Date of a topbreak

[Radarcarve]

Have a S&W .32 topbreak... serial number is 221273... can anyone help me with the date? Thanks, LBD

 

[glowe]

Hammer or hammerless? Please provide more details to get an accurate date.

 

[Radarcarve]

S&W Topbreak

Sorry about that... it is a hammerless

 

[Inusuit]

Not much help from the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson. I think your revolver is a .32 Safety Hammerless 3rd Model. The serial number range is 170000 - 242981. Approximately 73,000 were manufactured between 1909 and 1937. By extrapolation only, your revolver is toward the latter part of the series. Pictures would be great. The revolver was available in blued and nickel. Most barrel lengths were 3" or 3.5" with 2" and 6" being rare. Should have checkered black rubber grips with S&W monogram on a round butt frame. Side plate on the left side held in place with two screws.

Again, this is conjecture on my part. Forum experts may correct my misconceptions.

 

[glowe]

Your serial number puts the ship date around 1920. That does make your gun a modern firearm by the BATF rules and regulations.

Most people don't realize that almost every model that S&W introduced started with a new set of serial numbers. The 32 Double Action ran to serial number 327,641 and the Safety Hammerless revolvers ran into the 200,000 serial number range, so both models had a 221,273 serial number. All other early 32 caliber models, like the Model 1 1/2 & Model 2 tip-ups, to the 32 Single Action revolvers ended well before a quarter million were made.