32 Hand Ejector?

[jackvs1]

Can anybody tell me what revolver this is? With the half moon sights does it make it a 32 hand ejector post war. Serial number is 593864. Any idea of value, no box. Thanks

 

[jmace57]

I THINK it may be from the late 40s or early 50s. 536685 to 712953 from 1946 to 1960. A pre model 30? Absolutely beautiful!

 

[Hondo44]

Yes it is a 32 Hand Ejector Postwar, because of the round butt. And a very nice one too! Not being an immediate post war version, it's a 5 screw instead 6 screw because it's built on the "Improved 'I' frame" as referred to by collectors. It has a coil mainspring and therefore no tension screw in the fore strap. The round sight makes it an early Improved I frame. Soon after yours the ramp front sight with barrel rib was introduced. It did become the Mod 30 and stamped as such by early 1958.

The serial # indicates a likely ship date of ~ early 1953. It has the 3rd style thumb latch used after the war (2nd new post war style), the single hourglass or single 'pinch' in front of the screw hole.

I have more detail of the fast evolving 1950's I frames here:
THE POST WAR I FRAMES EVOLUTION THE POST WAR I FRAMES EVOLUTION - Smith & Wesson Forum

 

[H Richard]

I can give you a couple close ones, Pre 30's #589782 = 7/52, and 600097 = 1/53. Yours fits right in between.

 

[jackvs1]

Any idea of value on this revolver? No box.

 

[model70hunter]

This is all good to know by me, I found one of these, or very similar, in 32, the tag on it says 32 long.

It is as clean as the one in this post. It is marked $299. Fair price?

Sorry not trying to hijack, was going to ask this question but saw the pic which is close.

Thanks.

P.S. What is the prime use for this gun and the 32 caliber?

 

[jackvs1]

Your cool, we'll both learn

This is all good to know by me, I found one of these, or very similar, in 32, the tag on it says 32 long.

It is as clean as the one in this post. It is marked $299. Fair price?

Sorry not trying to hijack, was going to ask this question but saw the pic which is close.

Thanks.

P.S. What is the prime use for this gun and the 32 caliber?

 

[jmace57]

I can't say for sure on the value, other than to say if I ran across one in the condition shown, and it was marked $299, I'd buy it in an instant. I would guess it's worth between $350 and $450, but the experts will chime in I'm sure.

 

[Hondo44]

$400 to $500 is a fair price. The 2" models tend to go a bit higher. This will vary across the nation and also based on selling venue. Some of the auctions like Gunbroker generally get a bit higher and less predictable.

 

[model70hunter]

Thanks to all who responded on pricing.

I have shot guns for 60 some years and pistols for almost that long, never had looked twice at any 32 cal, most of mine were 45 acp, 45 Colt, 44 Mag, 44 special, 38 Special, 357 mag, 40 S&W, 22 LR etc.

Is this type of 32, I or J Frame (?) a kit gun? Plinking? What is it's main function? I think it is neat looking, and have found a nice one, I'm seriously thinking of buying it. Any more help will be appreciated. Since I am more of a shooter than collector I am thinking I need a reason to buy it. Thanks.

 

[murphydog]

.32 revolvers were once very popular with police (?!), but in the present day they are much more plinking or small game guns. You would want to check out the mechanical condition but $299 for a very clean .32 HE is a good price. .32 S&W Long is fairly available and pleasant to shoot.

 

[RussellD]

IF you reload, shooting the .32 becomes a cost effective replacement for .22's. They are also excellent tools for introducing new shooters to the sport.

 

[Hondo44]

Model70hunter,

There's no better reason to buy one than a $299 price or than because you don't have one; either is a good reason to buy it now.

Either the .32 I or the .32 J frames make excellent kit guns. Although officially, that name was only applied by S&W to the .22/32 (a .22 built on the .32 size frame) with adjustable sights. Even the .32s with adjustable sights were not considered 'Kit Guns'. They are .32 Regulation Police Target Models.

Below, this .32 Reg. Police Target 'I' frame, 4" barrel, square butt grips, a 1957 release was the last ones made; would have become the Model 31 after 1957 as did the fixed sight Reg Pol. Models.

