Old 32

[douginfl]

I have an old 32 that belonged to my father, don't know how long he had it but I remember seeing it at least 40 years ago.
Trying to get some idea of age and value to determine if it would be worth restoring. The nickel plating is pretty rough
and there is some rust. The gun is functional, is marked Smith & Wesson on one side of barrel, 32 Long CTG on the other and has patent info on the top. Serial # on the butt is 522570 and 57088 on the yoke. I'm thinking it might be a better choice for my wife than the 25ACP she has now, but I would have to pretty it up some first, and don't want to put more in it than it's worth! Thanks in advance, Doug.

 

[m-1911]

PICTURES!!!!!

 

[douginfl]

Thanks for the quick reply, I took some quick pics with my cell phone.

 

[DCWilson]

The serial number suggests production in the early 1930s.

If the gun is still shootable, I would just clean it up to get the rust off, clean out the bore, chambers and frame interior, lubricate the action and return it to service. The gun has a family tradition right now and trying to do more than that would destroy several decades of family history.

Furthermore, I suspect some of the surface damage is deep enough that you could not polish it completely smooth, which means that a renickeling would leave you with a shiny but irregular surface. I can tell you from experience that nickeled surface pitting does not look good.

The gun is probably a $150-200 gun right now -- at best. I suspect it would cost you that much to make it look as pretty as you can, and then it would still have some of the defects I mentioned above.

If your wife needs a better gun, it might make sense just to keep an eye out for a .32 or .38 shooter that is only half as old and still has a decent finish on it.

 

[cgt4570]

That one is most likely late pre-WW2 (before 1940). They are great guns. As long as the mechanics and bore are fine, it would be a perfect choice for your wife. (much more effective than a .25 and VERY accurate!) There are some decent options in .32 Long defensive loads nowdays, too.
I wouldn't refinish it. I would hand-polish it with Flitz metal polish. You will be amazed at how much better it will look. The bare metal areas will blend and brighten.