Old S&W clone?

[Jart]

A buddy came up with an "attic find": an apparent copy of a S&W model 10 in .32 long.

No pics but it looks almost exactly like the top photo from Max Popenker's site here:
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg76-e.htm

The grips, possibly a brown plastic, appear more like the c. 1941 photo while the ejector rod is of the type in the top picture. It's chambered in .32 long.

The barrel is marked:
"Guisasola Bros Eibar Spain".

Does anybody know if the Guisasola was a servicable clone perhaps safe to shoot or was it a cheap knock-off?

 

[Mike Irwin]

It's not a copy of the Model 10, it's actually a copy of the I frame Regulation Police.

The Model 10 was chambered in .38 Special, and didn't actually come into being until 1957 when S&W started using model numbers. Prior to that the Model 10 was known as the Military and Police Hand Ejector.

But, back to the Spanish copy. Dozens of makers made these copies, and quality ranges from really good to downright frightening.

IF I remember correctly, Guisasola Bros. made lower middle class copies. Not terrible, but not great.

I'd advise NOT shooting it.

If, however, he wants to shoot it, I'd use only moderate target wadcutter loads to keep chamber pressures down.

Or, you could do what a friend of mine did a year or two ago...

He found an old Spanish copy in .32 for a song ($20 or something like that) from one of the low-end makers.

It was in mediocre shape, so he loaded up five "super special .32 Long Dominators" -- essentially as much Bullseye as he could get into the case, followed by a jacketed .32 Long bullet crimped in as hard as he could get it.

He clamped the frame into a vice, got under cover, and pulled the trigger with a rope.

He didn't need the other four Dominators.

The moron didn't take pictures, but the top strap and half the cylinder disappeared. He never did find them. The barrel spit almost half way up, and the bottom frame was bent so that the muzzle was pointing towards the ground

 

[Jart]

Thanks - that's what we needed. It'll make a nice keepsake / family remembrance sort of thing and we'll table any discussions concerning refurbishing and/or shooting the thing.

Interesting experiment with the "Dominators". Reminds me of a threat someone once made to stuff RDX into a singularly poorly constructed replica of a Colt Walker - don't think it ever made it past the hypothetical stage, though.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Had Scott had something a little "boomier" than Bullseye, I'm sure he would have used it.

 

[James K]

A local gun shop had a couple of those Spanish revolvers (I don't know the maker) and decided to donate them to a track team for starter pistols. One blew up firing a blank. Nuff sed.

Jim

 

[Hammer It]

The .32 S&W Regulation Police Revolver

Hello Jart
Here is what a Pre-War Regulation Police model Looks like in .32 S&W Long Caliber. They are unlike the Bigger Brother .38 Special Regulation Police models as they are Not marked regulation Police on their barrels like the larger .38 specials were. They also have a stepped Grip frame unique to Only the I Framed Regulation Police models. This one Locks up very tight and gets shot often. They started heat treating the cylinders of these in 1920 so they can be safely fired with newer ammo. This one was shipped in December 1925 to the Evansville, Indiana Police Department and was the Personal carry gun of Chief Harry Anderson. Regards, Hammer It.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"They are unlike the Bigger Brother .38 Special Regulation Police models as they are Not marked regulation Police on their barrels like the larger .38 specials were."

There is NO SUCH THING as a .38 Special Regulation Police.

S&W .38 Regulation Police models were chambered in .38 S&W on the I frame and later carried into the J frame for a relatively short period of time.

 

[Hammer It]

There is NO SUCH THING as a .38 Special Regulation Police

.38 S&W on the I frame and later carried into the J frame for a relatively short period of time.

Hello Mike
Thanks for The Correction. I typed.38 Special when I meant to Say .38 S&W. which was a shorter Cartridge They Also had the .38 Regulation Police in an Improved I Frame which was slightly Larger than the original I frame and Later they came out in the J-Frame and were known as the Model 33 after 1957 The Regulation Police markings dissapeared when they switched to the Larger-J-frame. They were no short run revolver as they made this Model from 1917-1974 Hammer It.