S&W .32 Long MOD 30

[Jorbarker]

Hello all!

I've posted this thread before but took my photos of the box and gun to try and figure out it's history and date and value. This was passed down to me from family. Any idea that date and what condition it's in and the value if i sold? The inside of the box says Dec 6th, 1972. Inside of the swivel says "mod 30"… This is the original box with original wrapping paper but no papers.

 

[Jorbarker]

Also, The serial number is 687476

 

[gmarshall99]

No strain screw seen. An improved I frame. The book of S&W has an extensive discussion of these transitional I frames

 

[Bastogne71]

Some fun deductive work early in the morning! The full name of your revolver is "32 Hand Ejector Model of 1953 New I Frame" with three screws. In 1957 S&W started using model numbers rather than this cumbersome descriptive name and so yours is the model 30. So now we have a beginning date of 1957 or later for your model 30. In 1961, it was decided that all small frame revolvers would be made on the J frame and be stamped 30-1 and end production of the I frame. Now we have a date range from 1957 to 1961 for your model 30.
The box is the correct style for a 1957 to 1965 revolver before Bangor Punta acquired S&W and printed their name on the box. The serial number was hand written on the bottom of the box with a white grease pencil but may have been worn off over the years. The date stamped on the box is a mystery since it is incompatible with everything else we can see. Is the end of the lid not pictured have the model number and barrel length printed on it?
I have a model 32 Regulation Police that shared the serial number series with the 32 Hand Ejectors. Mine is serial number 636070 that was shipped from S&W in April 1956. I'm sure that others can provide additional information. Hope this helps!

 

[Truckman]

I wrote about this one in the SWCA forum...Copied from there:

I'm logging in guns I bought and traded for yesterday, and wanting to be as accurate as possible I'm consulting SCSW5 to see what to call this one...Page 177 identifies it as a postwar .32 Hand Ejector (don't give me that pre-this-and-that), and an improved I-frame since it still has the shorter cylinder window...The article also tells me the upper sideplate screw was eliminated in 1956 at S/N 640980...This gun is a 3 screw which means it may be the 7th one produced with its S/N being 640987, but the article does not mention its 4" barrel as an option, only 3 1/4", 4 1/4", 6" and 2"...Blame my made-in-China steel rule if you must...Supica/Nahas also say the flat thumbpiece should not be present this early, but it could have been changed at some point since June 25, 1956 when it shipped to Shapleigh, St. Louis, Missouri...

Pre-cleanup pics below... ...Ben