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Old September 9, 2010, 10:06 AM   #1
s&w32
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s&w 32 long cartridge relover info

I recently acquired a Smith & Wesson chromedn revolver. Thre is no model number. All I can find is a serial number The number is 21245, Can anyone help me finding more about his firearm. Model? Year manufactred? Approx Value??? ETC. Thank you s&w32, [email protected]
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Old September 9, 2010, 10:09 AM   #2
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question.

Where did that number come from? The bottom of the grip?

S&W's usually have a second 5 digit number on them at various places that is NOT the serial number. It's an assembly number.

On older S&Ws, the serial number will come off the bottom of the grip.
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Old September 9, 2010, 01:21 PM   #3
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Next questions to answer besides the one above. Is this a single action revolver or double action? Does the revolver have a trigger guard or not?

S&W started out with a 1 1/2 .32 S&W centerfire revolver in 1878-1892.
The .32 Double- Acton 1st through 5th models started production in 1880 and concluded in 1919.

The .32 Safety Hammerless was started in 1888-1937. There was a manual safety on the back of the grip that had to be squeezed as the gun was fired. This was done when the gun was gripped.

That's why we need more info.
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Old September 9, 2010, 01:44 PM   #4
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He seems to indicate that it's chambered in .32 S&W Long, so that would make it a hand ejector.
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Old September 9, 2010, 02:49 PM   #5
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Could it be a top break, or were they not chambered in .32 long?
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Old September 9, 2010, 02:52 PM   #6
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See pic for location of serial number, then we can give you info.
Exception: if it's a regulation Police model then the SN will be on the front of the grip frame rather then the underside.

Jim
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Old September 9, 2010, 02:56 PM   #7
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Quote:
Could it be a top break, or were they not chambered in .32 long?
No, they were chambered in .32 S&W.
.32 long makes it a modern hand ejector.

Jim
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Old September 10, 2010, 06:19 PM   #8
Radagast
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As others have mentioned, if the number is taken from the grip frame then it is the serial number. If this is the case then you have a .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 1st Change manufactured between 1904 & 1906 in the serial range 19426 to 51126.
If original then the finish will be nickel, not chrome. It is rare to see these old guns with a chrome refinish, as that is a relatively modern approach. Quite a few blued guns were refinished in nickel though.
If the gun has been refinished the hammer and trigger are likely to be nickeled as well, which will drop it's value as few collectors are interested in refinished guns.
Other things to be aware of:
This gun predates heat treatment of cylinders. Modern factory ammunition is loaded to take the weakness of old guns into account. If you handload ammunition don't try any loads stronger than factory specifications.
It also predates the modern hammer block safety introduced during WWII. It would be prudent to leave the chamber under the hammer empty if you keep the gun loaded.
Value is not high as the .32 S&W long is an underpowered, obsolete caliber for self defence and relatively expensive. There were well over half a million .32 Hand Ejectors manufactured, so they are not scarce, so you are not likely to have a couple of collectors bidding up the price on the basis of rarity.
In 2006 the Standard Catalog of S&W gave the following values:
As new in box: $700, Excellent + $385, Very good $315, Good $275, Fair $165, Poor $90. If the gun has been refinished then expect it to value as 'good', even if the refinish is excellent.
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Old September 10, 2010, 11:07 PM   #9
Bullseye Smith
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The first S&W hand ejector was made in 1898 and it was a 32 Long S&W. The top break was a 32 S&W. The 32 Long is one of the best target rounds you can shoot. Here is a picture of it:

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Old September 14, 2010, 10:03 AM   #10
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32s&w. long cartrdge info

Thanks everyone for the info re my 32S&W Serial number 21245. Based on your input and further resaerch on my part, I believe that my 32 is a Hand Ejector model of 1903, First Change, Double action six round , manufactured some time in 1903. It has pearl grips and was chromed several years ago.

