Smith And Wesson 32 Long Serial Number Lookup

By John Taffin

Mention Smith & Wesson and most shooters will immediately think of one of two things, either big bore Magnum sixguns, or state-of-the-art semi-automatic pistols. As a writer I’ve spread a lot of ink discussing both of these types and as a shooter I’ve run thousands of bullets down the barrels of slick shootin’ Smith sixguns and fast-firing defensive pistols. But there are other Smith & Wessons such as the Model 41 .22 target pistol and the epitome of target guns from a few decades ago, the K-38 .38 Special and the K-22 .22 Long rifle, the famous Masterpiece revolvers.

Made in 1870s -1880s. 32 caliber with a 3 ½” barrel. This is a fantastic copy of a Smith & Wesson 1 ½, actuallt better than anything Smith & Wesson every made. This gun has 95% + of the original blue finish. There is only one area on the front strap that was flaking. Smith & Wesson Model 30-1.32 long with a round butt and 2 1/2' barrel. Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.REDUCED. Original price $799.99, now $649.99. Smith & Wesson Model 30-1.32 long with a round butt and 2 1/2' barrel. Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns. Smith and Wesson Serial Number Date of Manufacture J Frame Revolver Lookup. For models 36, 37, 38, 49, 50 and pre model number versions. 1950 = start at 1. Antique Smith and Wesson Revolvers Civil War, Frontier Smith & Wesson.32 -.41 Revolvers Antique Smith and Wesson revolvers represent some of the most highly collectable pieces from one of America's most historic gun manufacturers. Our inventory includes everything from the Civil War era Smith and Wesson.32 Army #2 revolver to 1st and 2nd model Americans to the.

All of these handguns are guns that I would label high exposure. They are seen at target ranges, in the hunting field, worn openly on the belt of peace officers, as well as campers, hikers, fisherman, in fact, all types of sportsmen. Chambered in .22 they are used not only for target shooting but by thousands upon thousands of families enjoying the great sport of plinking together. Larger calibers are carried for more serious purposes such as hunting and law enforcement.

There is another whole class of Smith & Wesson handguns, a group of revolvers rarely ever seen. These are the guns carried concealed by civilians and peace officers alike. These are the guns kept in countless bedside stands, under store counters, in tackle boxes, and day packs. These lightweight easily concealable handguns are the J-frames. Smith & Wesson has long utilized the alphabet to distinguish their revolvers: the N-frames, the largest .41 and .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .45 ACP, and even .357 Magnum; the middle-sized K-frames, the .357 “Combat Magnum” and earlier mentioned Masterpiece revolvers; the L-frame, the newest intermediate sized .357 Magnum; and finally the diminutive J-frames chambered in .38 Special, .32 Magnum, .22 Long Rifle, and .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire.

History of the J-Frame

The first small frame double action Smith & Wesson, a .38, was built in 1880. This was not the famous .38 Special which would come later, but the less powerful .38 S&W. The first .38 DA weighed 18 ounces and would go through five design changes, thirty-one years of production, and number more than one-half million examples of top-break design. These were followed by the Perfected Model .38 with a solid frame/trigger guard combination , but still of the top break design, that led the way for the solid frame, swing out cylinder revolvers to come.

At the same time that the top-break .38’s were being made, the same basic design was offered in .32 S&W caliber with nearly 300,000 of the smaller caliber being made. Shortly after production began on the .38 and .32 Smith & Wesson Double Action Models, D.B. Wesson worked with son Joseph to develop a completely different style of revolver. Lucian Cary, a well known gun writer of forty years ago relates the following legend.

“When Daniel Wesson read a newspaper story about a child who had shot himself with the family revolver, his conscience hurt. He told his wife that he would make a revolver that could be safely kept in the bureau drawer. It was his custom to receive his grandchildren every Sunday. No doubt it was tough on the grandchildren. Daniel Wesson must have been a fearsome man, with his thick body, his great beard, and his virtue (Cary obviously did not understand grandfathers and grand children and the bond between them!) But on one occasion it was his young grandchild who put it over.

The Safety Hammerless

Daniel Wesson made a revolver he thought no child could fire. He gave it to his grandson, Harold Wesson, now president of Smith & Wesson (this was in the 1950’s) and challenged him to fire it. Harold was only eight years old but he knew that his grandfather expected him to fail. Maybe that gave him a shot in the arm. Harold tugged at the trigger with all his strength and fired the gun. His grandfather went sadly back to his shop–not that day, of course, which was Sunday, but on the following Monday. Some weeks later he again presented a revolver to Harold and asked him to pull the trigger. Harold did his best. But he failed.

The gun the boy couldn’t fire was the New Departure, also known as the safety hammerless. It had a bar in the back of the grip supported by a spring. You had to squeeze the grip hard enough to depress the spring and pull the double action trigger at the same time in order to fire the gun. No child of eight had the strength to do both at once. The New Departure was an uncommonly safe bureau drawer revolver.”

The Safety Hammerless, so designated by the fact that the hammer was completely enclosed by the revolver frame, became the first really practical pocket gun. Five hundred thousand of these were made in .32 and .38 caliber from 1886 until 1940.

With the advent of the I-frame Smith & Wessons in 1894, the basic design was changed from top break to a solid frame, swing-out cylinder style of revolver. Over the years from before the turn of the Century until 1960, the I-frame was offered in .32 Hand Ejector, .22/32 Hand Ejector, which became the .22 Kit Gun, .32 Regulation Police, .38 Regulation Police, and .38 Terrier.

