S&W Model 10 Chambered In .32 S&W long

[tripledipper]

Did the factory ever produce one or did someone change the cylinder?

 

[robertrwalsh]

At least five of the 10-10 series were produced in .32 magnum. They had a full underlug. They were sent to the government in Taiwan.

 

[murphydog]

We need more details.

There were a few thousand fixed sight .32 Military & Police revolvers made. Having matching serial numbers on the frame, barrel, cylinder, etc. would prove it is an original gun. The .32 parts are fairly scarce so putting them on a .38 M & P is possible but unlikely.

 

[DWalt]

There were M&Ps available chambered in .32 S&W Long in the postwar years (1948-50) and they are very uncommon, and I would say, rare. Nearly all were exported (to where has never been reliably reported), but a small but unknown number was sold domestically, probably overruns. They have been reported as having 2”, 4”, and 5” barrels. Supposedly, 4,813 were made, but apparently very few ever returned to the USA from wherever they were initially shipped. I have one of the few which were sold domestically. It was never model numbered.

This is one of those S&W revolvers that has generated far more questions than answers. Sort of like the .38 Mexican Model, but probably even more scarce. I have a list of 20 serial numbers of known examples. There are likely more.

 

[JP@AK]

Here is another one that shipped to Sloan's on April 21, 1948. I spent years looking for one and finally was able to purchase this example from a deceased collector's estate.

I would note that the answer to the OP's question as asked is a resounding no! His question was, were any Model 10 revolvers chambered for the .32 S&W Long. To my knowledge, all the M&Ps so chambered were built before model numbers were used in 1958.

 

[Hondo44]

A 32 M&P similar to the subject of this thread, but a Target Model (and not a K-32) in 1949 is discussed on page 149 in the SCSW 4th ed. Only 10 or 11 are known.

 

[JP@AK]

A 32 M&P similar to the subject of this thread, but a Target Model (and not a K-32) in 1949 is discussed on page 149 in the SCSW 4th ed. Only 10 or 11 are known.

Yes. That is a fascinating comment in the SCSW, Jim. What I find most interesting is the statement that those revolvers had the 4" barrel. It is almost as if they were trying to sneak in a .32 Combat Masterpiece without calling it that! As you know, that revolver never got past the prototype stage.

 

[Hondo44]

To be honest I didn't know it never progressed past prototype stage.

Yeah, a 'counterfeit' .32 Combat Masterpiece. It's almost as weird as the the serial #3 revolvers made and shipped w/o company authorization SCSW 4 pg 203.

 

[JP@AK]

Mm hmm. I wonder if those guys got fired.

 

[Retired W4]

This is one of those S&W revolvers that has generated far more quest

Here is another one that shipped to Sloan's on April 21, 1948.

Wow. Both of those guns were shipped the day I was born in Massachusetts (Boston, not Springfield).

 

[Wingmaster]

To be honest I didn't know it never progressed past prototype stage.

Yeah, a 'counterfeit' .32 Combat Masterpiece. It's almost as weird as the the serial #3 revolvers made and shipped w/o company authorization SCSW 4 pg 203.

Thanks for pointing that out. This is the first time I've read that.

 

[opoefc]

FWIW - I know that both San Diego Police , San Diego County Sheriff's female officers & jail matrons, and female Probation Officers were issued .32 caliber handguns up until some time in the mid 1950s era, on the theory that females could better handle the recoil of a.32 cal. vs larger 38 & up caliber handguns. There were both S&W & Colt .32s used. Ed

 

[mtgianni]

FWIW - I know that both San Diego Police , San Diego County Sheriff's female officers & jail matrons, and female Probation Officers were issued .32 caliber handguns up until some time in the mid 1950s era, on the theory that females could better handle the recoil of a.32 cal. vs larger 38 & up caliber handguns. There were both S&W & Colt .32s used. Ed

Those would probably been I frame S&W and Police Positive Colts, not K frames.

 

[Green Frog]

One advantage of this Forum having members worldwide is that we have contacts worldwide. To answer the question of where these 4000 or so 32 cal M&P revolvers might be ours for the asking. I know we have regular correspondents in South America, Europe and the UK, Australia, and occasional entries from parts of Asia. If that many revolvers went to one of these places, it seems like one of these folks will have seen or heard of them and be able to shed some light. How about it, my International friends?
Green Frog

 

[LostintheOzone]

It's really too bad that more weren't built. I would genuinely like to have one but like a lot of things, never will.

S&W didn't make enough model 31's either.