Initially in 1896 the .32 Hand Ejector was a personal defense or general use arm. In 1917 the Regulation Police Model with square butt extra length grips was intended for police departments. It was a popular choice by several police departments, even though a ludicrous police or defense cartridge from today's perspective.

It was always a very accurate cartridge for target shooters. For a short time in the 1950's it was a popular target round once again when chambered in the larger K frame Masterpiece. Today it makes an excellent plinker or informal target shooting round, and even a fixed sight field "kit gun" of sorts. It's an excellent 'teaching' gun when one is ready to graduate from the .22 cartridge guns.

Some of us have turned the .32 I and J frames into target guns by adding adjustable sights, and recently we have rechambered them for 32 H&R Mag for excellent field/small game guns.

The K frame .32 H&R Mags are very popular and have even been improved by rechambering them to the newer .327 Fed. Mag. This helps realize the full potential of the .32 line of S&W revolvers.

But basically they have just been undiscovered fun, low recoil shooters.

 

[Green Frog]

SSSHHHH JIM! I still haven't gotten the last 32 S&W revolvers I want and you'll tip everybody off to look for one!

Froggie

 

[model70hunter]

Thanks Hondo, all great to know. I knew 22 are usually the kit gun, I was grasping for a function and or reason to buy. I do have lots of lead, a melting pot and used to do Black Powder and 38 wad cutters. Looks like this maybe the one to get it fired back up.

I've been doing some research, looks like the wad cutter type is better for small game. Anyone here have bullet molds for the 32 and in a wad cutter? What is the brand?

Mr. Green frog, sir, so you are the one who's been hiding all the good info. I kept finding blank or erased 32 long links that said removed by the green fog. Now I know.

Have any good reloads in the reloading forum?

I'll swing by the LGS Tuesday AM.

For now, if anyone wonders, the LGS is maybe in LA or NY perhaps. If I do not buy it does anyone want the contact info?

 

[H Richard]

Yes, if you don't buy it several of us will want the contact info.

 

[Green Frog]

Thanks Hondo, all great to know. I knew 22 are usually the kit gun, I was grasping for a function and or reason to buy. I do have lots of lead, a melting pot and used to do Black Powder and 38 wad cutters. Looks like this maybe the one to get it fired back up.

I've been doing some research, looks like the wad cutter type is better for small game. Anyone here have bullet molds for the 32 and in a wad cutter? What is the brand?

Mr. Green frog, sir, so you are the one who's been hiding all the good info. I kept finding blank or erased 32 long links that said removed by the green fog. Now I know.

Have any good reloads in the reloading forum?

I'll swing by the LGS Tuesday AM.

For now, if anyone wonders, the LGS is maybe in LA or NY perhaps. If I do not buy it does anyone want the contact info?

OK, now that I've been found out, maybe I could share my favorite 32 S&W L load for you folks I've been trying to "keep on the outside." I use a 90-95 gr LSWC (either swaged or cast) put it over 2.2 grains of Bullseye. (Standard SP Primer, of course.) This is mild enough for the earliest of the I-frames but gives a good baseline for performance in any of the 32s.

Froggie

 

[model70hunter]

Update on 32 Long at local LGS.

I did not look at it last Friday, thought about it till he opened today.

It is a consignment gun, $299.99. The Blue is rough on the BBL, the frame still has what appears to be original blue with lots of freckling. The cylinder bores are nasty, there is rust around each chamber on the BBL end.

The bore looks like it served time as a sewer pipe. I asked the owner about a brush but he was in the back fixing a 22 LR rifle. HE said it is as is and he is not going to help a dirty consignment piece. The guy should have cleaned it before dropping it off. Also all the blue on the cylinder is gone it is a brown plum color.

SN 290636. I do believe it is way pre war. I passed.

 

[raljr1]

Anyone wondering why to buy a 32...

at 50 feet, the two shots at 2 o'clock were the first out of the gun. adjusted point of aim and the rest is just the darned accurate little caliber in a S&W revolver. And I'm not that good a shot
http://smith-wessonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=163560&d=1408326231

 

[Hondo44]

290636 about 1919.