Howd I do?

[meistermash]

Pre model 30 4" 53-54 the SCSW says. Tree fiddy out the door. Spotted this one at a LGS on Consignment. Sn 620XXX

It needs a good cleaning.
Unfortunately, nephew and I went out last week and unloaded most all of my 32 long so I'll be needing to load some up.

 

[SilentKnight]

Good find. You did just fine. Enjoy it.

 

[kennicka]

Looks like a great deal to me! I would have jumpedal on it for that price.

 

[steelslaver]

I would have bought that one without any hesitation

 

[Muley Gil]

Nice .32, but it's not a pre M30.

It is a pre M31. It has a square butt.

 

[meistermash]

Ahh well see, I knew posting here would learn me something. So, is there anything special about this pre m31 then? Besides the square butt. One bumear, the grips aren't original. 4 screws.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

I would have bought that one without any hesitation

Me as well. CONGRATS!!

 

[Hondo44]

Congrats, you did pretty well.

Your gun is a .32 Regulation Police built on the New I frame. Ii's nick named a pre Model 31 because it became the Model 31 in mid 1957. It was discontinued in Jan 1961 and reintroduced built on the J frame.

It should have the diamond around the screw hole. The grips on it are post 1969 vintage.

Guns with serial numbers near your 620XXX shipped in 1955. But there's no guarantee because they did not ship in order.

 

[meistermash]

Thank you Sir.
The grips are well into 3,000,000 range or I don't remember how many zeros. Not sure if the side plate has been off of it. It looked dry as heck but not as dirty as I thought it might be. There is one screw I think is a replacement. It went in stiff enough. The recoil shield is a bit puckered where the hammer nose has bulged it out. I may endeavor to fix that. Hard to see the dried grease in this photo. I completely stripped it, cleaned it out and applied my super secret lube. Mobile 1 synthetic left over from an oilchange.

 

[Hondo44]

Yeah a few too many zeros. The numbers started over after 1969 with a preceding letter H so it could only be a 30,000 number from 1971. The letters were not often stamped on the grip.

 

[bananaman]

I like IT!!! Have never shot any .32. Have heard they are fun. Personally, I would not sweat the grips/stocks. You can always change them if you find a good deal. Enjoy it! Bob

 

[BUFF]

I had a Model 31-1 4 inch back in college. One summer, the plant I worked at slowed down and closed for a month, laying us all off. Recession, couldn't find anything else short term. I got caught up on chores, bought 500 rounds of .32 Long brass, fired up my bullet moulds and decided to learn to shoot a J frame well. I put a set of J frame target stocks on it and shot the dickens out of it. I was scrounging wheel weights for bullets and using a smidge of Bullseye, and shooting it was almost as cheap as .22 LR! I got pretty good, for me.

Neat little guns. I sold mine when I got a Model 631 Kit Gun, and immediately regretted it.

Now, a .32 Long Kit Gun was one S&W should have made!

 

[meistermash]

Well and that's what I have going on too.
I have both cast and bought bullets. I think I use 2.2 gr bullseye or I would have to look. I keep the load light because of this other 32 I have which is ugly but shoots well. I normally set steel up at 100' and 25' for handguns but take potshots at the 100' and this old long barrel will hit 2 or 3 out of six. pop wait for it.........pa-ting.
And glad I'm a slob and found a whole baggie of reloads.

 

[BUFF]

My notes say my mould is Lyman 313445, a SWC of about 85 grains that uses a gas check, over 2.2 grains of Bullseye. I didn't add the gas check because of the low velocity, and had no leading with the old, dark green RCBS lube. Felt about like factory ammo but cut a clean hole in the target. Brass lasted forever, I never had a case split or separate. Good gun, good round.

 

[steelslaver]

Now, if you scrounge the lead, a 32 is way cheaper than shooting a 22. The primer is the most expensive part.