The Chief’s Special

In 1950, one of the most famous of the Smith & Wesson revolvers arrived. A five-shot, compact revolver to fire the more powerful .38 Special instead of the .38 S&W was introduced at the Conference of the International Association of Chief’s of Police in Colorado Springs, Colorado and has been officially and lovingly known as the Chief’s Special ever since. This was the first J-frame revolver and was larger than the I-frames and chambered in .22, .32 S&W Long, and .38 S&W. In 1960, all I-frames became J-frames.

The Chief’s Special has been offered in a number of versions along the way: the standard Model 36 in both round and square butt versions, the Airweight Model 37, the Model 38 Bodyguard which had an extended frame that protected the hammer and exposed only enough of the tip to allow for cocking. The Number “39” was used for Smith’s new double action 9MM Semi-automatic in the 1950’s, but the J-frames resumed with the Model 40 Centennial, a J-frame “Safety Hammerless”.

In 1965, a most significant J-frame variation appeared. One that was to have far reaching consequences throughout the firearms industry as the Model 36 Chief’s Special was offered as the Stainless Steel Model 60. Instantly popular with peace officers and outdoorsman alike, the first stainless steel revolver revolutionized firearms and stainless steel revolvers are now a major part of the handgun industry. Stainless is so much a part of the handgun market, and especially with the small frame concealable firearms that are carried closest to the body, that of the five J-frames I have been testing, four are stainless, and the fifth has been custom finished to look like stainless.

Metalife was applied to a Smith & Wesson Chief’s Special, a two-inch Model 36 .38 Special. Depending upon the weather, it has been carried in an inside the pants holster, in an ankle holster, in a boot top, and in the pocket of insulated coveralls. This particular revolver has been further customized by sending it to Teddy Jacobsen. Jacobsen is an ex-cop now in the gun smithing business and he did one of his famous action jobs on the little Chief’s Special along with polishing the trigger smooth, de-horning the hammer spur, and also jewelling both hammer and trigger. When combined with the Metalife finish, these modifications make the Model 36 into a near-perfect pocket pistol.

The only thing left to do to finish off the round butt Chief’s Special was to fit it with custom grips. I just happened to be carrying this little gun when I visited Herrett’s. I soon had a pair of Detective stocks for the Chief’s!

The modification makes the little Chief’s into a beautiful close range double action defensive pistol and the hammer can still be cocked for a longer deliberate single action shot by starting the trigger back and catching the hammer with the thumb to finish the cocking procedure.

As a companion piece to the 20 ounce Chief’s Special, I have been testing the same basic gun, in this case a Model 60 Stainless Steel “Chief’s Special”. Friend and gun writer Terry Murbach certainly deserves at least some of the credit for suggesting the .38 Special Stainless Steel that Murbach feels should be known as “The Trail Masterpiece”. This little 23 ounce, round butted .38 sports a three inch full under-lug barrel and fully adjustable sights. The sights are exactly the way they should be, black both fore and aft. Yes, even though the newest Model 60 is stainless, the rear sight assembly is black and the front sight blade is quick draw style, plain black and pinned to the stainless steel ramp.

Anyone who has read many of my articles know that my usual forte is the big and bold, the Magnum and beyond sixguns and the big bore semi-automatics. But I have definitely found a place in my collection for this little five-shooter. A Plus P five shooter I might add as Smith & Wesson does classify this little .38 as one that is able to handle the hotter loads. No little strength certainly comes from the fact that the Model 60 carries a full length cylinder with very little barrel protruding through the frame unsupported. The cylinder also, being a five shot, has the bolt cuts between chambers rather than under them.

J-Frame Variations

When the J-frame Smith & Wessons came in, I went to the local gun shop, Shapel & Son’s, and found three dusty old boxes down behind the counter containing long-out-of-production Jay Scott Gunfighter J-frame stocks. At the present time they ride unaltered on three J-frames but all will receive extensive customizing in the future which will see the removal of the finger grooves and the checkering that adorns two pair.

The Model 60 Trail Masterpiece wears plain walnut Gunfighter grips that will clean up very nicely as time and ambition permit making the Trail Masterpiece an even more desirable little fivegun for hiking, fishing, camping, etc. And with the right loads, the three-inch barreled .38 will make a fine little close range varmint and small game gun.

I can only find one fault with the Model 60 Trail Masterpiece and that is strictly the result of my own preference for smooth triggers. All other test J-frames came through with smooth triggers but the this three-inch .38 boasts a grooved trigger that you can bet will become a smooth trigger in the future as it will be sent to Jacobsen for one of his action jobs after a check to Smith & Wesson makes it mine.

Chic Gaylord, New York leather worker and the father of the modern concealment holster, was a real fan of the three-inch .38 Special and promoted a “Metropolitan Special Adaptation” of the Colt Police Positive consisting of three-inch barrel, ramp front sight, nickel finish, bird’s head butt, grip adapter, and trigger shoe. Another favorite of his was the three-inch Chief’s Special with Fitz Gunfighter grips. He would have loved the Trail Masterpiece.

The firing tests of the Model 60 .38 Special Trail Masterpiece gave quite pleasant results. Considering the short sight radius the three-inch barrel affords, and also considering that the test groups were fired at 25 yards, and especially when one considers that the groups were fired by my hand and eye combination, some groups border on the phenomenal. The two-inch .38 Special Chief’s Special was fired double action only on combat targets and not for group size. It proved to be quite capable as a defensive revolver.

