S&W I-Frame, 32 long colt?

[TexasCop]

OKay,

S&W I-Frame is what I've been told. It's a 6 shot, says "32 Long Ctg" on the left side of the barrel. Serial #72XXX. Looks like it was originally nickeled but the coating is probably 50-60% gone, no pitting on the inside or the outside.

It had a box of 32 auto with it, and they fit in the cyclinder but the cartridge doesn't headspace in the cylinder. I'm assuming that S&W just didn't want to put "Colt" on the side and it's a 32 long colt?

Any input is welcome, I'll try to get up a pic or two if I can...

 

[Marko Kloos]

It's a S&W ".32 Hand Ejector" in .32 S&W Long. Winchester and a few other places still load it. Ballistics are comparable to .32ACP in terms of energy (~120-ish fpe), but the .32 S&W Long throws a heavier bullet at slower speeds for that energy.

Nifty little guns, very concealable. It'll shoot .32 S&W as well (shorter case), and even .32ACP in a pinch (the semi-rims hold the rounds in the cylinder chambers.)

 

[TexasCop]

Yeah, I was able to find out that these were made from 1894-1953 or so, but I wasn't able to find out when my particular model was made. Do you know if the serial number puts it in the safe range for smokeless powders and modern factory loads?

 

[Hammer It]

Do you know if the serial number puts it in the safe range for smokeless powders and modern factory loads?

Hello
It was a matter of Company Pattent rights as to what was stamped in the Barrel. Colt developed the .32 Colt Cartridge and S&W came out with the .32 S&W Long which is a Tad Bit Faster and Longer than the .32 Colt I believe. The S&W I frame is the smallest frame Handgun S&W made other than the M Frame they used on their Lady Smith .22 7 shot revolvers. It came in the Early 1900's and one model they offered it in was a Regulation Police. I have this one that was made in December 1925 and it is just into the Hardened cylinder range. I could help you determine if yours has a Hardened cylinder if you would P.M. Me the serial numbers.The Hand eject series hade several series of I Frames throough the years as well. The regulation Police Model is the Only I frame that had a stepped back strap and as far as I Know all the Other I Frames were round butts with a slightly smaller profile grips frame. I hope this helps, Hammer It.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Stampings on the barrel regarding caliber designations were less a matter of patent rights and more a matter of company pride.

If your main competitor in the field developed a cartridge that was quickly becoming the defacto standard, would you want to admit defeat and stamp it on the side of your company's guns?

No.

Actually, cartridge names weren't patented at all. A patent denotes a technology, while a copyright or a trademark denotes something's name.

Over the years, Colt was particularly badly stung by Smith & Wesson's success at developing cartridges that became FAR better sellers than Colt's counterparts.

A few exampes are the .32 S&W, the .32 Long, the .38 S&W, the .38 Special, and the .357 Magnum.

Colt had the .32 Short Colt, the .32 Long Colt, the .38 Short Colt, and the .38 Long Colt. With the exception of the .32 Short Colt, which was a decent seller, S&W's cartridges handily outsold Colt's to the point where Colt finally had to counter the success by adopting S&W cartridges, but renaming them in the process.

They renamed the .32 S&W Long the .32 Colt New Police; the .38 S&W becamse the .38 New Police/Super Police (different bullets); the .38 S&W Special became the .38 Colt Special or simply the .38 Special; and the .357 S&W Magnum became the .357 Magnum.

As far as the .357 Magnum, I don't really know how Colt got away with stamping just that on several hundred pre-WW II Colt New Service revolvers because in 1935 Smith & Wesson had trademarked the term Magnum as it applied to handgun cartridges.

About the only revolver cartridges that Colt developed that really kicked ass in the market place were the .41 Long Colt and the .45 Colt, neither of which really had an S&W counterpart. Yes, S&W had the .45 Schofield, and it could be used in either the S&W or Colt revolvers, but S&W brought it out as an expediency measure when it was trying to sell handguns to the Army. The .45 Colt was too long to fit the Schofield's frame.

Other companies engaged in this renaming process as well, particularly Marlin when it came to chambing Winchester rounds.

That kind of company rivalry is still seen occasionally.

