Quote:
Serial no. 538163
1491 is stamped on the yoke
.32 long ctg
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This is a neat old gun. It appears to be a .32 Hand Ejector made on the S&W "I" frame, which is slightly smaller than the "J" frame. S&W introduced the J frame in 1950 for the Chiefs Special taking the .38 Special cartridge.
Seems odd they would go to the trouble of making two nearly identical frame sizes, but that is what they did until 1960 when the I frame was discontinued, and the former I frame models began being made on the J frame.
While in production the I frame was used for the .32 Hand Ejector, the .38 S&W Terrier, the Regulation Police in .32 S&W or .38 S&W, and the .22/.32 Kit Gun.
As redscho has indicated this one was most likely made in 1949. References don't always agree exactly on details. SCSW says postwar production of this resumed in 1948, while Roy Jinks in "A History of Smith & Wesson" says production resumed on July 14, 1949. Both agree the 2" barrel option first appeared in 1949.
The .32 Hand Ejector was assigned model number 30 when S&W began using the model number system in 1957. In 1960 when it began being made on the J frame it was called the 30-1.
I kind of rattled on here, but collector interest in postwar S&Ws is increasing. The difference in size from I to J frame doesn't mean much to a shooter but collectors do like to have their collections complete!