SMITH & WESSON J-FRAMES

CALIBER: .38 SPECIAL TEMPERATURE: 60 DEGREES

CHRONOGRAPH: OEHLER MODEL 35P GROUPS: 5 SHOTS @ 25 YDS.

MODEL 060 3″ HB – – – MODEL 36 2″

LOAD – MV – GROUP – MV

RCBS #35-150 /6.0 UNIQUE – 975 – 2 1/2″ – 961

LYMAN #358156GC /5.0 UNIQUE – 716 – 3″ – 691

LYMAN #358429 /5.0 UNIQUE – 758 – 1 5/8″ – 720 Saints row 4 mac free download.

158 SPEER SWC /5.0 UNIQUE – 750 – 2 5/8″ – 735

BULL-X 158 SWC /5.0 UNIQUE – 782 – 3 1/2″ – 708

LYMAN #358429 /6.6 AA#5 – 890 – 3 1/8″ – 815

158 SPEER SWC /6.6 AA#5 – 830 – 3 1/2″ – 795

BULL-X 158 SWC /6.6 AA#5 – 821 – 3″ – 785

BULL-X 148 WC /6.0 AA#5 – 861 – 2 3/8″ – 841

SIERRA 110 JHP /8.8 AA#5 – 1067 – 2 3/4″ – 1017

SPEER 140 JHP /6.0 UNIQUE – 934 – 1 5/8″ – 913

CCI LAWMAN 125 JHP +P – 1019 – 2 1/2″ – 932

BLACK HILLS 125 JHP – 864 – 3 1/4″ – 792

The .32 Magnum, heretofore offered in medium framed sixguns like the Ruger Bisley and Single-Six, the Dan Wesson double action, and the Smith & Wesson heavy underlugged barrel K-Masterpiece, is a natural for the little J-frame revolvers. Unlike the five shot .38 Special J-frames, the .32 Magnum is a six-shooter. My original request for test guns from Smith & Wesson was for a .32 Magnum and a .32 S&W Long J-frame, but both guns came through as .32 Magnums. One is a “Kit Gun”, a four inch barreled, adjustable sighted, easy packin’ Kit Gun. The other is quite the opposite, a three-inch Centennial Airweight .32 Magnum. The latter is a 16 ounce concealed hammer sixgun, a very easily concealed and even more easily packed aluminum framed revolver.

The four-inch, 23 ounce Model 631 Kit Gun is meant for the woods loafer, fisherman, camper, while the totally dehorned and no-sharp-corners, double action only Model 632 is the concealment counterpart. A defensive gun designed for the shooter who wants a powerful weapon without objectionable recoil. A .32 that can be shot well is certainly much better than a poorly handled lightweight .38 Special; a gun that is easily carried is certainly better than a heavy gun that is left behind. And even at its one pound weight, the .32 Airweight handles very pleasantly and pokes nice little groups double action style at 10 yards.

The adjustable sighted four-inch .32 Magnum is a two to three -inch gun at 25 yards. Load development may help reduce these groups in the future. A load that would be capable of head shooting squirrels, rabbits, and grouse at reasonable ranges would make the little .32 into a real gem.

SMITH & WESSON J-FRAMES

CALIBER: .32 MAGNUM TEMPERATURE: 60 DEGREES

CHRONOGRAPH: OEHLER MODEL 35P GROUPS: SIX SHOTS @ 25 YDS.

MODEL 631 4″ – – – MODEL 632 3″

LOAD – MV – GROUP – MV

FEDERAL 95 LEAD – 941 – 2 5/8″ – 895

FEDERAL 85 JHP – 1020 – 2 1/2″ – 954

NEI 100.313 /8.3 #2400 – 1131 – 2 3/8″ – 1043

NEI 100.313 /5.5 AA#5 – 1122 – 2 3/8″ – 1027

HORNADY 85 XTP /8.3 #2400 – 1044 – 3″ – 942

HORNADY 85 XTP /5.5 AA#5 – 1074 – 2 3/8″ – 924

SIERRA 90 JHP /8.3 #2400 – 1100 – 3″ – 952

SIERRA 90 JHP /5.5 AA#5 – 1070 – 2 7/8″ – 885

The final J-frame tested is one of Elmer Keith’s favorite guns resurrected for 1991. Elmer is best known for his work with the .44 Special from 1927 to 1955 and the .44 Magnum thereafter. But Elmer also used other guns and one of his favorites was the Smith & Wesson Kit Gun chambered for the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire.

J-Frames and Handgun Hunting

Elmer writing in 1961 in the second edition of his famous book SIXGUNS BY KEITH had this to say about the .22 Kit Gun: “Last winter Jack Nancolas, our local Government hunter killed three treed cougar and ten bobcats with my K model S.& W. .22 rim fire magnum and this winter he killed fifteen bob cats and two cougar with my 3 1/2″ barrel S.& W. kit gun for the same .22 R.F. Magnum load. The last cougar, a big one, jumped out over Jack’s head as he approached the tree in the hope of a brain shot. As it was getting late and he had trailed the big cat all day, he simply took a fast double action snap shot at the brute as he sailed over his head. The tiny soft-point slug hit the big cat square in the chest, penetrating his heart and thence the spine; and he folded up in the air like a duck stricken by a dose of no. 6 shot. His head sagged on his chest and his tail carried nearly vertical, he dropped to the horizontal and rolled into a ball before he ever hit the ground. Jack ran down the mountain and poured two more into his skull to be sure he would not hurt the dogs but he was already dead and they were not needed.”