Thanks again for your valuable help. John Salisbury

.
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Old September 14, 2010, 10:41 AM   #11
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Are you sure it's even a S&W, & not another brand of revolver chambered in 32 S&W Long ???
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Old September 18, 2010, 02:22 PM   #12
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I have a blued S&W in 32S&W long. Serial number 33140 if I copied the number correctly. The cartridge might be a great target round, but not in my gun. I don't have adjustable sights and the grip is to small. As far as personal protection, I would rather have something larger.


My reason for posting is to ask if anyone have tried any speed loaders with their guns.

And

I have lead rounds. I assume these are good enough for killing if I run a trap like. Is there anything better if they gun is used for personal protection?
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Old September 18, 2010, 02:44 PM   #13
32 Magnum
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MagTech (Brazilian) offers a .32 S&W Long 95 gr. Jacketed Hollow Point. I've bought a couple boxes and shot a few. They are fairly mild when shot from the small frame (in this case a S&W Model 732 and a 1st Gen. Charter Arms Undercoverette), short barrelled guns. Ballistics are a bit better than a .22lr or .22mag fired from a similar handgun.
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Old February 2, 2013, 02:00 PM   #14
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single action?

My .32 Hand Ejector 5th model is single action. Is it supposed to be? were some double action?
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Old February 2, 2013, 02:06 PM   #15
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"My .32 Hand Ejector 5th model is single action. Is it supposed to be? were some double action?"

Say what now?

All Hand Ejectors are double action unless the gun has been altered or there is some mechanical problem.

How about posting a photograph of your gun?
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Old February 2, 2013, 02:13 PM   #16
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Zombie thread, but I'll answer anyway...

Quote:
My .32 Hand Ejector 5th model is single action. Is it supposed to be? were some double action?
AFAIK all standard-production .32 Hand Ejectors were double-action. If yours only functions as single-action only (SAO), it has either been specially modified to work that way, or it's broken.

Purposefully rendering a S&W revolver SAO can involve modifying the hammer, trigger, or both. Restoring the double-action function can be done by replacing the affected part(s), but it's not always a "drop-in" project; sometimes this works, but sometimes it doesn't, in which case a qualified gunsmith's attention may be required to make everything fit properly.

Also, you are likely to have trouble finding the appropriate parts. The names "5th Change", "3rd Change", etc. were not factory designations; they were endowed by collectors to differentiate changes in the internal mechanism. IOW certain internal parts are different with each "Change", and I'm nowhere near knowledgeable enough about early .32HE's to know if a newer (and presumably more commonplace) hammer and/or trigger will work in a 5th Change.
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Old February 3, 2013, 08:43 AM   #17
Postoffice82
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single action

It is single action. Don't know what could be wrong with it. An elderly woman gave it to my dad in 1950 and he never shot it so it was like this then. I've shot maybe 50 rounds through it. Very accurate and fun to shoot. Any ideas on what needs fixed?
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Old February 3, 2013, 09:22 AM   #18
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How about posting some pictures first so we know exactly what we're dealing with.
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Old February 3, 2013, 11:50 AM   #19
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Lets not forget that S&W made 3 different 32 cals models in SA: model 2 old army, model 1 1/2 32 RF and the 32 S&W new model 1 1/2. I wonder if the gun is actually one of those, and the person doesn't understand what "hand ejector" refers to.
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Old February 3, 2013, 11:55 AM   #20
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Exactly the point of my previous post.
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Old February 3, 2013, 07:26 PM   #21
Postoffice82
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picture of gun

here is a picture of my .32 that seems to be a single action. I sent the serial number to S&W and they said it is a Hand Ejector third model. Dont know why its not double action.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg gun.jpg (5.3 KB, 37 views)
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Old February 4, 2013, 07:55 AM   #22
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When you pull the trigger in double action, does anything happen, such as the cylinder revolving?
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Old February 4, 2013, 06:57 PM   #23
Postoffice82
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cylinder movement

when you pull the trigger the cylinder twitches a little but doesnt turn
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Old February 7, 2013, 08:01 PM   #24
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I was mistaken about the cylinder not moving. When the trigger is pulled, the cylinder advances but the trigger doesn't cock.
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