This Ol' Smith (think 1905)

[Jim K]

There is no doubt that the barrel is not original to a 1920's gun; there are no cuts for the ejector rod head (compare # 14 with #1 third picture). I think the factory had to replace the barrel, then had to replace the ejector rod because the new barrel had no cuts for the old head. That ejector rod doesn't look like regular production; it appears to have been made just for that gun. Does the rod head unscrew??

Jim

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

There is no doubt that the barrel is not original to a 1920's gun; there are no cuts for the ejector rod head (compare # 14 with #1 third picture). I think the factory had to replace the barrel, then had to replace the ejector rod because the new barrel had no cuts for the old head. That ejector rod doesn't look like regular production; it appears to have been made just for that gun. Does the rod head unscrew??

Makes perfect sense to me. This is ejector rod of a 32-20 Hand Ejector that shipped in 1916. Notice the mushroom shaped cap is a separate piece, screwed onto the end of the ejector rod. And notice the extra cut in the flat under the barrel to accept the shape of the mushroom shaped cap.





Smith and Wesson were no dummies, they were always looking for ways to cut the cost of making their revolvers. MIM parts is just the latest example of that. Later the mushroom shaped cap was replaced with a screw on cap that did not need so much room. Eventually they simply knurled the end of the rod, getting rid of one extra part in the assembly.

Makes perfect sense to me. For whatever reason the original barrel was changed out for a Model 10 barrel with the modern sight on it. Then the ejector rod had to be changed out because there was no cut out on the underside to accept the large mushroom shaped cap.