The latest edition of the .22 WMR Kit Gun, the Model 651-1 is a four-inch, adjustable sighted, stainless steel, square butted, 26 ounce .22 sixgun. The rear sight is fully adjustable and plain black, very good, but the front sight is stainless steel with a red insert, not so good for my eyes in bright light. The front sight is also much too tall for my eyes and shooting style requiring the rear sight to be raised clear out of its mortise to sight the Kit Gun in at 25 yards. Since this .22 WMR is a keeper, the front sight will be replaced with a plain black post that will be filed to the right height to allow it to be sighted in at 25 yards with the rear sight all the way down.

While the Model 651-1 is a sixgun, it works much better as a five gun with five chambers able to put five shots in less that one inch at 25 yards. I will carry it fully loaded with six shots but with the best five coming up first. Probably the most practical of all the J-frames for the outdoorsman, with the right load and chamber selection, this little .22 is definitely capable of head shooting small game and varmints, and even putting the coup-de-grace on downed big game.

SMITH & WESSON MODEL 651

CALIBER: .22WMR BARREL LENGTH: 4″

CHRONOGRAPH: OEHLER MODEL 35P TEMPERATURE: 60 DEGREES

LOAD – MV – 6 SHOTS/25 YDS.

CCI .22 MAXI-MAG – 1335 – 2″

CCI MAXI-MAG HP – 1355 – 2 1/8″

CCI MAXI-MAG +V – 1608 – 2 3/8″

FEDERAL FMJ – 1240 – 3 1/4″

FEDERAL JHP – 1046 – 1 5/8″

WINCHESTER FMC – 130 – 1 5/8″

WINCHESTER JHP – 1258 – 2 7/8″

The Lady Smith

Smith & Wesson J-frames are not only naturals for hikers, campers, fisherman, and even as packin’ pistols by rifle hunters, but they are also quite often picked as defensive pistols by women. In fact, Smith & Wesson has gotten quite a bit of mileage out of its Lady Smith program which began in the last century with a .22 designed to be carried by ladies for protection as they rode their bicycles. The story is that this gun was dropped from production when Joseph Wesson discovered it was being carried less by ladies on bicycles and more by ladies of the night.

A few years back the Lady Smith was resurrected as a variation of the Model 36/60 .38 Special and later as a Model 39 9MM variation. The latest Lady Smiths have been excellent sellers and not only to women. Men who wanted a lightweight, smoothed over concealable weapon have also gone to the modern Lady Smith.

To go along with the J-frames, I requested samples of the wares of

Feminine Protection by Sarah. Sarah uses a very catchy name to offer a serious product, namely purses and belt bags that double as holsters. The handbags and J-frame guns are naturals together and both the Patriot and Classic leather bags supplied accept readily accessible J-frame Smith & Wesson revolvers, and still leave room for all the other stuff that women seem to carry in their handbags.

Both bags open on the front edge to allow instant access to the concealed weapon that many women are going to legally as more and more states are providing licensing systems. The closure system consists of both snaps and Velcro, but they do open instantly when the two halves are parted.

Along with the leather bags came two belt bags or fanny packs. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for a fanny pack but I also remember how difficult it was to carry a concealed weapon last summer during our heat wave. Both belt bags supplied easily carry two- or three-inch .38 Special J-frames. I’m sure my wife and daughter will have something to say about whether these test bags are returned or purchased.

J-Frames and Concealed Carry

Smith And Wesson 32 Long Serial Number Lookup Texas

In recent years, semi-automatics have stolen the limelight from S&W J-frame revolvers. People often say that semi-automatics are fast, sexy, and common. They hold more rounds than a revolver ever could. Revolvers are old school, clunky, hard to shoot, and slow to reload. However, the J-frame should not be discounted for certain applications, particularly concealed carry.

First, consider a J-frame such as a .38 Special for concealed carry. The gun is small, light, and easy to stow in a waistband, ankle holster, pocket, purse, or bag. Accidental discharge is unheard of in a concealed carry scenario. Cops have an affinity for the revolver when it comes to deep cover since it’s harder to spot than a semi-auto. The bad guys will be used to checking for a Glock or 9mm. Likewise, the J-frame is ideal for civilians carrying on the down-low.

Some people scoff at the thought of carrying a revolver. They may be old school but still offer the best reliability in a handgun. Revolvers seldom jam. If they do, it’s because the shooter has chosen the wrong, or poorly made, ammunition. Revolvers can indeed be harder to fire because of the double-action trigger. Range practice takes care of that unless you have insufficient grip strength to shoot. J-frames are easier to shoot than K-frame revolvers because of a light recoil. This makes them easy to use for beginners and novices.

A short sight radius gives shooters the impression that snubbies are only worthwhile in close proximity. Not true. Although the accuracy is best at 20-25 feet, an article by a retired detective claims he could easily hit his target up to 25 yards. In a self-defense situation, 25 yards is more than sufficient. You don’t even need to pull your gun if the perp is that far away.

The revolver holds less ammo than a semi-auto magazine but considering that the average self-defense scenario requires three shots or less, you should be okay.

Top J-Frame Revolvers for Concealed Carry

Despite popular opinion, not all snub nose revolvers are the same. Here are my top picks for the top J-frames for concealed carry:

Colt Cobra

The Colt Cobra reared its lethal head at the 2019 SHOT Show. This snubby holds six rounds of ammo, has a 2-inch barrel with stainless steel finish, and a fiber optic, high-visibility front sight. The Hogue Overmolded grips helps to cut down on recoil when using +P loads.

