Let's see your "I" frames!

[bracebeemer]

A .22/.32 Heavy Frame Target, shipped to Phillip F. Stephens,Rochester Gas & Electric Co.,Engineering Dept., Rochester N.Y. Shipped on July 25th,1927. It letters with a Call gold bead front sight and a large square notch rear sight. You can really get a good sight picture compared to the earlier tiny bead front and small U shaped rear sight. Times sure have changed.Imagine having your new gun shipped to your work place ("Hey fellas, come over here and look at my new gun.") Serial # 458494.
Bill

 

[sarg1c]

Great looking revolvers guys, how many have a star by the serial numbers with the date stamped inside the frame on the left side. Mine is stamped 9.15.I believe it was when fitted with pearl grips. I'll get a pic on here soon. Mine is a .32S/W long. 1903.

 

[bracebeemer]

A couple of .38/.32 Terriers. Nickel is serial #69832 and blue is #69534.
Bill

 

[Hondo44]

bracebeemer, what a great pair! And the exact same early versions with round sights of the Improved I frame. Probably both shipped the same month, April 1953.

 

[HeyJoe]

32 Hand Ejector 535666

 

[HeyJoe]

The other side of 32 HE 535666

 

[JSR III]

Bill, thanks for adding the serial number so I may add it to the database. Just to again show the way S&W shipped out of serial sequence, here are all of the .22/32 HFT's that I have in my database beginning with 458. They did all ship in 1927, but all over the place.

458197 5-9-1927
458216 3-11-1927
458294 10-31-1927
458298 3-18-1927
458370 6-7-1927
458408 10-1-1927

Yours 458494 7-25-1927

458497 9-16-1927
458529 6-16-1927

 

[bracebeemer]

A Smith & Wesson .32 Regulation Police Target. Shipped to the H & D Folsom Co., New York City on April 12, 1921. Serial # 337379.

 

[Hondo44]

Absolutely gorgeous. I notice it has an even different front sight from all of your other target models. Looks like one of my triple Lock targets:

Do any of your targets have this super fine checkering treatment on the rear sight like this TL?

 

[Hondo44]

Bill, thanks for adding the serial number so I may add it to the database. Just to again show the way S&W shipped out of serial sequence, here are all of the .22/32 HFT's that I have in my database beginning with 458. They did all ship in 1927, but all over the place.

I have # 458XXX in my database shipped in 1925!?!?

 

[Hondo44]

The other side of 32 HE 535666

Hey Joe,

That's a prize! A very nice and elusive Transistional 6 screw with very early features:

Pre war war rd top svc grips with pre war flat silver medallions.
Double pinch thumb latch.

Is it a pre war double pinch latch with relieved thumb pad?

(photo by JP@AK):

Or the 2nd style used post war, (first 'new design' post war style thumb piece), still has the double 'pinch' but without relief cuts under checkered pad?

 

[JSR III]

I have # 486XXX in my database shipped in 1925!?!?

Jim, is that a .22/32 HFT? I don't have any .22/32 HFT's in my database with 486 as the first three digits. I have examples starting with 472, 482, 483, 484, 488, 492 and 495.

 

[Hondo44]

Sorry James, it was a typo, I meant 458XXX.

 

[JSR III]

Sorry James, it was a typo, I meant 458XXX.

Jim, still a mystery. All of my 458 serials shipped in 1927 and I have to drop down into the 420's to find a 1925 shipping date?????

 

[bracebeemer]

This is one of the 196 pre- war target I frames fitted with post war barrel,stocks, and small parts and assembled in 1957.This particular gun, serial # 557312 was in the last group shipped on April 30th, 1958. This is my .32 Kit Gun!
Bill

 

[Green Frog]

This is one of the 196 pre- war target I frames fitted with post war barrel,stocks, and small parts and assembled in 1957.This particular gun, serial # 557312 was in the last group shipped on April 30th, 1958. This is my .32 Kit Gun!
Bill

Once again we need a button beside the "LIKE" button that says, "LUST!" This gun is on so many people's "Grail List" I'll probably never even get to see one sold!

Froggie

 

[Hondo44]

Jim, still a mystery. All of my 458 serials shipped in 1927 and I have to drop down into the 420's to find a 1925 shipping date?????

Yes seemingly a mystery, but not unprecedented.

 

[Hondo44]

This is one of the 196 pre- war target I frames fitted with post war barrel,stocks, and small parts and assembled in 1957.This particular gun, serial # 557312 was in the last group shipped on April 30th, 1958. This is my .32 Kit Gun!
Bill

Bill, another screamer. These are genuine anachronisms! Is it possible that serial # may be 657312?

".32 Reg. Police Target Post War Transitional" 'I' frame, 4" barrel, 6 screw, non-Model #'d with small trigger guard and leaf mainspring (pre Improved 'I' frame). This model still has the smaller pre war frame window size and cylinder diameter of 1.267", with post war non- chamfered flute corners.

Frame serial # 657298 stamped on front grip strap above the strain screw matching all other #'d parts including stocks, 9 locations in all, including rear sight and both front and rear sight blades. Rear sight has single elevation screw, no check screw.

