The Oldest Smith & Wesson You've Ever Fired

[Jim in Wisconsin]

Posted in my intro that I had been given my GGrandfathers S&W in .38 by his daughter, my great aunt. Mr. Jinks advised it was shipped in 1881. Took it out I think in '63, and put the better part of a box of shells through it. Gave it to my nephew on his graduation from cop school. He's now a sheriffs deputy in Illinois.

 

[992B]

I foolishly shot my Number 1-Second Model many years ago with low velocity .22 shorts. No damage done to a beautiful old Smith but won't chance it again.
Gary

 

[bmcgilvray]

Great replies here. I really wasn't expecting much of a response, especially with shooting the tip ups. I'm like CXM and others and would likely have to try it out once.

The Ladysmith would be another interesting model to try.

 

[deadin]

I used to be one of the "I wouldn't own anything I haven't or won't shoot" crowd.
A number of years ago I came to realize that they all work pretty much the same and make similar noises, so why take a chance on putting more wear and tear on something old when I have perfectly good modern guns to shoot? (Besides, I stand a much better chance of hitting what I'm aiming at with one of my more modern guns.

)

 

[reg55]

Alk8944
SN on my .44 DA 1st is 17862 shipped to M. Arms Co. St. Louis, Missouri. It was started out as a blue gun but was nickled sometime long ago and has seen a lot of hard use.

Randy

 

[stanws6]

I fired one cylinder of those low velocity .22's through my Model 1 2'nd issue. I only hit a can one time at ten feet. No damage, but no more.Also one cyliner through my Model 2 Army.A little better accuracy, but not much. That one is retired too.

 

[Guest]

I've fired my Single Shot 3rd Model Perfected(s) many times and will likely continue to do so. Too much fun not to.

 

[cxm]

I will hve to check the s/n when I unpack it... I though there were several issues of the 1 1/2...

Will check... thanks for pointing that out...

Century Arms had some .32 RF ammo some years ago...somewhat pricey, but I bought a small quantity... never know when you might need it...

Chuck

Originally posted by depicts:
CXM, the model 1 1/2 was only made from 1865 to about late 1868. What's the serial number on yours?

Mine is 1308, made in 1865, and if you told me where I could find some 32 rimfire for it... that would be the oldest one I ever fired too!!

 

[Mule88]

Ive shot my DA .44 Russian made in the 1800's with a cylinder full of light loads just to say Ive shot it.

 

[Andy Griffith]

I've shot my Wesson percussion target pistol in .36 caliber...

It supposedly dates to the 1840's or 1850's...
When Daniel was still apprenticing to to brother.

Does that count?

 

[JohnHenryD]

#2 Army in 32. Shoot it all of the time with BP. Made in 1863.

 

[bmcgilvray]

That works for my purposes, Andy. I'd have liked to been present when you fired it.

JohnHenryD; How do you come up with the ammo?

 

[Pontiaker]

I guess Iam in the I shoot everything crowd:~) Shot my Ladysmith today with mild shorts in it.I have lots of early 20th cent stuff I shoot all the time. I shot my 1878 vintage Colt Lightning many times before I sold it, that one was fun to shoot! I have my eye on a 1 1/2 tip up that I will shoot if I get it....

 

[therevjay]

Colt Mod. 1877 D.A. .38LC ("Lightning" mfg 1893) with "Goex" BP ammo.

OK, thats not a S&W. But the only old S&W's I have are .38 or .32 S&W cal. And altho large cal. BP ammo (i.e. .45-44/40 etc) can be found fairly easy. (I don't have any reloading equip.)The smaller cal.s just don't seem to be availible.


Personaly I think BP is no harder to clean up then smokeless. Takes a little longer maybe, but it's no more work. (you just can't put it off)

 

[Northfield Gun]

I had a number 1 that was a tight gun, some of the nickel was off so I thought I would shoot it, I only shot standard velocity 22 shorts in it but it shot fine, no sigh of any trouble.

TheGunCellar

 

[Rob Spence]

I have a S&W No. 2 Army. It is just about as tight as it was new. .32 rimfire and still going strong! Serial number range puts it at
1864.
Thanks for the interest on the old girls. The older the better. Would like to hear about more of these.

 

[bmcgilvray]

For the fellow who can't resist touching off a .32 rimfire, what are the options for providing ammunition?

 

[deadin]

There have been various offerings of .32 RF over the years. Navy Arms, Old Western Scrounger, SOG are a few that come to mind.
Be aware that some of this ammo is smokless and some BP. Stevens offered single shot rifles in this caliber and some US companies loaded it up to the 1930s.
Some of this stuff is a little hot for the weak action of the S&W tip-ups.
Be careful.

 

[bmcgilvray]

I am curious about how fragile the tip-up is. One of these days I could end up with one of the graceful little things. The latch appears delicate and the cylinder walls are pretty thin and of uncertain composition. Are they iron or a mild steel?

 

[mmaher94087]

When I was young, I shot a #2 Army regularily from 1958 to 1963. The Peters .32 RF ammunition was plentiful. In Canada, the cost was 35 cents a box of 50 (1961). The #2 Army belonged to my father's Great Grandfather. When my father was a boy, he'd shoot .22 RF Shorts in it by rolling up tissue and stuffing the cylinders to hold the rim of the .22 shorts against the outer edge of the cylinder. The accuracy was +/-6 feet at 10 yards.

A First Model, Third Issue was also shot and I often shot a .32 RF Pond (Made for Smith & Wesson)into the mid '70s. The latter would drive the Range Master nuts. I still have all these revolvers and wouldn't think about doing that again. I was lucky. To me they are all priceless. Mike