Ruger SP 101

The Ruger SP 101 is on the large side for a J-frame but still worth mentioning. This .357 Magnum has a 2.25-inch barrel and a comfortable grip for those that want extra power over a .38 Special.

Ruger LCR

The Ruger LCR is a lightweight handgun that is sleek, stylish, and affordable. The DAO trigger has a predictable, smooth pull. The LCR is available in many styles and offers choices in .22 LR, .22 WMR, .357 Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum.38 Special, and 9mm. Users can opt for 5, 6, or 8 round capacity.

S&W Bodyguard

S&W Bodyguard is the top choice among law enforcement for backup. The semi-polymer frame makes this model a true modern revolver. It’s available with a built-in integral defensive laser for shooting in low light or awkward shooting positions.

S&W 638

The S&W 638 is the original Bodyguard revolver. It’s not easy to find but worth the hunt. It has a shrouded hammer with a thumb tab that allows you to cock the hammer into single-action mode. It’s a great benefit to have although decocking a gun isn’t something for everyone. Still, it’s easy to conceal.

Final Thoughts

After thirty-five plus years of shooting N- and K-frame revolvers, it is quite enjoyable to add J-frames to my shooting battery. The .38 Special three-inch Trail Masterpiece and the four-inch .22 WMR Kit Gun are destined to experience a lot of use in the future and my wife already has her eye on the .32 Centennial. Oh, well we can get ahead next month.

Article used by permission of the author
http://www.sixguns.com/range/jframes.htm

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Smith And Wesson 32 Long Serial Number Lookup For Guns

Partnership with Horace Smith & Daniel B. Wesson was from 1856–1874. Family owned by the Wesson Family from 1874–1965. Smith & Wesson became a subsidiary of Bangor-Punta from 1965–1983. Between 1983–1987, Smith & Wesson was owned by the Lear Siegler Co. On May 22, 1987, it was sold to R.L.Tomkins, a British holding company. I have a revolver that I do not know a whole lot about. It has been determined to be a smith and wesson hand ejector made some time in the 1950s. I have noticed that there are two possible serial numbers, there is one on the yoke and one on the butt of the gun. Locate the serial number on the left side of the pistol's frame. The standard location for the serial number is above the trigger guard. Some serial numbers are located underneath the frame in.

1. The Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector First Model, commonly referred to as the Triple Lock, is one of the most coveted large-frame revolvers of the 20th century. For many, this gracefully configured.
2. Smith & Wesson.44 Hand Ejector 'Triple Lock' with blued finish, courtesy of Adams Guns. The first large framed Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector model. Now referred to as an N frame revolver, but for many decades was known as the 44 frame.

The first .38 Special revolver

Swing out cylinder, solid frame, double action revolvers were well established by the last decade of the 19th century.Iver Johnson employed the concept as early as 1879 and Colt’s Models of 1889-90, chambered for the .38 Long Colt cartridge were the standard U.S. Military sidearm by the early 1890s. Smith and Wesson called their version a “ Hand Ejector” to differentiate if from the break –top, automatic ejection arms of the time. In 1899, the Army and Navy placed orders with Smith and Wesson for two to three thousand (sources vary as to the exact number) Hand Ejector revolvers chambered for the .38 U.S. Service Cartridge (Long Colt.). It became the Military and Police model of 1899. The need for these additional revolvers arose during the Spanish- American War.These revolvers, along with the very similar Colts were in service during the Philippine insurrection of 1899. Early sources universally report that the old Long Colt cartridge was considered inadequate against the Moro warriors encountered there.Smith and Wesson responded by lengthening the .38 case and increasing the powder charge and bullet weight.Nominal velocity of the new .38 S&W Special cartridge was 870 feet per second against the reported 780 fps of the earlier round.Bullet weight increased from 150 to 158 grains and the black powder charge upped from 18 to 21 grains.It is clear that the military contract revolvers chambered the .38 Long Colt round.Early references indicate that the .38 Specials might have gone to the civilian market.Serial number run from number 1 in the K Frame Military and Police series to 20,975 spanning the years 1899- 1902.

At a glance, the model of 1899 appears nearly identical to the quintessential M&P of the 20^th century.The primary visible difference is the absence of a front locking lug.The cylinder locks only at the rear and at the locking notches leaving the ejector free standing.Barrel lengths are four, five, six and six and a half inches with finish options of blue and nickel. There are also target-sighted versions. These and serial number blocks-associated with small military orders, are very desirable as collectors items.

First Model M&P revolvers often exhibit the extremes of neglect. Black powder, chlorate priming and owner indifference take their toll among many examples. They do not fare nearly as well as the hand ejectors of 1902 and later.

Mine, number 8200, has only minor finish blemishes and is in near-new mechanical condition. The cylinder and crane lock tightly into the frame and timing is perfect. The bore and chambers are pristine and the internal lockwork - once relieved of decades of congealed lubricant - might well have been forged last week instead of 103 years ago. According to the factory letter, the revolver went to Bekeart & Company of San Francisco CA on December 20, 1900. Additional provenance shows the M&P registered to an E6 at Wheeler AFB, Hawaii in 1975 and has remained in his possession until this year.

