Need some info. on .32 revolver

[KarenS]

Hi - I have a .32 revolver with a black hard rubber handle. This belonged to my grandmother - she died in 1987 in her 80's. It hasn't been shot in probably 35 years.

Can you tell me anything about this gun? Year, value, etc.? The serial # is 204907.

Thanks - K

Additionally, on the top of the barrel (which is 2.5" long) it says: Smith & Wesson Springfield Mass. USA Pat'd March 27, 94, Aug 4, 98, Dec. 22, 96, Oct. 6, 01, Dec 17, 01, Feb 8, 06, Sept. 14, 09.

 

[alaskavett]

Karen, can you post photos of this gun? There are a few possibilities on what it might be. Is it a top break or does the cylinder swing out to the left? Kyle

 

[opoefc]

KarenS, Welcome to the Forum. Your S&W is called a Hand ejector model ( cylinder swings out to the left to load) and it is a .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903, 5th change, made approximately 1915.
Post a photo, if possible, and we can tell you more about what you have. Unless it has been cut, your barrel length is probably 3 1/4 in. (Measure from the front ofthe cylinder to the muzzle.) Good Luck, Ed.

 

[tom turner]

Hi Karen,

What a special revolver your late grandmother's is to you . . . and also a very fun little revolver to shoot!!!

If it is in good shape, as it probably is, you should be about to really enjoy shooting it with .32 S&W long ammunition.

Here's mine, from the same time period. Mine has the 1" longer barrel. These wonderful revolvers came either blued or in bright nickel plate. Obviously, mine is nickel. It is a very accurate, and soft-shooting revolver!

You're should look like it, although in the shorter barrel length.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[DCWilson]

Karen, I also welcome you to the forum. Here's a picture of a .32 Hand Ejector I recently acquired that is numbered 214622 -- only 10,000 away from yours. I have confirmed that this is a 1915 gun. As Ed said, yours probably is too, though there is a chance yours might have shipped in late 1914. Sorry about the rose cast to the image. I was shooting on a flat green surface and the camera's color balance software tried to turn it gray.

These guns came with 3.25, 4.25 and 6-inch barrels. The barrel on mine is 4.25". I also have hard rubber grips, but mine have faded to brown from age; I don't think that's the original color.

I had this at the range last week. I shoot low-speed wadcutter rounds in it. It makes for an enjoyable, low-recoil shooting session.

Value will depend on condition. I paid just over $300 for mine and thought it was a fair price for a gun with a good action and about 95% of its original blue left.

 

[KarenS]

Pictures of .32 revolver

The revolver's chamber flips out to the left side to load. The barrel is 3.25" - thanks for helping me measure it.

Hope this info. helps you share more about the gun.

Thanks - Karen

 

[ar15ed]

that is a beauty. they are fine little guns!
ed

 

[DCWilson]

Most of what remains unsaid about your gun is general history. S&W introduced the .32 Hand Ejector (swing-out cylinder) in 1896, then tinkered with the design for the next few years. By 1915 they had the design pretty much where they wanted it, and it stayed that way for decades.

Between the gun's introduction and the onset of WWII, the company made about half a million .32 Hand Ejectors. The small .32 caliber revolver was more popular in the first half of the 20th century than it was after WWII, when law enforcement agencies and popular psychology migrated more to the .38 special cartridge on a slightly larger revolver frame.

I can't quite tell from your photos, but it appears that the finish is very thin or even missing on parts of this revolver. That will hold its value down, but then a family heirloom is rarely valued in terms of its retail potential. I don't see any rust or corrosion, which is good. If the finish is better than I think it is, that gun would be a $300-350 item in most gun stores. If the finish is a little worn but the action is still sound, I might expect to see it sell for $200-250.

Hope this helps.

 

[KarenS]

Thanks for the info.

Wow - so much detailed info. - it adds so much to what i know from the family. The finish is dull but clean. This site is a good service. Thanks again - Karen

 

[tom turner]

We're glad to help. Like with all .32 S&W long revolvers, each is "fussy" about what ammo a particular specimen "likes."

DC's "likes" wadcutters (most probably do too), but mine didn't. On the other hand, mine "likes" lead round nose! Go figure. In any case, pick up a couple of boxes of different stuff and have some real fun with that gun!

Here's what mine did with Fiocchi 97gr. lead round nose recently, shot at 10 yards (from a bench) at little 1" black square targets with 1" round florescent stick-on dot targets attached.

In both cases, five-shot groups measured an inch or less, and nearly dead-on for point of aim.

Low noise and negligible recoil make shooting .32 long ammo about as fun as .22LR!

Here are all four groups from that target, and you'll see that the two groups on top, shot with target wadcutter (also Fiocchi) were not nearly as accurate in my specimen . . .
BTW, the three holes on the left side are the 3-ring notebook paper holes on my homemade black square target sheets. I put a piece of colored paper below the target so you could better see the holes. As you can see too, wadcutter bullets make surgically clean holes, but round nose bullets tear paper and make little holes, even though bullet diameter is the same. Hope this helps . . .

T.

