I am smitten

[Ghugly]

A friend of mine found an old revolver that belonged to his late father. I asked to see it. I was stunned. It's a S&W .32 Long, hand ejector with a 3-something inch barrel. As best I've been able to tell, it was made on or about 1908-10. The bluing is probably 60-70%, the rubber round-butt grips are basically perfect, the bore is perfect, and the action is the tightest I've ever seen on a revolver, ever. I'm in love. A price of $300 was tossed around and he said that if he should decide to sell it, it's mine. I've never had one of the old hand ejectors in my grubby paws before. It's like a work of art.

[dubber123]

You are not alone, I have a 4" nickle .32, and the quality hand work in them is obvious. Shoots like you wouldn't believe too. I hope you get it.

[be603]

Speaking of old S&W .32's. This one's a bit before that hand ejector you're eying. It was the object of my youthful desire all those years my dad had it wrapped up in an old piece of PJ material in his sock drawer. Yes, I'd sneak in and fondle when alone in the house. Yes, I learned from that and keep all my firearms locked up. :-)

Not sure about its story. He'd been given it by his father and a couple years back Dad passed it along to me. It hasn't been fired since the late 40's or early 50's when Dad got it from Grandpa. I remember being told Grandpa got it as barter or to pay off a debt from his sorghum mill or some horse training he did.

That'd be Gramp's far left on the snare next to his brother on the bass drum. Wonder if he was packing that day... :Fire:

crossposted on blog (http://blackeagle603.blogspot.com/2008/05/saturday-gun-pron.html)

[JayinAZ]

I just picked up a cosmetically challenged .32 Regulation Police, 3 1/4" bbl for $250. Despite the somewhat rough bore it's a good shooter, at least with the S&B 100 gr WC ammo I tired it out with. I don't think you'd regret adding it to your collection. mine dates from 1918 or 19.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/2517939006_6b12656e30_o.jpg

15 yard group, off hand:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2113/2519895804_537198de17_o.jpg

[Bret4207]

Youse guys better count yerselves lucky for running onto such nice guns. 32's are rare up here in my neck of the woods. Thats bad news for a 32 fanatic like me....

[Ghugly]

Except for having the square butt, the regulation police looks like the same gun that my friend has. The quality of these guns just amaze me. There are some things that modern technology and manufacturing methods just haven't improved.

[NoDakJak]

About ten years ago I gave my wife a 32 Hand Ejector. At that time I was newly retired and got to play by working on a ranch over in Montana five days a week. Someone tried to break into the house while I was at work and my wife was just a bit excited. She accidently fired a round into the bedroom wall. Certainly served itk purpose however as the crook departed posthaste and hasn't been back. My favorite revolver is a late model Police Positive with four inch barrel. Have been planning to install S&W Kitgun sights but just haven't got around to it yet. My real jewel however is an almost new condition Dick Special chambered for 32 New Police. It goes wherever I go. I ran a 3,000 round test of 32 loads a few years back utilizing four revolvers. The hands down winner was Lyman 311008. Most accurate was 2.8 grains of Ramshot's ZIP at 820 fps. Second most accurate and a bit more powerful was 5.5 grains of 2400 for 950 fps. You definetly "DO NOT" want to try these loads in anything other than a good Colt, S&W or Charter Arms. Buy the revolver! They are a fine piece of machinery and are a piece of lost history. Neil

[mtnman31]

This is my .32 Long. A friend gave it to me to see if I could fix it. I think somewhere along the line it may have been used as a hammer and before that it must have been stored in the bed of a pick-up. The barrel has a slight bulge about halfway down and the grips are actually from a Rossi. I don't know what keeps the cylinder from just falling off and the trigger pulls some of the time. Suprisingly, the crane is fairly tight, maybe it is peened in place from the beatings the gun took. Needless to say, it just hangs on the wall and has not been fired since it came into my possession. I don't think it would even qualify as a diamond "in the rough"(the picture doesn't do its sorry condition justice). Nonetheless, it looks good on the wall and is good for conversation.

7592

It is quite small and feels like a cap gun in my hand. I think one in better condition would be a riot to shoot. After I get myself a M1917 revolver I'll have to look at getting a shootable .32.

[Ghugly]

Life is good. My son bought the .32 and gave it to me for father's day. The more I look at it, the more I appreciate the skill and care that went into it's construction. Tomorrow it goes to the range. I do have a question for those of you who know more about these than I. Will a set of grips for a "J" frame fit? The grips that are on it are in good shape, and I intend to keep them that way, but the gun is a little small for my rather large mits.

[MtGun44]

This is a .32 I-frame made into a .22 LR target pistol. This is called
the .22/.32 Target Model.

Very small grips. Note how they added length with the oversized
target grips. I doubt that the J-frame grips would fit, but they might.

I have been looking for a .32 to try out, but no deals yet.

Bill

[9.3X62AL]

I-frame = square butt in the old ones, and square-butt J-frame Pachmayrs fit my examples perfectly. J-frame = round butt in the old ones, and round butt Pachs fit fine.

[JayinAZ]

I'm glad you got it Ghugly. Looking forward to the range report! I did a real brief test of mine today with some RCBS 032-98-SWC, over 2.5 gr Green Dot and over 1.8 gr Bullseye. They both worked well although the Green Dot load was slightly more accurate and had more oomph. Wasn't able to set up my chrono today and it was 110 degrees so I didn't do too much shooting :)

[Ghugly]

I found out a little more about my .32. A kind gentleman on the S&W Forum said that it is a ".32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 5th. Change" (whatever that means). I took it to the range yesterday with a box of Magtech 98gr LRN. 25 yard groups were perhaps 4". The gun is a little sweetheart.

