Hand Ejector

Guns.com Vault
Gather App
mrfeeney

mrfeeney

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2021
Messages
17
Reaction score
25
City & State/Province
Texas
Hello to the forum, I am new and wanted to get any information I could find on a revolver that recently found its way into my possession.


I went through the sticky and came up with the following information:


No model number on the yoke.


Hand Ejector


Serial no. is 586253 as found on the back of the cylinder and on the front gripstrap, which is just 643 earlier than the one in the sticky. Also stamped on the inside of the walnut grips.


32 LONG CTG stamped on the right side of the barrel.


Barrel length of 4" (as measured in the sticky)


Fixed sights


5 screw, no strain screw, butt swivel or lanyard loop.



Thanks for any information anyone might have.


Regards,
Mark
 
Hi and welcome to the S&W Forum.

You have a postwar .32 Regulation Police revolver. The location of the serial number on the front grip strap is the giveaway. :)

The absence of the strain screw indicates it has a coil mainspring, so it isn't too early with respect to its postwar status. I believe that change was made in about 1953. I hope Jim (Hondo44) comes along soon. He is the expert on these and can probably give you a close estimate of when your revolver shipped.

Incidentally, the barrel should be 4 1/4" long, but again, Jim is the expert. By the time the RP became the Model 31 in 1958, 4" barrels were available, but I'm not sure when that change was made.
 
An I-frame Regulation Police. In 1957 these became the Model 30 and would be so marked in the yoke. Around 1960 these became the Model 30-1 when produced with J-frames as the standard for small frame revolvers. The history book lists the start of the J-frames at serial number 712,954 in April of '60 so JP@AK is probably right on about your revolver being later rather than earlier.

I'll be curious to hear Hondo44 says about likely ship date.
 
Last edited:
WELCOME TO THE FORUM.

You have a ".32 Regulation Police" Improved I Frame as Jack posted. They did not ship in order of serial #s, but yours almost certainly shipped in the last quarter of 1952 or first quarter of 1953.

If it has a 1/2 round front sight it's a 1st version with a 4 1/4" barrel but late issues of that length became 4" barrels*. The 2nd version Improved I Frame with that length barrel all have a 4" barrel instead and with a ramp front sight and a barrel rib; this transition didn't come about until the serial range 61X,XXX, sometime in 1953. These shipped into 1955 overlapping the New Models of 1953.

* These early 4” barrels may reflect the end of the 4 ¼” barrel production: I suspect that the 4” barrels were unused .38 S&W Regulation Police barrel blanks bored to .32 instead, since the .38 RP barrels were always 4” since their introduction in 1917. Because we also know the .38 S&W models took a big hit in sales due to the .38 Chiefs Special popularity.

Later in 1953 it did become the Model of 1953 NEW I Frame which began shipping in 1954, then became the Model 31.
 
Last edited:
Some Images

A big thanks to JP@AK, TXBryan and Hondo 44, very much appreciate it.
 
BTW these are a lot of fun to shoot! If your revolver checks out in good condition don't be afraid to use it. The .32 S&W Long has a well-deserved reputation as an inherently accurate cartridge and without much recoil is darn pleasant to use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Hand Ejector or Model 1917?
Replies
15
Views
635
bpd303
bpd303
P
Help identifying this 38 Special
Replies
12
Views
2K
DWalt
DWalt
D
Production Date of Early S&W .22/32 H.E. ?
Replies
3
Views
114
dpast32
D
B
Second Model .44 Hand Ejectors With 4" Barrel?
Replies
15
Views
858
Top Strap
T
D
A 1902, I think
Replies
15
Views
796
Alk8944
Alk8944

Latest posts

Back
Top