Here she is!!! .32 M&P home to stay

[JP@AK]

In February, I told you guys about a .32 Military & Police revolver I had found. Today I was able to bring her home to join my collection of S prefix M&P revolvers from the 1940s.

This revolver shipped to Sloan's Sporting Goods Company, NY, NY, on April 21, 1948. It has a 5" barrel and is in 99% condition with original numbered stocks. There is no discernible turn line on the cylinder and the case colors on the hammer and trigger are still bright. It came with a gold box, but the number on the bottom does not match. It also came with a set of tools. However, the brush and mop have silver colored bolsters, so I know they are not original. The VOX paper in the box is, however, period correct.

Included in the deal is a letter from Roy to the previous owner, dated March 16, 1990.

Needless to say, I am thrilled to have this scarce revolver in my collection!

 

[Hondo44]

Congrats!

Seldom seen and in such nice condition.

 

[VM]

Very cool Jack, thanks for sharing!

 

[OLDSTER]

What a find !!

 

[brick]

Way to go. I like my 4" version a lot.

 

[Bob L]

Very, very nice looking revolver Jack!! I like that!

 

[JP@AK]

Way to go. I like my 4" version a lot.

So is yours from the Sloan's shipment in April? Most, but not all, of those had 5" barrels.

There is another group of about 500 of them in the S975xxx serial range. Those were of various barrel lengths - 2", 4" and 5".

I don't believe I have yours in my database, but I'd like to add it. If you don't care to post info here, could you please send me a PM with the serial number, barrel length, stock style, etc.

Thanks.

 

[Green Frog]

What is it about post-War Alaska that attracted so many neat, but unusual guns... or did you have to go afield to get that one? So many highly desirable guns seem to show up in AK (with a bunch in your hands, I might add!) Congratulations on a great snag. I probably don't have to remind you that this in one of the Smiths I would most like to acquire myself!

Froggie

 

[JP@AK]

I probably don't have to remind you that this is one of the Smiths I would most like to acquire myself!

Froggie

Tell you what. If I find another, I'll let you know ASAP. How's that for spreading the wealth around?

As for them showing up here in Alaska, I wonder about that sometimes myself. Perhaps it is because there are just so many people up here who love guns. And many guys did bring their stash with them when they moved to Alaska. I only own a couple that actually letter as shipping to Alaska.

Of the many S prefix M&Ps that I have, most of them have been purchased from guys who don't live here. This one came up with a guy who was born here but spent most of his life elsewhere. His dad acquired this one in the late 1980s, while living Outside. After his dad died, he moved back up here, bringing his dad's collection along. He has a few others that I'd like to buy, but my gun-buying cash supply is low now, after this purchase.

Interestingly, my two favorite S prefix M&P revolvers were both bought locally. One is the subject of this thread. The other is this one:

 

[shouldazagged]

Those are two beautiful revolvers, but the .32 is one for which I would mortgage a kidney.

 

[gman51]

It amazes me to see antique handguns in as new condition.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Congratulations Jack.

That is a true beauty.

I'll bet that puts a BIG smile on your face.

Savor it.

 

[moosedog]

I'm glad you were able to get that one. She's a beauty.

 

[RKmesa]

Jack:

A .32 M&P - Exactly what you need up there in the great white north when hunting moose and brown bear.

Seriously - congrats!!!

 

[raljr1]

Man, I am jealous....I thought I had one here the other day, Chris Taylor and I battled out for one off of GB. poor picture, but I called and verified the caliber....won it for $650...couldn't wait for it to arrive. What showed up was a beat up RP. Called the seller and asked them to send me the one in the auction....ooops, turns out those pictures were for a 38 M&P....So, Chris and I are still looking.

Great find, congratulations.

 

[Texas Star]

I wonder who originally bought .32 M&P's?

Policewomen? South Americans? They sometimes like .32's, I think for mild recoil and cheaper ammo?

I'm pretty sure that bad, bad Leroy Brown's .32 gun wasn't an M&P...

Congratulation, Jack. That's a very collectible gun. I'd still prefer to carry a .44 Magnum where you live!

How many .32 M&P's were made?

 

[shawn mccarver]

Jack now has a "thirty two gun in his pocket for fun. . . ."*

*Jim Croce

 

[raljr1]

I wonder who originally bought .32 M&P's?

Policewomen? South Americans? They sometimes like .32's, I think for mild recoil and cheaper ammo?
!

How many .32 M&P's were made?

I read that most of these went to Mexico. Mexican law prohibits citizens from owning guns that shoot "military cartridges," hence 32's and 38's are popular 45s and 9 mm are not. I didn't say it made any sense, it is just the law as I understand it. I was in Mexico last week and wondered if I could find on of these down there...then I thought about how I would get it home and gave the idea up.

I think there were just over 4000 of these made according to SCSW.

 

[JP@AK]

I read that most of these went to Mexico.

There is evidence that many of the group that shipped to Sloan's were destined for south of the border.

Apparently there was also a later run of 2" examples that went to Shanghai, China. Some overruns from that batch were shipped to U.S. distributors. I have recorded one of them that shipped to a distributor in Illinois, in August, 1949. Interestingly, that batch had the high speed hammer, rather than the long action of the earlier examples.

The batch in the S975xxx range had mixed barrel lengths and I do not know the destination of them. That's a piece of datum I plan to pursue.

 

[Green Frog]

If I'm reading SCSW correctly, there were about 1000 more revolvers made in 32 S&W Long M&P configuration than in 32 Masterpiece configuration. Is this correct? If so, they must have overwhelmingly been shipped overseas (or at least "South of the Border") because as rare as the K-32 is, they seem a lot more easy to find than the 32 M&P. I wonder why we didn't get a big batch of them back here in the early '80s when the Mexican government rounded up almost every gun in the country and sent them up here? I got quite a few goodies from Odin International in Alexandria, VA in that deal, but never heard of any 32 M&Ps. Maybe I just didn't know to look for them.

Regardless, the 4" M&P in 32 S&W Long would make a Jim Dandy "woods walking" gun in Virginia... we don't have any Kodiak Bears here, and our little Black Bears scare easier!

Froggie