 

[James K]

As Mike says, there was a .32 Short Colt and a .32 Long Colt, with a smaller case diameter than the .32 S&W/.32 S&W Long/.32 Colt NP. The latter rounds will not fit in a gun chambered for the .32 Long or Short Colt.

While Colt guns were chambered for the .32 Colt NP, which was the .32 S&W Long, no S&W guns were chambered for the .32 Colt. Your gun is chambered for the .32 S&W Long.

Jim

 

[Mike Irwin]

I'm pretty certain that the only Colt round that Smith & Wesson ever offered as a standard chambering in their revolvers were the .45 Colt and the .45 ACP.

I do know that S&W was not at all happy about offering the .45 Colt in the Hand Ejectors because they were obviously pushing their .44 Russian/.44 Special chamberings.

It wasn't until after World War II that S&W made .45 Colt a standard chambering in the Hand Ejector instead of just a few dribs here and a few drabs there.

 

[Hammer It]

It wasn't until after World War II that S&W made .45 Colt a standard chambering in the Hand Ejector instead of just a few dribs here and a few drabs there.

Hello
Yup, I have a few of their Dribs or Drabs as you call them..From Pre-War to Modern examples in .45 Colt Caliber, and all shoot and group well. Hammer It.

 

[Hammer It]

Howdy
I just came across a very hard to find set of Regulation Police Extended target grips. These are close to 80 Years old Now, and I suspect they will make taregt shooting a Lot easier than the Original small I frqame grip's that came from the factory. Regards, Hammer It.

 

[Rimrod]

Sounds like a .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 2nd change. SNs ranged from 51127 to 95500 and were made from 1906 to 1909. Heat treated cylinders were introduced in 1920 with SN#321000, so yours isn't.

 

[Hammer It]

Sounds like a .32 Hand Ejector Model of 1903 2nd change.

Hello
The Regulation Police revolver's are a Little different than the standard hand ejectors as they have a round butt to square butt configuration in the grip frame. This one is after the Heat treating came into Play, and was shipped in December 1925. Regards, Hammer It

 

[Rimrod]

Hello Hammer It,

Right you are, but the serial numbers for the Regulation Police models were mixed in with the .32HE Third Model which were being made together fom 1917 to 1942. The five digit SN# of TexasCops HE predates both of them which were SNed from 263001 to 536684, with the Regulation Police starting at 331320.

We are both talking about TexasCops HE aren't we? Or were you referring to your very nice speciman?

 

[PeteQuad]

Since we're sharing, here's my .32 Regulation Police from 1929.

Oh, and I agree with Rimrod, that S/N is too low for a Regulation Police.

 

[Hammer It]

We are both talking about TexasCops HE aren't we? Or were you referring to your very nice speciman

Hello Rimrod
No, I was Speaking about the One I have. It Hailed from Evansville, Indiana and was the Chief of Police's Personal carry gun while he was in office. The Regulation Police Models differed from the hand ejects as they had a rebaited back strap as shown on mine stripped down for cleaning. Here it shows the filler Piece used by the factory to give the revolver a square Butt configuration that all Regulation Police Revolver's have Regards, Hammerdown

 

[Rimrod]

Hello HammerIt, now we're on the same page. I've seen your Regulation Police in earlier postings, it sure is a beauty! I have several HEs, three of which are .32 I frames, they are interesting and nostalgic and sort of sentimental to me. My Grandfather had a .38 spl. HE hanging in his room until the day he died. My youngest uncle got it then and now he is dying from cancer too.

 

[chadwimc]

I recently aqquired a Smith and Wesson hand ejector. I found some grips on Ebay that convert it to a square butt. A Smith and Wesson holster also from Ebay.I think my daughter has claimed it for her own...

 

[Rimrod]

chadwimc,

That is a very nice specimen also, mine are a little more worn than that.

 

[Wildalaska]

And dont forget you can use all of those cute little 32 rounds in your Nagant revolvers!

WildalthoughsomeneedscotchtapeAlaska

 

[Webleymkv]

S&B makes .32S&W Long ammunition in the form of a full wadcutter. It's usually less expensive than domestically made ammo in this caliber.

 

[ppcpilot]

which has better ballistics out of a 32 s&W revolver...32 Long or 32 ACP?