My Newest Old Geezer

[Speedo2]

Finally got this off of the lay-away shelf at my pusher's last week and thought that I'd post it for comments. The grips are a work in progress; Westinghouse micarta with post-war medallions; my first attempt. Info on the gun: 6" nickle .32 Safety Hammerless 3rd (?); sn 174775; pinned front sight; nickle is about 85-90%; bore is dark. I'm not looking for value, I already know that I paid too much ($450); mostly just fishing for comments on the grips. Along side of it is another, more common .32 Safety Hammerless 2nd; 3-1/4", blue; sn 128467. -S2

Along with some of it's geezer relatives:

 

[Raider]

Your Westinghouse Micarta grips look good for a first effort. I understand that the material is hard to work. Keep going - the first ones are hardest. That is one loong barreled hammerless! Have you shot it yet?

Charlie

 

[gunlovingirl]

VERY nice collection!!!

 

[Jebus35745]

Nice gun you bought, are you gonna shoot it? The second model single shot looks sweet. Out of curiosity, was it expensive? Is it accurate? Larry

 

[Speedo2]

Thanks, Misty.

Jebus, I fully intend to shoot the Safety Hammerless. The single shot is actually a 1st model, but it's without recoil shields; I think that somebody took them off sometime in it's sordid past. I picked it up at the OGCA around 10 years ago, when it was still up at the Cleveland IX center. It's also got a non-OEM front sight (looks like half a dime that somebody filed down), so it was cheap. But it is accurate; much more so than I am with its tiny, tiny sights. -S2

 

[Jebus35745]

S-2, wow do I miss the OGCA at the IX. I live abt 15 min from the IX, the good old days. I thought it was good at Milan but dropped out when it went south. Too far! Lets say at 25 yds, what inch groups do you get? Thats cool, I hope to own a 22nd or 3rd model. Larry

 

[Speedo2]

J, its been around 5 years since I last exercised that 22 single shot, but as I recall, it grouped at around 2-1/2" off hand at 25 yds, indoors; a little better than I could do with a k22, but not a good as with an M41. I'm just itching to try out that Safety Hammerless, and I'm off work this week, so I'll try to do a range report on both by the end of the week. -S2

 

[cflier]

Hello Speedo,
I wouldn't say that you overpayed for the 6 inch 32 Safety. That barrel length is quite a bit more scarce than the 2 inch model even though most of the blue books don't seem to know it. You will find far fewer of them avaiable today than other barrel lengths. It is definitely a 3rd model even with the pinned front sight. With the short and long barrel safeties the sight was often pinned well into the model run. The long barreled 32 Safeties didn't sell as well as the standard lengths. You will find many of the 2 inch guns sights pinned toward the end of the 3rd model run also. They probably found it easier to cut a longer barrel down and pin the sight than to forge new ones. Toward the end the 32 Safety wasn't selling well and I suspect that they were using up as many of their supplies as possible. Thanks for showing us.
Mark

 

[Crazy K38]

those grips look nice great collection by the way

 

[Modelof1891]

Speedo2,
Thanks for posting those nice old models. I like the long barrel Safety Hammerless and the first model single shot. I am keeping a data base on these single shots, if you don't mind, and would like the serial number of yours. You can email it to me if you will. Thanks !

 

[singleshot1891]

Boy, I don't think you paid too much for a long barreled lemon squeezer.
Nice find.....

 

[Speedo2]

Almost a Range Report

Well, I searched high and low for some of that .32S&W and came up dry, so no range report on my new Safety Hammerless. However, being in a photogenic sort of mindset, I took a couple of my 22-geezers out today and can report the following: My eyesight is getting pretty bad. Here's the sad outcome:

First the set-up: Beaver Valley Rifle Club; target at 25 yds

Man, that little black dot sure looks further off than I remember it (...and fuzzier, too):

22 Single Shot results (10 rds ...with its tiny sight picture, I'm not too unhappy with it):

So, I thought I'd step it up a notch; broke out an old K22 (10 rds, 25 yds):

(...hmmm, I thought it would do a bit better than that)

Time to "calibrate" myself; brought out the red-dotted M41 (10 rds, 25 yds):

(...accuracy, thy name be M41)

So, it was onto the 50 yard line and a long gun, but still an old one; a Win 1885 Low Wall:

(....damn, that's even harder to see)

Low Wall results (10 rds, 50 yds):

(..yikes!)

Just to make myself feel better, I resorted to an el-cheapo Biathlon w/ Federal bulk ammo (25 rds, 50 yds):

Redemption on a budget.

I also trotted out a Win-51D. I used to be able to shoot groups the size of dimes at 50 yds with it, but today, alas, its trigger decided to crap out; for some reason it wanted to be a 10 lb pull rather than 2 lbs. I wasn't gonna show off my dismal results from that one, but changed my mind; its a nice gun and maybe somebody can offer some advice. Suffice it to say that it (the Win 52) and me are going in for check-ups.

(I got disgusted and gave up after 15 rds)

Anyways, that's my range report. Despite the crappy results, it was a good day. -S2

 

[Jebus35745]

S2, sure looks like you had fun. You have some nice guns. The low wall stands out with the .22 outdoorsman and the Win 52. Are you sure thats the best you can do with the single shot? Actually thats not bad at 25 yds! Is that range in Ohio? The club in Astabula I belong to has a 600 yd range on it. Lookin foreward to Sat at Berea, Larry

 

[Speedo2]

Thanks Larry. I did have fun. Actually, I'm happy to get that low-wall on the paper; I need to get an aperture sight for it one of these days. The W-52 was a real disappointment. As said, I used to be pretty good with it, but it wasn't cooperating today. I had the stock re-finished last year; haven't shot it since. Obviously something didn't go back together quite right. Oh well, I'll get it sorted out someday. I hope that you enjoy Berea; sorry that I have to miss it next week. -S2

 

[Jebus35745]

4 more days. Larry

 

[da gimp]

Speedo, you are both a v lucky & cruel man,

my wife hasn't let me near a gunshop by myself,in a LONG, LONG time. Passed up a near mint Win 52 for $1100 a while back. & am regretting it.

Ty for the great pix, and I shouldn't complain too much on her, @ the last auction we picked up 5 nice antiques, both S&W's & a Rem Elliot zigzag.


be safe, enjoy life

da gimp

OFC, Mo. Chapter

NRA Life Endowment

 

[Vulcan Bob]

You wanted an opinion of the grips, well I'll give you one. They look great! That looked like a great day at the range.

 

[Jebus35745]

The single shot in the pics is now mine. Thanks Mike. Larry

 

[bkp3gen]

Very nice grips...

 

[Cyrano]

Speedo2: I have one of those Izmash 22s. It's a tack driver. I hung a 10X scope on it and with CCI green Box ammo it will shoot groups like yours, but at 100 yds. I don't know about yours, but mine's a keeper. Interesting action, too; looks like a Luger turned on its side.