Shooting the first .38 Special revolver

While the early Smith and Wessons resemble the Colt double actions in function and broad outline, I have always found the handling characteristics and the action of the Smiths to be much more desirable.This is purely a personal opinion and the gun magazines used to rage over the question “ Which is Better? Colt or Smith and Wesson.”M&P # 8200 with its frame fitting round butt and six- inch barrel points very well. The sight picture, comprised of a knife-sharp front blade and a tiny rear notch proved to be the limiting factor in shooting precise groups. On the other hand, the four pound single action trigger and the typically smooth Smith and Wesson Double Action, were great aides to practical accuracy.Many service revolvers and autos of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries feature raunchy six- pound single action triggers making it very hard to achieve any degree of precision.

M&P cylinders were not heat treated until 1920 so standard; factory level pressures are the order of the day.

My standard .38 Special load is 3.5 grains of Alliant Bullseye and the available 158- grain Lead bullet.This is a few tenths grain under the listed factory duplicate and the tightly gapped Model 1899 averaged 859 fps with the swaged Hornady SWC and 862 with a five round string of machine cast 158 SWC. This and subsequent shooting was done in five shot strings.The First M&P has no provision for a hammer block safety and while earlier owners no doubt loaded all six chambers with impunity, hindsight demands that we leave an empty under the hammer.

In keeping with shooting practices at the end of the 19^th Century, I did most of my shooting one-handed.This is how Walter Mitty’s dad would have done it and it captures the flavor of the era.My 25 yard bench groups and fifty foot off hand efforts ran four inches.I was unable to fully exploit the accuracy of the revolver because of the sight picture. Point of impact was dead on for elevation and slightly to left of point of aim.

The light recoil of the standard .38 Special and the superior handling qualities of the Smith Hand Ejector came into their own in the more “practical” shooting exercises. Firing double action single-handed with the shots spaced about one second apart, I was able to keep fifteen consecutive rounds in the center ring of the Texas Police Target at twenty-five yards. The sights did not seem much of a handicap in this application. The revolver came very naturally up to point. A clear flash sight picture came about naturally and hung steady through the smooth double action pull. I also managed ten consecutive hits on the upper torso from a vertical braced position single action at fifty yards.

The Military and Police first model emerged as a dynamic reactive tool for the gunfighter of a century ago.It continues to satisfy the essential criteria for a personal sidearm in the present day.

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TheSmith And Wesson

Militaryand Police Hand Ejector

Smith And Wesson Hand Ejector Serial Numbers Lookup

Model of 1905, .38 Special

writtenand photographed by Mike Cumpston

Smith And Wesson 32 Long Serial Number Lookup For Equipment

editedby John Dunn

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TheM&P is frequently cited as the most prolifically manufactured handgun inhistory and it certainly did define the double action revolver during the 20^thCentury. A pocket history is in order and I will dwell on certain high points ofits development rather than attempting to cover the many evolutionary changes inthe design. The history is obligatory--although off-repeated and undoubtedlyboring to those familiar with the subject.

It appears that themodern, service caliber swing-cylinder, hand-ejector revolver dates from theColt Army and Navy Models of 1889-1892 then chambered for the .38 Long ColtCartridge. The Smith and Wesson First Model Hand Ejector Military and Policecame out in 1899 and closely resembled the Colt in size and function. Like theColts, this First Smith and Wesson had a free standing ejector rod and thecylinder locked into the frame at the breach only. The .38 Long Colt Cartridgewas a step up from the very early .38 Colt which became known as the .38 ShortColt. The switch was made from a case diameter healed bullet much like that ofthe current .22 Long Rifle to a hollow based round nosed projectile of 150grains. The hope was that the bullet would slug up to fit the bore and affordsome degree of accuracy. Loaded over 18 grains of black powder, the nominalvelocity is reported in the mid to high 700 fps range. It was a cartridge thatcould be expected to lob a bullet well into and frequently, all the way througha human torso and was reported to be less intimidating than the large borerevolvers previously issued to minimally trained military and police personnel.

Smith And Wesson 32 Long Serial Number Lookup Model

The .38 doubleactions saw some use in the Philippine Campaign of 1899 and afterward and therewere reports of inadequate performance on the highly motivated and reportedlydrug enhanced Moro adversary.

This is the reportedmotivating factor for the development of the .38 Special Cartridge and theimproved Hand-Ejector 2^nd Model of 1902. The Special had a slightlyelongated case and a 158-grain round nosed bullet over 21 grains of blackpowder. Velocity is reported at 870 fps but it is notable that current smokelesspowder cartridges frequently show velocities in the high 700 fps range. Somesources report that examples of the First Model M&P of 1899 were chamberedfor the Special cartridge making it possible that the round actually predatesits official introduction in 1902. The hand ejector model of 1902 and itssuccessors had a front locking lug under the barrel and a number of importantaction changes took place over the next several years. The Model 1905incorporated a passive hammer block in the '4^th Change'variation of 1915. Heat treating of cylinders began in 1919 and, in 1922 thefront sight and rear sight groove were widened for better visibility. From 1915through 1940 (or 1942 in some references) changes were relatively minor. Serialnumbers began with the First Model of 1899 and reached about 700,000 beforeWorld War II. Barrel length options on the basic service revolver included 2(1933), 4, 5 and six inches with the five inch length being particularlypopular.

The design underwentfurther lock-work changes directly after WWII with linear descendents of theM&P remaining in production into the 21^st Century.

AK Church (http://milesfortis.com/church/akc07.htm)aptly characterized this model as being so common as to slip into the woodwork.Everybody from Bogart to Jungle Jim to Rocket Man had one and the M&P becamethe archetype handgun in the public eye for most of the last century. Itsassociation with snap-brimmed hats, flap holsters and pith helmets, not tomention police uniforms sent many a potential handgun buyer to the hardwarestore in search of 'one of those .38 Police Specials.'