I think the ammo is crap, very sooty and soot about halfway back on the fired cases. When I get the fixin's, I'll work up a load that works. I'm really fooking forward to it.

[dubber123]

I found out a little more about my .32. A kind gentleman on the S&W Forum said that it is a ".32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 5th. Change" (whatever that means). I took it to the range yesterday with a box of Magtech 98gr LRN. 25 yard groups were perhaps 4". The gun is a little sweetheart.

I think the ammo is crap, very sooty and soot about halfway back on the fired cases. When I get the fixin's, I'll work up a load that works. I'm really fooking forward to it.

You can likely expect a major improvement with handloads. They are hard to shoot with the tiny grips, but with the right loads are simply amazing. The RCBS SWC boolit does exceptionally well in mine. Glad to hear someone got it that appreciates it.

[Ghugly]

OK guys. This is the most accurate pistol I have. It may be the most accurate pistol I've ever had. The Lee tumble-lube 90gr semi-wad cutter over 2.7gr of Universal shoots exactly to point of aim. At 15 yards 6 shots into 4 holes and I can cover the whole thing up with a 50 cent piece. At the same distance, I can shoot at previous holes and just enlarge them.

Why 15 yards? Because that is the farthest that I'm able to use these miserable sights with. I installed a pair of Pachmayr compact grips. Not a perfect fit, but close enough. So, the grips are taken care of. But what can I do about the sights?

I had a couple of the guys at the range try it, including the range master. The load was proclaimed "perfect" (I agree) and the gun, "damn, this thing shoots for a 100 year old gun" (I whole heartedly agree) but the sights were universally hated.

[9.3X62AL]

"......the sights were universally hated."

Few truer words were ever spoken about the sighting systems on these and similar revolvers of their era. I have a Colt Pocket Positive x 6", original nickel--and the shiny car-bumper finish makes a miserable sight picture even more impossible, if that is do-able. I have the "default setting" of the S&W Model 16-4 in 32 Mag with its MUCH better iron sights to play with, so when I get aggravated with the mizzable sights on the CPP I can assuage the grief with that critter. Another great way to appreciate modern square-profiled iron sights on wheelguns is to shoot an 1851 or 1860 Colt cap & ball repro, with its front sight spire and notched-hammer rear sight for navigation. Accuracy with such systems is like success with second marriages--a triumph of hope and effort over experience and expectation.

[NoDakJak]

About twenty years I screwed up and sold a nickel plated 32 Hand Ejector that was in new condition because I couldn't see the sights. Damn, I wish that I had it back.
I install Pachmyr Compac on all my "I" and "J" frame revolvers. I like them on the "D" frame Colts also. You could have a set of S&W Kitgun sights installled by a good custom smith. I have a set that I purchased a number of years ago that I am going to install on my Colt, four inch Police Positive that was made in the seventies. That should make the perfect Kitgun.
Neil

[scrapcan]

NODakJak,

Any pictures of the guns modified for the sights you mentioned?

[MT Gianni]

"......the sights were universally hated."

Few truer words were ever spoken about the sighting systems on these and similar revolvers of their era. I have a Colt Pocket Positive x 6", original nickel--and the shiny car-bumper finish makes a miserable sight picture even more impossible, if that is do-able. I have the "default setting" of the S&W Model 16-4 in 32 Mag with its MUCH better iron sights to play with, so when I get aggravated with the mizzable sights on the CPP I can assuage the grief with that critter. Another great way to appreciate modern square-profiled iron sights on wheelguns is to shoot an 1851 or 1860 Colt cap & ball repro, with its front sight spire and notched-hammer rear sight for navigation. Accuracy with such systems is like success with second marriages--a triumph of hope and effort over experience and expectation.

Al, Your marriage quote is being written down in my notebook. Thanks, Gianni

[dbldblu]

My eyes can't see skinny front sights anymore, rifle or handgun. You might try the following. Take about a 1/4" square of black electrical tape. Apply it to one side of the front sight and fold it over the top to the other side. Then I usually do a second piece right over the first piece. This rounds out and fattens the sight enough that I can see it. You will probably have to redo this each shooting session but it is easy to do.

[Alchemist]

Youse guys better count yerselves lucky for running onto such nice guns. 32's are rare up here in my neck of the woods. Thats bad news for a 32 fanatic like me....


Gunbroker.com :drinks:

I found a S&W model 31...should get it next week.

[Scrounger]

Here's a Model 30 that should get your beanie whizzing: http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=8707210

[NoDakJak]

manleyjt: Nothing yet. Retirement has put a definite crimp in the money department. The milling machine is so worn out and inaccurate that I am very hesitant about trying the job myself and I just haven't had the money to have a smith tackle the job.
I never knew about the 32 Magnum Chiefs Special with the adjustable sights intil several years after they were a done deal. That would be the perfect Kitgun. My tests with the 32's are far from over. So far the 32 S&W Long cases in the 32 H&R Magum Ruger Bisleys and Single Sixes have been more accurate than similar loads in the 32 magbrass. Hmmm! I have no explanation for that.
If and when I finally manage to get the Kitgun sights installed on the Colt I will try to post
pictures. The Colt is just slightly larger and heavier than the Smith J frame but it is slightly more accurate than any other 32 that I have tested. Incidentally, a latecomer to my tests and one that never got noted was a Two inch, Charter Arms Undercoverette. Very hard to shoot with the tiny factory grips but may just be the most accurate of the test pistols with boolits lighter than the RCBS 98 grain slug.
I love the 32's but a few nights ago when faced with a possible intruder in the middle of the night I would have been much happier with my 44 Bulldog in hand. Ah well! Ya can't have everything! Neil