S&W Revolvers

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Howdy Again

Let's move into the 20th Century.

Let's talk 22s.

First, we'll talk about the tiny seven shot, 22 Long, M Frame 22 Hand Ejectors best known as the Ladysmiths.

This 1st Model Ladysmith left the factory in June of 1903.

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This 2nd Model Ladysmith left the factory in July of 1907.

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This photo of a 3rd Model Ladysmith shows how tiny they were. This one left the factory in May of 1910.

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The little Ladysmiths were the only 22 Hand Ejectors S&W made up until 1911, when a San Francisco dealer named Philip Bekeart persuaded the company to make a short run of 22 Rimfire target revolvers on the 32 caliber sized I frame. The one at the top is much later than the original Bekearts, but it has the typical Bekeart style grips. It left the factory in June of 1940. The one on the bottom left the factory in December of 1923. Because these revolvers were much bigger than the tiny Ladysmiths, they were usually cataloged as the 22/32 Heavy Frame Target models. These were the forerunners of the popular 22/32 Kit Guns.

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In 1931, Smith and Wesson built their first 22 Rimfire revolver on the 38 sized K frame.

The first ones were called the K-22 Outdoorsman. They had an adjustable rear sight and a tapered barrel without a rib. In 1940 a new micrometer click sight was incorporated and the name was changed to K-22 Masterpiece. Only about 1000 of these were made before WII intervened. After the war, K-22 Masterpiece production started up again with a serrated rib on top of the barrel. Finally, in 1957 the name was changed from K-22 to Model 17.

Left to right in this photo are a K-22 Combat Masterpiece that probably left the factory around 1953, a K-22 Outdoorsman that left the factory in March of 1935, another K-22 Outdoorsman that left the factory in July of 1932, a Post War (not the rare ones) K-22 Masterpiece from June of 1950, and a Model 17-3 that I bought brand-spanky new in 1975.

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This photo gives a good size comparison of, top to bottom, a K-22, a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target, and a Ladysmith.

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My Model 25-5's
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My 32 caliber revolvers
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My 32 WCF revolver
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My 22 RF J-frames (Second from the top is a K-frame Model 18)
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My 22 RF K-frames
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If you cannot tell, I like Pachmayr grips. I do have the original S&W grips for the next owner of the gun if he so desires to install it.
 
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^^^^^^^^ Funny, when I bought my first S&W in 1981 all the gun magazines said the factory target stocks were garbage and you need to throw them away and get some Pachmayrs.

Now if you go on the S&W forum and post a picture of a gun with Pachmayrs you get comments like “throw away those Goodyears and get yourself some real S&W grips.”

I’m with you about the grips, although I am also partial to Hogue.
 
Now I'm going to have to run my keyboard through the dishwasher to get all of the drool out of it. More! More! More!
 
Howdy Again

How about 32 caliber Hand Ejectors.

The one that started it all, the 32 Hand Ejector 1st Model or Model 1896. Chambered for the brand new at the time 32 S&W Long cartridge.

This one left the factory in September 1899.

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A pair of 32 Regulation Police, that shipped July 1924 and February 1925. 32 S&W Long.

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32-20 Hand Ejector, 4th Change. Left the factory November 1916.

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K-32 Masterpiece that shipped December 1954. 32 S&W Long.

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Model 31, 32 S&W Long. Probably shipped around 1969.

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What I have enjoyed about looking at the guns posted is the vast majority are SHOOTERS and not safe queens. Not that they are really nice to look at but to me a beautiful gun is one that has been well maintained and the snot shot out of it like it was designed! In my above post there is 20-30 revolvers that I am damn proud of and love showing them off, but every one of them has been shot with the exception of a NIB Nickel Model 13 with a 3" barrel and that's only because the weather has been lousy and the little range time I've had has been used to finish up some experiments I had started with some different loads. AS soon as time permits, it will get the snot shot out of it as well. I love looking at pretty guns as much as anyone but is a gun less beautiful because it is new and unfired? Not to me
 
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What I have enjoyed about looking at the guns posted is the vast majority are SHOOTERS and not safe queens. Not that they are really nice to look at but to me a beautiful gun is one that has been well maintained and the snot shot out of it like it was designed! In my above post there is 20-30 revolvers that I am damn proud of and love showing them off, but every one of them has been shot with the exception of a NIB Nickel Model 13 with a 3" barrel and that's only because the weather has been lousy and the little range time I've had has been used to finish up some experiments I had started with some different loads. AS soon as time permits, it will get the snot shot out of it as well. I love looking at pretty guns as much as anyone but is a gun less beautiful because it is new and unfired? Not to me

I suspect you might be talking about my Smiths when you are talking about safe queens. While I admit that some of mine do not get shot, it is usually because ammunition for them is not made any more. And admittedly some of them are simply too old to be shot with modern ammo, like my Tip Ups and little Ladysmiths. These little guns are just not safe to shoot any more.

But I can assure you that many of them do get shot. This New Model Number Three only gets fired with Black Powder ammunition, I won't put Smokeless ammo through any of my antiques. Don't quite remember the story behind that flier.

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Here is my pair of new Model Number Threes all sooted up at the end of a CAS match.

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Firing the Nickle Plated NM#3 at a match after I first got it.

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Not a Smith and Wesson, but here is one of my Merwin Hulberts after its first trip to the range.

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Yours truly shooting the MH at a match.

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It was New Model Number Three and Merwin Hulbert day at that match.

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Here's something you don't see everyday. A S&W No 2 'Old Army' converted to shoot 22 rimfire ammo. One of my oldest guns, it was originally made in 1862.

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Sometime in the past it was sleeved to fire 22 Rimfire. Did I shoot it? You bet. Did I shoot it a lot? No. The Tip Up design is too delicate to shoot much. Even when they were new, the design was weak and they tended to shoot loose.

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Not a Smith and Wesson, but here is my Winchester Model 12 that gets fired every week at the trap fields at my club. It was made in 1948 so it's two years older than me. I have fired thousands of rounds through it. I've lost count of how many.

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This nifty little Stevens hammer double was probably made sometime around 1906 or so. It is my CAS Main Match shotgun and I have probably put a few thousand Black Powder rounds through it.

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Recoil with an old Colt.

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I guess I need to take more photos when I take an old gun to the range. This 8 3/8" Model 17 is very accurate.

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Do I shoot all my old guns? No. As I said, ammo is not made for some of them anymore, and some of them are simply too fragile.

Do I 'shoot the snot out of them'? No. Some of them are pretty valuable and I am trying to maintain some of that value.

But I sure as shootin' do shoot them.
 
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...just a few.

PC 686-4 Light Hunter
627-3 V comp
625-3
627-5
66-2, 66-1

Will post more later
 

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