Smith and Wesson .32 cal Long revolver

[Chinajim]

Greetings and salutations,
This is my first and hopefully not last post on this forum Names Jim but my friends call me China Jim spent some years in the orient for uncle Sam so the name stuck. I am a history teacher so my travels for Uncle Sam has served me well, but the main reason I am writing is that I am in the process of purchasing said revolver that is listed in the title for a very low fee the weapon is in fine condition but the owner who collects S&W's has no idea the guns age the cylinder and barrel is in good to excellent condition the cylinder locks well but has some play, in it. The serial number on the back strap is 18,599 and the metals patina has almost a bronze look to it the grips are wooden with the S&W emblem in gold or brass circlets on either side, and the grips look to have what they call diamond etching design on the top of the barrel behind the sight is the phrase "the best ammo is the one that fits the gun" or something close to that. So if any learned members of the forum knows year and any other info let me know.
Regards
China Jim

 

[walnutred]

I am not one of the “learned members” of this forum but based on the barrel inscription you gave I think it is a copy of a S&W, not an actual S&W. Those type of inscriptions are usually found on Spanish/Basque copies.

 

[DCWilson]

Jim, welcome to the forum. Can you post some photos of the gun you are interested in? I agree with walnutred that this does not sound like an original S&W. The company never put slogans like the one you describe on their revolvers.

 

[hiram2005]

I am not one of the “learned members” of this forum but based on the barrel inscription you gave I think it is a copy of a S&W, not an actual S&W. Those type of inscriptions are usually found on Spanish/Basque copies.

True this.

 

[Chinajim]

Spanish/Basque

Were these guns cheap knock offs or are they good pieces ?If it is a cheap gun and not reliable I will then get my 20.00 dollar down payment back he only wanted 200.00 for it.Do you guys have any info on the makers and the years they were produced? For all I know this gun could be from the Franco Spanish civil war era. Let me know.
regards
Jim

 

[DCWilson]

Without a hands-on inspection or at the very least some detailed pictures that might let us zero in on a particular manufacturer, I couldn't begin to answer that question. I think I would ask for my deposit back and keep on looking.

Some Spanish copies can be firearms of reasonable quality in their own right. Others are junk. It's not like a single factory produced all the known counterfeits.

 

[lebomm]

As David said, quality was all over the place with these copies, but IMHO, $200 is way overboard unless quality and condition are exceptional. Get your twenty back.

 

[Chinajim]

I think I found it

Went trolling about did search for Spanish made 32 cal S&W copies found photos of self same gun made by Orebas from around 1930 to 36 the photo was from a auction site now the prices were near to what the seller wants for his any info on Orebas would be appreciated I am attempting to send photo hope it gets through.

 

[DCWilson]

That doesn't look like a badly engineered piece of steel, but there are still some features that worry me. It has no front locking lug under the barrel, as S&Ws of the era did. That might not be a problem if the cylinder turns clockwise as you look at it from the rear, but if the cylinder turns counter-clockwise, the motion of the part that rotates the cylinder would tend to push the cylinder fractionally out of alignment with the barrel. That's not necessarily bad, but it's something to be aware of.

Also I see no strain screw on the bottom of the forestrap. That suggests to me that this gun uses the V-shaped mainspring familiar from Colts. There is no easy way to adjust the spring tension on these.

The external shape sort of resembles S&W, but the internals may be more Colt-like.

That's the limit of my knowledge. I think I would still get my deposit back and look for, say, a prewar .32 hand ejector or .32 Regulation Police. You should be able to find one in satisfactory but not spectacular condition for only a little more than you were willing to put into the Spanish copy -- $225-275 maybe.

 

[Chinajim]

Better Picture

This is my pistol exactly except for metal color which is bronze looking Also the question about the cylinder it is in good shape though I will take it to a gunsmith friend of mine for any tightening of the cylinder and the like. Thanks for the info David

 

[Chinajim]

Hey Guys I'm back and I got a real honest to God S&W 32 LC for 150 dollars after trade in it looks to be according to the catalouge a reissue of the series from the late 70s came in a blue box with a warranty card now I did find a J on the cyclinder swing bar, so am I to presume that this is a J frame instead of a I frame? It does have all the design specs of the 32 LC design once I get my camera hooked up I will post some photos now I need to locat a good leather outside the pants holster to carry it in either strong side or belly cross draw so what say you guys