S&W Bekeart .22/32

[Ghugly]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=112185917

My kid has been kicking around the idea of picking up a .22. He is absolutely in love with my .32 Hand Ejector. The .22/32 S&W Bekeart looks too good to be true. Anyone here have any experience with them?

[floodgate]

Ghugly:

It is, as described, a truly lovely little revolver. Same frame as the .32 H.E. but cut for target sights. If you can afford it, grab it for him! I've passed up a couple, years back, and really regret it.

Floodgate

[dubber123]

I believe all of S&W's Pre-war revolvers in .22 had to pass a 50 yd. accuracy standard of 1-1/2". I believe the Bekeart model is included in this. That was with 70+ year old rimfire ammo technology. Some fresh match ammo should be interesting..

[Bret4207]

I've held a couple of those, great little guns. Be advised the sights are not what we today consider target sights, but for a kid with young eyes they should work. Might want to stick to standard velocity ammo too. I'm not sure those had the recessed case heads. Of course that may be a non-issue since the 22LR brass is much stronger today than years ago, but I grew up on C.S Landis and Elmer Kieth, so I tend to follow their cue.

That revolter will go UP in value no doubt.

[MtGun44]

I have a .22/32 target model 6" bbl, but it is not technically a Bekheart
as it was not shipped to that dealer with the appropriate box. It is a
good shooter, but is picky about what ammo it likes. The sights are
really good ones. The SA trigger pull is excellent. The front sight is
a target style with a neat inlaid brass disk that is visible in the right
light. Apparently the 'real deal' are high dollar collectibles and the
boxes alone go for hundreds !

Here are some pix of the gun and some of my better groups, sitting
wrists between knees at 25 yds.

I lucked into the gun, didn't really know what it was other than a really
nice little .22 S&W target pistol when I bought it. Nice little gun, a keeper.

Bill

[Bret4207]

Bill, thats a nice one! The sights on yours a little different than on the ones I've seen. A custom order maybe? Smith used to do that. I like that front sight, a lot!

[9.3X62AL]

About a year ago I saw a Bekeart in 90% or a little better shape in a Riverside CA shop. It was unmodified, and had a gold bead front sight facing. Its price kept me at bay ($950), but I got a chance to actually hold it. I believe I could actually do some decent shooting with those Bekeart-shaped stocks in that bitty roller, a thing I have trouble doing with the I/J-frame S&Ws due to grip dimensions.

[MtGun44]

Bret,

Thanks for the compliment! :-D

I think this is the standard sights for the target model, altho I do not know about
the brass insert. The rear is much smaller than the modern target sight and
has no clicks, just screw adjustment. I saw a few that looked pretty much like it
(altho the pix were not always detailed enough to be certain) on the web that
were "real" Beakharts (however you spell it!) :roll:

Al -
the grip frame is a tiny round butt, with these large oversized grips added which
make it work real well for such a small pistol. It is a joy to hold and fun to
shoot. :Fire:

I lucked into it at a Topeka gun show and wasn't quite sure what it was until
I spend some hours researching it on the net. It is beautifully made and
shoots fine with ammo it likes. It makes no difference to me if it increases in
value as I do not intend to sell it. The price was reasonable for a nice little
S&W revolver in good shape, not pumped up by 'collector values'.

Bill

[georgewxxx]

Collector values? Check out this Smith....Geo

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=112388381

[MtGun44]

Identical to mine, except for the 4" bbl, and mine is a bit nicer
condition.

Can't imagine someone paying ~ 20 times what I paid for mine because
it has a 2" shorter bbl.

Bret - you can see the rear sight in the pix, mine is just like it, a mini
version of the later adjustables with no clicks on the adjuster screws.
Can't see if it has the inlaid front sight. Exact same grips and rd butt
grip frame, mine are SNed too, IIRC.

Bill

[Bret4207]

Bill, the ones I handled, the rear sight was just like yours. The front was a version of a Call bead in silver. Both were the same, but both were only in moderate condition. I wish I had the bucks to buy them!

[MtGun44]

Bret,

I'm not sure what a Call bead is. Is that a round bead like a typical 50-60s
.22 rifle front sight?

As far as finding one, well, I just lucked into it. Keep going to gun shows, maybe one will turn up.

I think some of the collector stuff is just crazy. Buying a gun to lock it in a
safe and never shoot it seems silly to me. They are intended to be shot.
Especially older guns that have already been fired a lot. I guess the unfired
ones are a bit different, but not much to me.

I have never and do not intend to buy guns that will not be shot. I have
actually passed on old guns that are unfired since I would immediately "correct"
that situation, and I figured I'd just leave it for someone that wanted
an unfired gun. Besides, they usually want extra for unfired and I won't
pay one penny more, since I'm going to go out and shoot it immediately.

Bill