PS: Naturally, check out the revolver and make sure it is still in fine operating condition first. If you don't know how, a local gun shop can do this for you at a very nominal fee.

I recently bought mine and it was as good as new, operationally. The round front sight DOES make one have to be a little more careful with getting perfect sight alignment . . . but these guns can SHOOT . . . even after nearly 100 years!

Treasure . . . and enjoy!

 

[rschoppe]

Terrier One 32 Revolver Sn 003516
Can anyone tell me if this weapon is worth anything, its at an auction not sure what the value is

 

[tom turner]

Terrier One 32 Revolver Sn 003516
Can anyone tell me if this weapon is worth anything, its at an auction not sure what the value is

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

This thread has about run its course, and the chances are high your off-topic question will get buried.

Thus, I'd kindly suggest that you start a new thread in this section and ask for help on that gun in the title of the thread. There are a lot of true experts on this site who will be very glad to help!

Sincerely,

Tom Turner

 

[Boon]

Source for .32 long cartridges?

I have a .32 cal. S&W, 4-1/4" barrel (measured from front of cylinder to muzzle); seven patent dates on barrel range from March 27, 94 to Sept. 14, 09 (inherited it from my grandfather). The nickel coating is pretty badly worn, but the gun is mechanically solid; the best I can gather from your forums is that it's only worth about $200-$250 in that condition, but it's a perfect home firearm for personal protection. My problem is finding ammunition; our local gun shop only had target-shooting "wad-cutters," which I suspect wouldn't have much stopping power for personal protection. I would like to buy a box of standard round-nose cartridges, but they're hard to find. Is there an online source, or does anyone know of a source near Atlanta, GA? Thanks--
--"Boon"

 

[tom turner]

I have a .32 cal. S&W, 4-1/4" barrel (measured from front of cylinder to muzzle); seven patent dates on barrel range from March 27, 94 to Sept. 14, 09 (inherited it from my grandfather). The nickel coating is pretty badly worn, but the gun is mechanically solid; the best I can gather from your forums is that it's only worth about $200-$250 in that condition, but it's a perfect home firearm for personal protection. My problem is finding ammunition; our local gun shop only had target-shooting "wad-cutters," which I suspect wouldn't have much stopping power for personal protection. I would like to buy a box of standard round-nose cartridges, but they're hard to find. Is there an online source, or does anyone know of a source near Atlanta, GA? Thanks--
--"Boon"

Welcome to the forum!

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about wadcutters. They are actually very good self defense rounds, due to the very clean wound channel they make . . . as opposed to the lead round nose type bullets that generally punch a hole that's much easier to close up as the bullet enters the flesh.

I carry wadcutters a lot in my .38 snubbies . . . as well as wadcutters for self defense in my Model 1903 .32 revolver!

Check places like Bass Pro Shops, Cabellas, as well as most decent gun shops in the Atlanta area and I'll bet you'll find several varieties of .32 S&W Long ammo. Ammo supplies are finally freeing up again!

Also, if you'll post a new thread about finding .32 revolver ammo in the Atlanta area, several Georgians from that area are quite liable to see it and answer your question!

I'd post it in this sub-forum AND the 1961-1980 forum too so various folks see your question.

Again, welcome to the forum but warning . . . this place . . . and wanting MORE S&W revolvers becomes a hopeless addiction indeed!!!

Tom

 

[Boon]

Thanks, Tom...

...I'll try all those suggestions.
--Boon

 

[jhvaughan2]

Low noise and negligible recoil make shooting .32 long ammo about as fun as .22LR!

I am sure Mr Turner is more knowledgeable than, but I have to disagree with him on this point.
Shooting .32l is much more fun than .22lr.

Is there an online source, or does anyone know of a source near Atlanta, GA? Thanks--
--"Boon"

Mr. Boon; Call your local gun range. Some stock the 32 long.
I have found the Fiocchi are very good quality. Aguila have been dirty in my .32
A good online source is Georgia Arms a GA company. You can even go to their showroom in Villa Rica.

 

[sunday bill]

Just traded a couple days ago for serial # 2065XX. Its barrel is 3 and an eighth inches, its monogrammed black rubber grips are near new condition, and its blue is about 95% but some rust has spider webbed around on the sideplate (right side)where its small S&W logo is located. I guess this is one of the "few" the SCSW mentions as sporting its logo in this location.

This little 1903-5th Change looks just like the .32 I inherited from my g-great dad, but that gun's serial # (3214XX) indicates its a .32 HE 3rd Model. Its S&W logo is on the left side below the thumb piece, where the SCSW says it should be. Pap carved his initials and 1924 in its right grip panel. Its grips are otherwise identical to the older gun's grips. Its blue shows a lot of wear and its grips are nearly worn slick, all of which is priceless to me as one family member or another put all that wear on there. No excuse for not yet lettering this old Smith.

Both shoot down the middle.

My reason for trading for the 1903-5th Change is that it will give me a pair of .32s I can shoot in a cowboy action match that allows early double actions in a special class. Just thought it would be cool to shoot a match with my great grand dad's old revolver.