Does your revolver have a story to tell?

[charlessummers]

So, a friend of mine was telling me about his dad's old revolver. He didn't know much about it other than it was a Smith & Wesson that shot .32's. I asked him to send me some pictures and the serial number and I'd see what I could find out about it. He said, "Just drop by the house on the way home and come get it.". So that's what I did.

What he had was a Smith & Wesson .32 Hand Ejector. The serial number (140557) and noted changes led me to believe that it was one of the Fifth Change. I believe the Fifth Change was the one to include the pins in the extractor; you can correct me if I'm wrong. I looked all of this up after leaving his house…

But while I was still there, he tells me a story about how the gun was stolen back in the late 80's by a family member and was going to be used to rob a store. Story goes, that the guy had stolen the revolver and whatever ammunition was available, then he and his accomplice took off to Kentucky to find a place to rob. While they were sitting in a restaurant discussing their plans, a lady seated nearby had overheard their conversation. She, of course, called the police to report what she heard. As the two would-be robbers were leaving the police were pulling into the parking area and spotted the pair. They sped away leading the police to ensue. Somewhere along the line, the gun was tossed from the car and landed in a creek. The two guys were captured and of course taken to the jailhouse, where parents of the criminals (actually still minors at the time) were called.

I don't know much else about convictions or whatever, but what I was told is that the revolver sat in that creek for a few days, if not a week. The father of the thief finally discovered where they had thrown the gun and was able to retrieve it and return it to its rightful owner. Luckily it had suffered no damage and was able to be cleaned.

At some time later that revolver was passed along to my friend. After I had done my research on it, I met him for lunch to return it to him. "You may as well just keep it." he said. He knows how much my son and I love old revolvers and couldn't believe that he wanted to give his father's gun to me. His children wanted nothing to do with it, so he knew that it would eventually end up with my son and that was enough for him knowing it would still be appreciated.

My son and I did a full detail strip and clean just to make sure there was no creek scum in the gun and to clean and oil the action. Now it's in my safe, tucked neatly away where hopefully, it will never be used to commit a crime.

 

[22hipower]

Good story, those stolen ones don't usually make their way home. This one wasn't stolen but has a story too. I've told the long version here years ago so won't cover it all again. Suffice it to say it was my first Registered Magnum and I was a little concerned about the non-professional "engraving" on the barrel. Came to appreciate it though after doing the research. It was a gift to a California National Guard Battery Commander on his change of command back in 1937. Pretty sure it didn't accompany him on his adventures as a Heavy Artillery Battalion commander throughout WWII including D Day, the Battle of the Bulge and much more. So the story is really about the owner, Colonel Harold O Welch, who saw duty in WWI, WWII and Korea. I think, given its condition, unlike Patton, he left his RM in a sock drawer at home and carried a Colt 1911 in combat. (I also have a Colt 1911 of his although there's no way to know if it was the one he carried in WWII)

Edit: Since this story is about the owner as much as the RM I'm adding a picture of his Army ID card from 1941 before he was promoted to LTC.

 

[Valmet]

I have a S&W Victory Model that my grandad brought home from Europe in Dec 1945. He was an officer and never liked the 1911 he was issued so one day (as he told it) he was returning to HQ in Feb-March 1945 and was walking past a line of 55-gal drums filled with web gear, bayonets, canteens, helmets etc and he saw the butt of a revolver sticking out and he grabbed it. Turns out it was this Victory Model. He decided to put his 1911 in his foot locker (which I have also) and carry the S&W for the remainder of his time in Europe.

Had a German POW make a set of grips with his initials in them and it was his nightstand gun until 2000 when he gave it to my dad. My grandad passed in 2010 and in 2014 my dad got a letter from S&W saying it was in a shipment of 250 guns to the Office of Naval Strategic Services in Norfolk, VA on Aug 22, 1944. Sufficed to say I've always wondered how it made it to where he found it but dad gave it to me in 2015.

I still put a few cylinders of standard pressure .38 Spl thru it a few times per year. I need to dig it back out again.

 

[duke2002]

I have a Colt 1911A1. I got it from the vet that carried it in the phillipines in wwII. His son dident want it. I talked to him about the history of the gun before i even talked price. He had the 3 mags and pouch he used yet. He pilfered a tanker holster and had locals sew a mag pouch on it. After the phillipines were liberated he carried it under his shirt because he said they couldent carry guns on leave. He went let his men blow off steam and looked after them. He sold the gun to me for nothing close to its worth because of asking the history. I got him to write everything down on it before i bought it. He has since passed but i have a piece of to me history.