Help to id and more?

[Doug M.]

I am 99% sure that the barrel is well over 4 1/4 inches, more likely 6. Measure from the front of the cylinder to the end.

Maintenance and stuff: If you are at all unsure or don't have the right tools, pay someone to do the work. My guess is that with the extractor rod issue (which is not unknown and S&W did eventually change the direction of the threads) that there might be other stuff wrong. I am not into the older guns of that nature, but I am going to bet that the innards are a bit gooey and could stand a decent cleaning.

 

[BC38]

With the mushroom style knob on the ejector rod, I would think that if you have strong hands you should be able to tighten the ejector rod with your fingers - no pliers needed. Based on it's age, it should have right-hand threads, shouldn't it?

 

[curleyjoe]

barrel is 4 1/4 inches. im not too smart but i can read a tape. cant get it to budge going righty tighty? think ill take the grips off and hose it down with gun scrubber then lube and let it soak a bit, then blow it out and see how that works. seems that has worked for a few people. its kinda weird that it loosened up that much and then got so gummed up that it wont turn back? Ill be back soon with good news! RED

 

[steelslaver]

The lug under the barrel may also be gummed up. Once the grips are off I would spray everything down with brake cleaner while cycling the action

 

[steelslaver]

I would not be surprised to find the center pin, the barrel lug, the bolt which the thumb piece operates as well as every other moving part, all seriously inhibited in their movements by 100 year old oil that has hardened into something similar to shellac.

If you don't know how to remove the side plate and actually clean it a couple days of soaking in a mixture of equal parts acetone, kerosene and automatic transmission fluid are highly recommended.

My brother picked up an old sporterized Springfield -06 that had a horrible trigger. I ended up scrapping varnish out of the trigger mechanism with a dental pick. Once clean it had a good trigger.

 

[Hondo44]

1. You have .32 Reg Police as posted above with 4 1/4” barrel made in the 1920s. It has an anomaly we’ve seen on occasion from the factory: the frame was serial numbered on the bottom of the butt of the frame to be built as a .32 Hand Ejector model which has a round butt that doesn’t cover the bottom of the grip frame. However to fill an order for an RP model, it was pulled from inventory before completion, the back of the grip frame was machined for the square butt RP grips it currently has. Therefore it did not get the serial number stamped on the front grip strap in the customary location for an RP Model.

2. Soak the extractor rod locking bolt with a gun cleaner sprayed liberally and also aimed at the front of the cylinder where the rod enters, and under thumb piece that releases the cylinder.

Pull the hammer far enough back to release the cylinder lock and slip a piece of paper under the cylinder to hold the cylinder lock down and release the hammer. A thin credit card also works well.

Grasp the extractor rod knob between thumb and forefinger with left hand. With right hand turn the cylinder clockwise (the normal direction of rotation) to tighten the rod which will make it shorter and able to open. If it doesn’t turn/tighten spray and let it soak.

 

[4K2022]

Hey guys, just a thought, in my second pic should that plunger thats in the lug at the bottom of the barrel be protruding out like that?

NO and that’s the problem, the good news is it only looks that way because the e’rod (might) have loosened


The center pin inside the extractor rod has to be the same length as the extractor rod,,, when properly tightened. Maybe you can try pulling the forward locking pin, out towards the muzzle and gain enough movement to release it from the inside of the extractor.

Might need a third hand, cylinder stop down, thumb piece forward and pull the pin simultaneously
And let gravity be your friend

 

[curleyjoe]

OK GUYS! I Got it with a little ingenuity but mostly a hair dryer! heated it up at the lug and cylinder latch area while working the action and it popped right open! Nothing was loose just seriously gunked up, mainly the pin and spring in the lug. I fiqured if it can harden then it would melt?She is now smooth as butter! so put a hair dryer in your toolbox and dont tell nobody who you got that from! And thanks for all the help from everyone. Finally, me thinking *** backwards worked out for me. RED