My present exampleof the M&P is a Model of 1905 4^th change produced in 1938 or 39equipped with a 4' barrel and the original numbered service type stocks. Itretains most of its high polished commercial finish and appears to have spentmuch of its life span holstered in a drawer. It has been fired, cycled andhandled very little and the impression is that the action is mechanically new.The single action trigger breaks at between 3.5 and 4 pounds and the cylinderreaches full lock-up well before double action release. Overall handling andshooting characteristics are very much like those of my old 1947 5' barrelM&P and a 6' Model 10 from 1958 or 59. If anything, the current exampleis less-used than the others and is a bit less smooth at the end of the doubleaction cycle. There is no evidence that anyone has removed the side-plate andtampered with the action. Upon first inspection, I primed several cases with CCImagnum pistol primers and tried the double action. One primer of six detonatedgiving rise to the possibility that (1) somebody had shortened the mainspringstrain screw or, more likely (2) like many old and modern double actionrevolvers, it was never designed to function against the unreasonably tough CCIprimer cups. I wondered if possibly the leaf mainspring might have lost some ofits strength during the past 64 years. This idea was shot down by premierpistolsmith, Alex Hamilton who said 'your mainspring will last forever…'

I found a spentlarge pistol primer with the anvil gone and capped the strain screw. Theadditional purchase proved a positive fix.

Smith And Wesson 32 Hand Ejector Serial Numbers

Shooting It

There is now abewildering array of .38 Special load variations. The standard loading in thefirst half of the 20^th The belko experiment online, free. Century was a smokeless powder loading of the158 grain lead round nose. There was a 'Super Police' loading of around nosed 200-grain bullet, a metal capped RN and the 148-grain wadcuttertarget load. The 'High Speed' or 38-44 loads as well as the sharppointed jacketed 150grain metal piercing load were recommended for the largerframe heavy duty revolvers. It is widely held that the M&P revolvers thatpredate the Model 10 of the late 1950s are happier off with the standardpressure load not exceeding 15,000 pounds per square inch. Notably, by 1959Speer was testing 18,000 PSI loads in K-frame revolvers and I used a bunch ofthese loads in my old early post-war model. This was an accepted practice at thetime but not one I care to repeat or recommend with my vintage 1905 4^thChange. Accordingly, I concocted several loads matching nominal factoryperformance.

The cast semi-wadcutterover 3.5 Bullseye and the swaged Hornady SWC over 4.3 Unique closely duplicateactual velocities I have gotten with modern factory round nose loading. The 700Xload approaches the published velocity of the same factory loads. The 2.7Bullseye /cast wadcutter load is a traditional bulls eye shooter's standard withmany target shooters upping the charge a bit for the 50 yard segment of the NRAbulls eye matches. These loads will do everything I expect of the vintageK-frame revolver. The present example preferred the wadcutter and swaged Hornadybullet loads over the cast SWCs, turning in two-inch 25-yard groups from mybench set-up.

This appears to beabout the best accuracy I can produce with the 4' revolver--which is tosay, not quite up to the full potential of the gun-loads. During bench shooting,I saw that the gun was printing several inches low at

25 yards. The same wastrue of my earlier five and six inch models. It becomes necessary to cover thedesired point of impact with the sight picture during practical shooting andmakes the revolver suitable for small game hunting at close range only. It alsothrows an important crimp into enjoyable precision bulls eye shooting at theusual distances.

Said limitationsbeing what they are, I set out to explore what of a practical and enjoyablenature might be gleaned from the M&P. When my Model 1905 4^thChange came out of the factory at the tail end of the Great Depression, whatformal handgun training that existed leaned heavily toward the techniques ofbulls eye shooting. The gun was extended from a single hand and fired singleaction to take advantage of the light and short trigger pull. In contrast tocurrent practical training the targets were placed at great distance – 20 to25 yards at the shortest and consisted of a primary aiming point somewhatsmaller than the common tea saucer. The cursory nature of most handgun trainingprograms combined with the approximate nature of fixed sight regulation and suchmatters as the expense of ammunition gave rise to such cultural truisms as, 'Can’tnobody hit nothin’ with no pistol! Pistols is inaccrit!'

While few peopleapproached anything like proficiency with the short gun, an enthusiast with amodicum of practice could give the lie to the generally held perspective. Thiswould be particularly true if the bygone shooter was equipped with an M&P.The single action break of under 4 pounds coupled with a double action pull inthe 11 to 12 pound range compares favorably with most service actions of historywhich, more often than not, exhibited single action trigger pulls of six poundsand more and double actions-where present- in the 15-17 pound range.

After using up oneof the TXTP silhouette targets in general familiarization, I set one at 25 yardsand began to shoot 'for the record.' That the historic lack of respectfor the double-action firing mode persisted into the late 1930s was evident inthat the hump-backed hammer at rest obscured much of the rear sight notch. Thishold-over from the double actions of the 19^th Century made itnecessary to refine the sight picture after initiation of the DA stroke. Thisproved no real impediment to effective one-handed double action shooting at 25yards. The rounds, launched with a straight--through pull impacted, with oneexception, in the high scoring five ring of the target. I made an earlycorrection to move the group upward and to the right, but even so, the majorityof the shots would have A-Zoned one of the IPSC targets. The overall geometry ofthe revolver and notably a favorable trigger reach contributed to shot breaks abit over the one-second mark. Recoil with the frame-fitting service stocks madeitself known on my thumb joint but did not approach the painful over the courseof several extended shooting sessions. Two-handed twenty-five yard double actionshooting narrowed group size but perhaps not to the degree that might beexpected. In the course of any practice session, I like to do a bit of off-handsingle action shooting trying for precise placement at 25 yards or thereabout. Icombine this with some work on the head segment of the targets when shootingsilhouettes. One- or two-handed single action shooting lands almost all shotssome where in the head or neck region.

