S&W#2
- Thread starter Skautdog
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
A letter from Roy Jinks will nail it down. 
opoefc
US Veteran
Ron Curtis's Model 2 Army web page has all there is to know, & more, about the 7 variations of the Model 2. The are no remaining records of manufacture dates for the Model 2. A factory letter can tell you when the gun was shipped, but not when it was made. Ser # 22,321 would probably fall in the 1864, or close, ship date. Ed
Welcome to the Forum. CORRECTION - The only 32 Model 2 was a tip-up in 32 rimfire as Ed noted. I made the mistake of stating the Model 2 referred to the 32 SA, but actually the Model 1 1/2 was the 32 SA. The Model 2 tip-up was only one made in 32 caliber. There is another top-break that was called Model 2 and it is the 38 SA.
Picture would be nice. The bible of S&W is a book authored by Robert Neal and Roy Jinks titled Smith & Wesson 1857-1945..Originally printed in 1966 but reprinted in 1996. Copies are readily available on Amazon, but best prices can be found on abebooks.com.
Picture would be nice. The bible of S&W is a book authored by Robert Neal and Roy Jinks titled Smith & Wesson 1857-1945..Originally printed in 1966 but reprinted in 1996. Copies are readily available on Amazon, but best prices can be found on abebooks.com.
Last edited:
You are right on that one. Yes the Model 2 was the 38 Single Action. Thanks.
The other source of information is the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 4th edition. It includes all S&W's up to about 2016. It is available on all the on line booksellers, and can be gotten on Kindle from Amazon.
What can be added about this gun is that it met a great success among Union officers during the civil war, up to the point that S&W was unable to satisfy all the orders and that it was nicknamed "S&W old army" after the war.
Thanks to all for the information!! Guess I have some additional books to purchase. I have provenance on the referenced pistol (still seeking additional verification) that the pistol belonged to BG (CSA) William R. Boggs of Augusta, GA.
The Ron Curtis's Model 2 Army web page did not list this serial number.
The Ron Curtis's Model 2 Army web page did not list this serial number.
The good news about Model 2 32RF revolvers is that during the Civil War they sold as fast as they could be made. Looking at shipping dates from 1861 to 1865 in the SWCA database, examples documented sold in complete serial number order down to the month and year. 23,XXX shipped in April 1864. 21,XXX shipped in January 1864 and It is almost a certainty that your revolver was both made and shipped the same year, 1864. A great many of these guns were bought for the use in the Civil War, starting with the earliest production up to serial number around 35,000, shipping in March 1865, could have made it to the war before its end on April 9, 1865.
