Help me date my first old S&W purchase ?

[lorrinl]

Hello,

I just purchased my first old S&W from Gunbroker after doing lots of reading here on the forum. Hopefully I read enough to get what I wanted, a decent condition, light, historic, gun for plinking and "woods walking". I plan to reload for this and my model 66.

Can anyone help me date this gun? It is currently being shipped to my FFL but I have a couple of photos and the serial number from the seller (a gun shop).

It was listed as a "S&W 32 HE Third Model 32 S&W Long 3"". The serial number in the ad was obviously wrong (my reading told me), so I called the shop. The seller was helpful, and looked over the gun while I was on the phone. He told me the shape of the gun, and that all the parts numbers matched, etc. but the real serial number is 313xxx.

The links to a couple of photos are below but I don't know how long they will stay available.

http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/373352000/373352032/pix798314363.jpg
http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/373352000/373352032/pix501841626.jpg

Thanks from a noob,
Lorrin

 

[DCWilson]

About 1920.

That's a sharp looking gun, and you will have some good low-stress shooting with it.

That's actually a 3 1/4" barrel if you measure it closely. The seller probably just guessed at its length without knowing the factory specs for this model.

And welcome to the forum. Watch your wallet. If you hang out here you will soon feel a burning desire to add more S&Ws to your collection.

 

[Jim R]

Someone will be here shortly to help you out. I picked up a S&W 32 HE Third Model 32 S&W Long 3 1/4" barrel a few weeks ago with the serial number 4286xx and was told that it was built between 1924 and 1927. Your's will be a little early than that.

I was able to pick up ammo from Midway USA and now we have had it out to the range a couple of times.

If you need a holster PM me I found a guy that does a pretty good job and he is priced right.

Nice find


Jim R

 

[blackpowder30]

The photo and serial number confirm that you do have a S&W 32 HE Third Model. According to the Standard Catolog of Smith&Wesson they were manufactured from 1917-1942. The serial numbers started with 263001 and went to 536684. You might get some help from other forum folks as to the approximate date of manufacture.

 

[delta-419]

32

Very nice Smith. Welcome to the forum. These are great shooters and offer less recoil then the N frames. You will have a lot of fun with this one, reloading is very economical with the .32, enjoy!

 

[HeyJoe]

Someone will be here shortly to help you out. I picked up a S&W 32 HE Third Model 32 S&W Long 3 1/4" barrel a few weeks ago with the serial number 4286xx and was told that it was built between 1924 and 1927. Your will be a little early than that.

I was able to pick up ammo from Midway USA and now we have had it out to the range a couple of times.

If you need a holster PM me I found a guy that does a pretty good job and he is priced right.

Nice find


Jim R

holsters for i frames? im looking for one for a 2" 32 HE

 

[H Richard]

There is plenty of 32 Long available and you will be amazed by the accuracy of these little pocket guns. You will find they tend to accumulate.

 

[Muley Gil]

holsters for i frames? im looking for one for a 2" 32 HE

A holster for a 2" J frame Chief's Special will work and shouldn't be hard to find. Check eBay.

 

[lorrinl]

Thanks for all the info and advice. I am amazed at all the knowledge and information on this forum.


Lorrin

 

[rburg]

Because of the questions you're asking, I assume you're new to the caliber. Many of us here reload/handload. We save our old brass, put in new primers, powder and bullets and go shooting. You don't really save much because you shoot a bunch more.

When I was a kid, we shot my pellet pistol in the basement. My mother hated it and it drove my poor father crazy because he not only supported the activity, he wanted in the worst way to be a part of it. Finally it got the best of him over a few months. So he came downstairs and joined in. Except he brought along his .32 revolver. It was a Regulation Police model.

He had a half dozen long since fired empty shells. We drove the old primers out with a punch, then installed new ones with a mallet and a different punch (it wouldn't enter the flash hole). The the first few nights of shooting we used a scale to measure out 1 grain of bullseye powder. The bullets of the time were from an old bag of O buck shot. Had I known then what I know now, I'd have scrounged a .32 cal round ball mold. Either will work. You just press the ball into the case mouth until it won't fall out. We got good at reloading, and over time our great wealth allowed us to find more empties to crank into the process. A pound of Bullesye cost a few dollars back in the 1950s, and there are 7000 grains to the pound. Primers were cheap, maybe 50 cents per tray of 100.

Until my mother figured out what we were doing, we sure had a lot of fun. And as most fun, no one got hurt. But the anti - gun forces (my mother) killed all the fun.

Anyone with a .32 can employ that method, or go first class and look for a .32 S&W Lee loader and go to town. Cost is low and as long as you don't think its a magnum or accurate out to long distances, like 25 yards. At short ranges, like 10 yards for practice, its really cheap to fire.