Rim fire .32 ?

[oldwood1]

I have a small revolver, measures about .32cal, markings on gun
E. A. Prescott Worcester, Mass.
PAT'D OCT. 2 . 1860
Appears to be rimfire, 6 shot. Cylinder is removed for loading. Any info on revolver or ammo would be great thanks, Oldwood1

[gunfan]

.32 Rimfire cartridge
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.32 Rimfire Cartridge
Type Pistol/Rifle
Place of origin United States
Specifications
Bullet diameter .313 in (8.0 mm)
Neck diameter .313 in (8.0 mm)
Base diameter .318 in (8.1 mm)
Rim diameter .374 in (9.5 mm)
Case length 0.92 in (23 mm)
Overall length 1.26 in (32 mm)
Filling Black Powder, later smokeless powder
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
80 gr (5.2 g) Rimmed 945 ft/s (288 m/s) 126 ft·lbf (171 J)
Test barrel length: 24

The .32 rimfire cartridge was chambered in revolvers and rifles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was made primarily in short and long lengths, but extra short and extra long lengths were also offered. Manufacturers in the USA generally discontinued making the .32 rimfire after the country's entrance into WWII in 1941. It was available from old stocks for some years afterwards but it has been made only sporadically in the last 70 years. Occasionally, special limited runs of .32 rimfire ammunition are manufactured for gun collectors with shootable specimens but the round is not considered a current commercial cartridge. Navy Arms Company has periodically imported .32 Rimfire Long, made by CBC in Brazil, but stopped doing so several years ago. It is difficult to obtain as of this writing. There are currently no plans for its re-introduction to the US market, according to discussions with Val Forgett III, President of Navy Arms.

The .32 Short fired a 80 grain lead bullet at 945 feet per second from a 24-inch rifle barrel. The .32 Long fired a slightly heavier 90 grain bullet at approximately the same velocity. Remington rifles in .32 rimfire listed a bore diameter of .304 inch.[1]

The .32 Short and Long rimfire cartridges matched the external dimensions of the .32 Colt Short and Long centerfire cartridges; the Marlin Model 1891 lever-action repeating rifle was shipped with two firing pins, one rimfire and one centerfire, to allow use of either the rimfire or centerfire cartridges.[2] Revolvers and single shot rifles chambered for one of the longer .32 rimfire cartridges would chamber and fire the shorter cartridges.

During its lifetime, the .32 rimfire was loaded with black powder followed by semi-smokeless and smokeless powder loadings. While it was popular as a very effective small game caliber, it was considered obsolete by the late 1930s, in part due to the introduction of high velocity versions of the .22 Long Rifle using smokeless powder.

[NoZombies]

Oldwood,

There are a few threads on the 32 rimfire in the "rimfire" section of this website, a few sections down from this one. Included is a thread about "reloadable" .32 rimfire brass that might provide an opportunity for you to shoot the old gun, if you'd care to.

[Multigunner]

There are chamber inserts that have an off set chamber cut into them to hold a .22 blank cartridge which propells a size No.1 buckshot.

Two friends have .32 Rimfire revolvers, one a fine Remington cartridge conversion of the .31 pocket revolver made around 1870. These came from the factory this way, but used a cut off C&B cylinder with detachable breech plate and retained the old loading lever.

I searched high and low for ammo but none was available at the time.
Call for .32 Rimfire is so small that the only company that makes it only makes a limited run once a decade or so. The ammo is then snapped up fast by those who have spent years trying to find some.
I think the only reason they still manufacture this round in limited quantities is because some South American small game hunters still use the old rifles chambered for it.

[Dutchman]

I have a small revolver, measures about .32cal, markings on gun
E. A. Prescott Worcester, Mass.
PAT'D OCT. 2 . 1860
Appears to be rimfire, 6 shot. Cylinder is removed for loading. Any info on revolver or ammo would be great thanks, Oldwood1

E.A.Prescott Pocket Model, Worchester Massachusetts. Mfg 1862-1867. Total quantity estimated at several hundred of each of the various styles.

Yours appears to be the "long frame" with "irregular shaped sideplate". Cylinder notches toward the front of the cylinder.

This from Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms.

This pistol is the type that was privately purchased by soldiers going off to fight the war. The holster is certainly reminiscent of a flap type military holster, left side draw.

It is a wonderful piece of Americana and is in very fine condition. I would hope it's something you'll keep in the family. If not I'll send my address:).

http://armscollectors.com/mgs/prescott1.htm

"Edwin A. Prescott of Worcester, Massachusetts and Norwich, Connecticut, an ex-employee of Ethan Allen, was the patentee and maker of these .38 caliber rimfire cartridge revolvers. His design was granted patent #30,245 on October 2, 1860. The Prescott was distributed by Merwin & Bray. Due to it's being an infringement upon the Rollin White patent, which was assigned to Smith & Wesson, production was stopped in 1863."

There's quite a lot of feedback via google...

https://www.google.com/search?num=30&hl=en&safe=off&site=&source=hp&q=e.a.+prescott+pistol&oq=e.a.+prescott+pistol&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...831l4933l0l5172l20l20l0l2l2l0l391l2991 l5j7j4j2l18l0.frgbld.

The value would need to be determined by a person familiar with the antique handgun market. Some E.A.Prescott revolvers have sold well over $3,000. Not saying yours is worth that just that this is the reason it needs appraisal by someone in the know.

Dutch

[Dutchman]

http://images61.fotki.com/v777/photos/2/28344/6456804/00030245001b-vi.jpg

[oldwood1]

A big THANK YOU, to "gunfan", " NoZombies", and "multigunner" lots of good information!
oldwood1

[oldwood1]

Thanks "Dutchman", my revolver has 3 serial type numbers, 240 on the barrel and 248 on the cylinder and rod that holds the cylinder. The barrel is about 4" long from muzzle to where it meets the cylinder. Length of the total gun is about 8". Thanks again , oldwood1