Identify/date/black powder only?
- Thread starter SKIPH
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Welcome - the only hammerless 32 S&W made was the Safety Hammerless revolver. These were made fropm 1888 to 1937, with almost a half-million manufactured. Your revolver is a 32 Safety, Second Model, made around 1903. It is a modern firearm as classified by the BATF and will safely shoot modern 32 S&W ammo. Actually, this model changed little from its introduction and all examples in good mechanical condition will handle any currently made standard 32 S&W ammo.
Forgot one issue - as far as I know, all S&W Safety Hammerless revolvers had a mainspring strain screw in front of the butt-frame. Check that location to make sure it is not there. If not, it is a foreign copy.
Forgot one issue - as far as I know, all S&W Safety Hammerless revolvers had a mainspring strain screw in front of the butt-frame. Check that location to make sure it is not there. If not, it is a foreign copy.
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Thanks Gary for the speedy reply. I was hoping to take it out plunking today. It doesn't have a strain screw in the front butt frame.
There is no "safety" on the revolver. It is a totally blued piece, 5 shot, has a "494" on the magazine. Anything else I can give to nail this down?
There is no "safety" on the revolver. It is a totally blued piece, 5 shot, has a "494" on the magazine. Anything else I can give to nail this down?
deadin
US Veteran
Post some pictures.......
I don't think it is a S&W. DON'T SHOOT IT WITH SMOKELESS POWDER!
SkipD1
Member
A photograph would help, of course.
The S&W Safety Hammerless revolvers have a grip safety on the rear of the grip frame. It's almost the full length of the grip. Without squeezing the grip safety, the trigger cannot be pulled to rotate the cylinder (what you're calling a "magazine"?) and cycle the hammer.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Howdy
This is a nickel plated S&W 32 caliber Safety Hammerless revolver. You can see the grip safety at the rear of the grip. It has to be squeezed to operate the revolver. You can see the intertwined S&W insignia on the grips. You can also see the strain screw at the front of the grip. If you look closely you will see the caliber marking on the barrel is 32 S&W CTG. CTG stands for cartridge, it is not a model name for the firearm. If your pistol does not look like this it may not be a Smith and Wesson product. Many brands of revolvers were made that fired the 32 S&W cartridge.
This is a nickel plated S&W 32 caliber Safety Hammerless revolver. You can see the grip safety at the rear of the grip. It has to be squeezed to operate the revolver. You can see the intertwined S&W insignia on the grips. You can also see the strain screw at the front of the grip. If you look closely you will see the caliber marking on the barrel is 32 S&W CTG. CTG stands for cartridge, it is not a model name for the firearm. If your pistol does not look like this it may not be a Smith and Wesson product. Many brands of revolvers were made that fired the 32 S&W cartridge.
Definitely not the one with the safety grip on the back edge of the grip.
Has the name engraved on the top of the barrel, Harrington & Richardson Arms Company, Worcester, Mass. USA pat. Apr2 '95 Apr. 7 '96. Will try and get a picture off tomorrow morning.
Has the name engraved on the top of the barrel, Harrington & Richardson Arms Company, Worcester, Mass. USA pat. Apr2 '95 Apr. 7 '96. Will try and get a picture off tomorrow morning.
Jim Watson
Member
That is what we call a "clue." Been nice to have had such information in the OP.
H&R made inexpensive revolvers for a long time. Value is not great unless in pristine condition. There are some ways to approximate the age if you give ALL information and show close clear pictures.
H&R made inexpensive revolvers for a long time. Value is not great unless in pristine condition. There are some ways to approximate the age if you give ALL information and show close clear pictures.
H&R produced S&W top break knockoffs from the late 1800's into the 1940's. Their quality was not up to S&W standards. I've read that if the caliber is stamped on the barrel, smokeless cartridges are safe to shoot in their old guns. But, before I'd shoot anything, I'd make sure there is nothing wrong with the gun...timing, trigger break, lock-up, etc...before I shot it. It chambers the .32 S&W cartridge...not the .32 S&W Long. They can be hard to find these days.
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
H&R topbreaks are some of the better quality low-price S&W competitors out there. They as well as Iver Johnson started producing pocket .32 and .38 topbreaks about the same time as S&W, so I don't know how much "knocking off" was involved.
They have lots of variations and their own fan community. If you want to get more specialized info on yours, register over at "The Firearms Forum" and post pictures, with all inscriptions visible and numbers readable, in the "Ask the Pros and What's it worth" section. That's where I got the info on non-S&W/Colt collectibles like Iver J., H&R, Hopkins&Allen, Forehand and such.
They have lots of variations and their own fan community. If you want to get more specialized info on yours, register over at "The Firearms Forum" and post pictures, with all inscriptions visible and numbers readable, in the "Ask the Pros and What's it worth" section. That's where I got the info on non-S&W/Colt collectibles like Iver J., H&R, Hopkins&Allen, Forehand and such.
I'm a newbie at all this, excuse my misinformation, please. I thank you one and all for beginning to unravel the mystery of my Dad's old revolver. I'll take things over to the "Firearms Forum" and see what I find. Thanks again!
Posting photos are a great help in identifying what you have. I agree with Absalom that H&R revolvers are good quality revolvers and, if functioning OK, it will handle 32 S&W just fine. That revolver is considered modern by the BATF, since it was made after 1898. Serial numbers over 100,000 were made starting in 1913, so would have been made to handle smokeless powder loads by that time.
DWalt
Member
Actually, factory smokeless powder handgun cartridges were available from the mid 1890s, alongside black powder loadings. The 1895 UMC price list shows both .32 S&W and .38 S&W cartridges (among others) as being offered in smokeless powder loadings. I suspect that many of what we consider "Black Powder" revolvers have never fired anything but smokeless powder cartridges for most or all of their existence. And I doubt that there were any metallurgical or design changes made to these guns when smokeless powder came on the scene.
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