

I've seen mention of issues with removing grips? Okay to do or not?

Thx!

 

[mrcvs]

If i were to choose to clean this one up, what is safe to use on the nickle?

Okay to clean up the bore?

Is there a best practice for polishing up the nickle?

I'm proficient at gun cleaning, but very unfamiliar with this design. What can I diy, what do I stay away from?

I've seen mention of issues with removing grips? Okay to do or not?

Thx!

There’s nothing to clean up, leave it as it is!

You can clean the bore with gun oil. If the patch comes out clean, it will protect.

OR, the alternative is Hoppe’s. But make sure you wipe any on the nickel surface away promptly. I state this with a caveat because I have used Hoppe’s on nickel firearms in the past without a problem (but wiping any away promptly as I’ve only used oil (and now Renaissance wax) on outside surfaces of firearms until learning much later that you shouldn’t use Hoppe’s on nickel firearms as it is detrimental to nickel.

 

[Model19man]

I've used Hoppes #9 on a gun very similar to yours. I used Gun Scrubber afterwards to remove the Hoppes. It worked very well.