Pre war/early post war rebated rear grip strap with post war type 16 lpi checkering, round cornered border on round top stocks with curved nickel plated brass post war medallions. The pre war sights are obvious, supplied w/special modified post war blue all steel sight adjusting tool (SAT) to fit tiny sight screws. Pre war/early post war hammer with sliding bar hammer block safety, post war grooved trigger, and 3rd type post war (and post 1966 after I frames became J frames) non-sculpted thumb piece, while all other I frames of the period still had the third type flat latch.

Most features totally out of character with the non-target Pre Model 31 guns of the 1957 period! But it has the 3rd and last style straight ejector rod with left hand thread, no patent dates on barrel and 4 line address. A very convoluted transition model for sure. Brief details of these 196 guns are on page 128, 3rd edition, Standard Catalog of S&W, Supica and Nahas, pictured pg. 127.

The tiny steel/nickeled pre war SAT shown was mot issued with this model of course, but is correct for pre war sights.

This is the correct SAT, also unique, that this model was supplied with:

Photo by 410bore

 

[Hondo44]

Here's a pure post war version of the above gun that S&W should have made.

This is a favorite .32 shooter, a non-factory target model, my homemade .32 'Kit Gun', 4" J frame Model 30-1, 788296, 1966 vintage. Target features added: adj rear sight, ramped front sight w/sight base, hammer, trigger, and modified post war factory I/J frame target stocks. Changed the flat cyl latch to a pre war "double pinch" latch. I also reamed a spare cyl to 32 H&R Mag for it.

 

[HeyJoe]

Hey Joe,

That's a prize! A very nice and elusive Transistional 6 screw with very early features:

Pre war war rd top svc grips with pre war flat silver medallions.
Double pinch thumb latch.

Is it a pre war double pinch latch with relieved thumb pad?

(photo by JP@AK):

Or the 2nd style used post war, (first 'new design' post war style thumb piece), still has the double 'pinch' but without relief cuts under checkered pad?

I just looked at it. It is the double pinch latch with relieved thumb pad. I dont see any hammer block. I have a Terrier to compare it to, SN 54891 which has the double pinch thumb pad without relief cuts. It also has a plainly visible hammer block.

 

[bracebeemer]

Jim, you are absolutely right about the serial #. I was looking at a slightly blurred picture of the serial number and misread the first digit as a 5 instead of a 6. I love your "homemade" .32 Kit Gun!
Bill

 

[bracebeemer]

A transitional I Frame that wasn't shipped until April 21st, 1950. It went to Klein Sporting Goods, Chicago IL. It's a .32,fixed sight,round butt hand ejector with a pre war patent date barrel,LERK,pre war round butt style stocks,pre war hammer and trigger. It has a post war hammer block safety,cylinder release, and 4 line address! These type guns were not flying off dealer shelf's back in the day.Serial # 521201
Bill

 

[bracebeemer]

Still showing the rest of my I-Frames. You asked to see them so I'm obliging you. This is a Model 1903 hand ejector fifth change,shipped to W.K.Tryon Co. of Philadelphia in 1917. Serial #256905.
Bill

 

[glowe]

I was oiling up my guns the other day and had these out of the safe, so lined them up and took a picture for this thread. I thought it was about time to join the I frame posting. Interesting to note the wide variety of offerings for the early I frames. I will let you guys do the identifications.

 

[Hondo44]

A transitional I Frame that wasn't shipped until April 21st, 1950. It went to Klein Sporting Goods, Chicago IL. It's a .32,fixed sight,round butt hand ejector with a pre war patent date barrel,LERK,pre war round butt style stocks,pre war hammer and trigger. It has a post war hammer block safety,cylinder release, and 4 line address! These type guns were not flying off dealer shelf's back in the day.Serial # 521201
Bill

I love these pre war-post war hybrids. Usually completed before the war, in inventory, and then updated w/sliding bar hammer block safety to get some small frames on dealer shelves post war; per Roy Jinks. Extra cool with scarce 6" barrel.

 

[Hondo44]

Still showing the rest of my I-Frames. You asked to see them so I'm obliging you. This is a Model 1903 hand ejector fifth change,shipped to W.K.Tryon Co. of Philadelphia in 1917. Serial #256905.
Bill

Another screamer!

The big question: Regulation Police or Hand Ejector - does it have a rebated grip frame under the extended 2 screw target stocks?

 

[bracebeemer]

Jim, I know it's close to the intro of the Regulation Police, but this is a .32 hand ejector. No rebated frame and serial # on butt.
Bill

 

[Hondo44]

Bill,

Thx, I had to ask! I'm always thinking about anomalies. We all know with S&W, the main rule is, there are no rules.

 

[Hondo44]

I was oiling up my guns the other day and had these out of the safe, so lined them up and took a picture for this thread. I thought it was about time to join the I frame posting. Interesting to note the wide variety of offerings for the early I frames. I will let you guys do the identifications.

Gary,

That's a very nice eclectic group! I strained my neck looking at the upside down models, but well worth it!

 

[bracebeemer]

I think this is my last I-Frame . It's a model of 1953 Improved I-Frame shipped in 1954 to Sutcliffe Hardware in Louisville,Ky.I love 2" target guns!
Bill