Identification help on nickel plated pearl grip swing out

[AKBean]

I acquired this little revolver recently and am curious about its age and history. (I'm a huge history buff.) Wondering if it would be worth refurbishing and if $300 was too much to pay for it.
It has five screws including the screw at the front of the trigger guard.
It has a four-inch barrel measured from the end of the cylinder.
No model number on the yoke, only assembly numbers.
I'm a 5'6" tall, medium-framed female and the grip is small even for me.
The serial number has a star after it, which I though was interesting.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
- Amy

 

[AKBean]

More Pictures

Here are a few more photos.

 

[Jim Watson]

You show a .32 Hand Ejector 5th Change as made 1910-1917.
The star shows it has been back to the company for repair or refinishing.

Plating looks a little rough, but the medallion pearl grips are a plus.

I have seen pictures of guns with flaws in the plating cleaned up to be less obvious. I would not take "refurbishing" any further than that. The price of a good refinish would be more than you paid for the gun, the cost of a real restoration to new appearance would be stunning.

 

[s&wchad]

Welcome aboard!

You have a .32 Hand Ejector that probably shipped around 1912. It was built on the I frame. The mother of pearl (MOP) stocks are factory (a nice option) and the "star" (*) indicates it went back to the factory for rework or refinish.

Leave the nickel alone and be VERY careful with the stocks/grips. They're quite fragile and easy to break. You did fine at $300!

Edit:
Jim beat me to it!

 

[AKBean]

Thanks! I was guessing a manufacture date in the 1920s or 1930s. The earlier date is great!

 

[OutAtTheEdge]

Hi Amy. You asked about history and mentioned being a huge history buff. If you go to the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation forum you'll find information on obtaining a letter of authenticity, which will give you details about the gun model, as well as information about where and when your gun was shipped. For $100, it is well worth it.

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello Amy, welcome and I see you are new. First off, promise no steel wool or sand paper. Just take our good advice. For now just an oily rag and elbow grease . Leave the grips as they are. For now. Mike

 

[AKBean]

I will definitely check that out. I was wondering if S&W kept any documents like that. Thanks!

 

[AKBean]

Nooooo I would never take steel wool or sandpaper to anything nickel plated.

 

[glowe]

Welcome! I would have to say that those stocks need to come off soon. The red you see in the mother-of-pearl is rust from the frame. MOP comes from a mullusk that lived in salt water, and the pearl material contains salt, which corrodes steel and continue to do so until the issue is addressed. If you know a good gunsmith, take the gun to have the stocks removed and the steel butt-frame cleaned. Wax or a liquid lubricant is a good rust preventative.

If not, you can use a single edged razor blade to slide between the stock and the frame. Remove the stock screw and simply tap the blade through the rust. Move the blade all the way around the frame until the stock is loose. There is a small pin at the bottom of the frame that holds the stock in place, so best to remove the stocks starting at the bottom of the frame. Do not pry on them since, as noted above, they are very brittle. Always seek assistance or check back in to the Forum if any issues come up or questions on how to remove the rust on the frame.

 

[gmborkovic]

Take Gary's advice on the grips. I have seen impatient people try and rush
the removal and crack them or chip them.

 

[Truckman]

Gary gave you excellent advice for removing the grips...Take all the time you need, and welcome to our forums......Ben

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Howdy Amy, and welcome aboard from ol' Wyo.

As an alternative to the razor blade you might consider dental floss
if the grips don't come off after you remove the screw.

For the finish consider Flitz Polish. Do small sections at a time,
focusing on the black spots. Slow and patient as you go. You
probably won't eliminate the black pits, but you'll sure make your
little revolver look better. Follow the polishing with a coat of wax.
I use Renaissance wax because many here recommended it. A
small jar will probably last a lifetime.

Another forum member -- pawngal -- told me to clean the MOP
grips with dish soap and warm water. Works well.

 

[Muley Gil]

Welcome to the Forum.

The good news is that larger stocks can be fitted to your revolver for shooting purposes. Once you remove the pearls, put them away somewhere safe.

Your revolver is an I frame, but J frame stocks will also fit.

 

[JH1951]

Welcome to the Forum, Amy. All of the advice you have been given above is excellent. I don't know of any other resource where such good advice can be found especially in such a short amount of time. If you do decide to retire the grips after you get them off, I think you will be glad that you did. The value of original factory 'pearls' may rival the value of the revolver itself. Replacing them with other I-frame or J-frame grips/stocks is a good idea. Just make sure that you get a set of 'early' J-frame stocks. During the early 1950's the J-frame grip was lengthened by about 1/8 inch, and the newer longer stocks will not fit your needs.

 

[AKBean]

Thanks. I already have Flitz and Renaissance wax here at the house. Everyone has great advice here. I really appreciate it!

 

[DWalt]

I will definitely check that out. I was wondering if S&W kept any documents like that. Thanks!

It does, but be aware that such information as the letter contains is largely limited to the date it left the factory and to where it was shipped. That will usually be to some S&W distributor, hardware store, etc., very seldom to an individual. The MOP grips appear to have the S&W medallions, therefore factory original and somewhat desirable. That information would be in the letter also. As others have suggested, it is not worthwhile or desirable to attempt refinishing it. Please don't. Just clean it up as best you can.

 

[4K2022]

Howdy Amy, and welcome aboard from ol' Wyo.

As an alternative to the razor blade you might consider dental floss
if the grips don't come off after you remove the screw.

For the finish consider Flitz Polish. Do small sections at a time,
focusing on the black spots. Slow and patient as you go. You
probably won't eliminate the black pits, but you'll sure make your
little revolver look better. Follow the polishing with a coat of wax.
I use Renaissance wax because many here recommended it. A
small jar will probably last a lifetime.

Another forum member -- pawngal -- told me to clean the MOP
grips with dish soap and warm water. Works well.

Dental floss!!! what a great idea!!
I like the pearls with gold ,,, but wood has my heart.

Can’t wait to try this

 

[Jim Watson]

Agree with DWalt, a letter is usually very generic. It is a lottery ticket to find a gun that went someplace interesting, an individual, a club, a police department, even a prestige dealer.


My Uncle had a .32 like that. He prized it because it had been used to kill a man!!!