In the earlyshooting session, I moved the Silhouette back to fifty yards and fired twelverounds one-handed single action using the head as an aiming point. Eleven of thetwelve rounds impacted the 5 zone while one round landed about 4' outsidethe silhouette and over the left shoulder. The Hand Ejector Military and PoliceModel of 1905 4^th Change accomplished the above described process ina confidence building and satisfactory manner. Group sizes are somewhat largerthan I have come to expect firing the same drill with an accurate 1911 .45 or aheavier Smith or Ruger revolver. On the plus side, the overall ergonomics of therevolver provide a speed advantage over the larger cylinder guns and just aboutequals that of the self-loader. This is not a shabby testament to a compactsidearm that, at 30oz or a bit less, is eleven or twelve ounces lighter than therevolvers I wear about on a daily basis.

The M&P is noless well suited to the more modern shooting modes. Drawing from strong sideconcealment, I fired a series of doubles from three and seven yards. Initialshots were in the 1.5 to less than 2 second range while I guess my shotintervals to be in the .20 to .30 second range. Precisely aimed double actionshots into the head from seven yards produced a nasty twelve round ulcer thatstood testament to the surgical capabilities of the old handgun.

A sixty (or eveneighty) year old hand-ejector revolver gives up very little in comparison withthe revolvers of the present time. My example retailed for $33 in the 1940Stoeger Catalog, which translates to $426.86 in Y2K fiat dollars. This iscomparable to current prices of the M&P progeny representing a pretty goodweeks’ salary then and now. Mine proves a particular bargain at $250. This isright in line with the current Blue Book estimate--no ad valorum tacked on forsuch intangibles as the commercial carbona blue finish, the forged lockwork, thehand polishing and the finely checkered figured walnut grips. A modernnostalgia-piece knock-off of the M&P recently went out of the SmithPerformance Center to one of the major distributors. It attempted to recreatethe flavor of the old M&P using modern technology with the added flourish ofa color case-hardened frame in the same style as the more recent HeritageSeries. The retail bite of $700 to $1,000 is motivation enough for the modernshopper to direct a bit more attention to the old Hand-Ejectors than hashere-to-fore been the case.

Further Notes onthe .38 Special Cartridge:

With some regularityit is demonstrated that a person shot with a given firearm will not react in theexpected manner. The standard operating procedure is to fall down and quitwhatever you were doing immediately prior to being shot. When this does nothappen, there is much consternation and all the wrappings and trappings of'cognitive dissonance' come into play. The ubiquitous nature of the.38 Special has allowed it to fail (and succeed) in its assigned role perhapsmore than any other round in history. Never mind that everything from the .22Short through the .44 Magnum demonstrate failures to stop on reasonably frequentoccasions, the .38, by virtue of its universal distribution quickly developed areputation as a poor stopper. That it also developed a reputation as a goodstopper is beside the point.

Recently, I read astory about an early 20^th century lawman who entered a bar and shotdown five or six gentleman killing them outright and immediately with his model1902 M&P Second Model loaded with black powder round nosed CTGs. ColonelCharles Askins described killing two men with the .38 RN load and was quitedelighted with the results. More recently, Bernard Goetz plugged four gang-bangerson a New York train and every one of them lived to admit that they had beenplanning to jack him with their sharpened screwdrivers and did not do so onlybecause they were shot. The civil rights of the disadvantaged youths werevindicated when a New York jury convicted Goetz of feloniously shooting themwith an illegally carried firearm. Many things have been written on the subjectof stopping power as it applies to the traditional .38 Special load and many ofthem are not true. Likewise many of them are true and it becomes a thankless,life-long task figuring out which is which. Meanwhile, the reader is requestedto develop his own personal theory of stopping power and his own take on theutility of the .38 Special.

The 1905 M&P 4^thChange was produced in huge and bewildering numbers. Assistance in dating thisexample was provided by:

bruce hmx
wheelgunner 610

rburg
smithnut

Of http://www.smith-wessonforum.com

Who pulled out theirreference books, personal revolvers and factory provenance letters to narrow theproduction period of number 667,XXX to 1938-39.

Thanks is also dueto AK Church (not his real name) who wrote the reference piece located at:

http://www.milesfortis.com/church/akc07.htm

His shootingimpressions of the M&P and Model 10 were much appreciated.

As usual the smartwork and editorial oversight is provided by Mr. John Dunn, the Lone Gunman whooccupies the Chair of the Creative Cybercide Foundation also located at thisaddress.

Mr. Miles Fortishimself provides the bandwidth and willingness to host and publish this andother ramblings of your humble correspondent and his indulgence is appreciated.

Smith & Wesson Serial Number Chart

Historicalreferences are drawn, in part from W.H.B. Smith’s Book of Pistols andRevolvers and; Sixguns by Elmer Keith. Other sources, as well, contribute to thehistorical data and it may be important to note that none of them are in perfectagreement.

S&w Hand Ejector Parts

Smith And Wesson 32 Hand Ejector Serial Numbers

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