This pistol was brought to me 2 weeks ago, and looked like it had been recovered from a hole in the ground. I wasn't sure I could even get it clean enough to read the serial number.
I soaked it in cleaner for a week, and then carefully started clearing the rust from it. To my amazement, the little gun is complete, and in on piece, except for the grips, which I recently ordered from New York.
What amazes me about this pistol is the grip safety, which is the oldest I've ever seen. The gun was introduced as a vest pistol, and is hammerless. This particular gun is a second model, recognized by the top-break latch. I just wanted to share with the S&W nuts here on the forum.
This gun is listed as a top-break, hammerless, 38 cal., five shot revolver. And after the soaking, all the springs came loose, and everything still works!
It ain't buried anymore! And the funny thing is, it will still shoot! But I've got to look up the cartridge it fired, and find out what I need to reload for it. It fired a 38 short, centerfire, black powder round. According to the book, anyway. I'll do a little more research, when it gets farther along.
Thanks, buddy! I've been reading everything I can find on it, but then, I do that with every new gun I come across. Really expanding the ole horizons, these days!
The fella brought one of those to me for parts, but it was a regular exposed hammer revolver. And the cylinder assembly was missing. He thought the grips would work on the Smith, but they're a bit different, and I found the right ones thru Numrich.
Anyone have any idea what load and or cartridge one would need for a .32 cal New Departure (model 2) vintage?? I just picked one up at an auction, it's in fair to good condition, want to see how she shoots, but
need to find ammo for it.
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Small Time Collector, Average Shooter and NRA Member.
Anyone have any idea what load and or cartridge one would need for a .32 cal New Departure (model 2) vintage?? I just picked one up at an auction, it's in fair to good condition, want to see how she shoots, but
need to find ammo for it.
Hello
The ammo would be .38 S&W. It is a shorter version of the .38 Special. If reloading remember the bullet of the .38 S&W is slightly larger in diameter than the standard .38 special bullet. The gun shown above is a second version .38 Safety Named that because of it's Grip safety. D.B. Wesson feared these guns may get in the hands of Kid's so he designed the grip safety that takes an adult Pressure hold to depress it. There is also a Place inside the action that the grip safety can be Locked into the firing Position by Pinning it. I have a .32 Safety on the way and it fires the .32 S&W round which in essence is a short version of the .32 S&W Long Cartridge... Hammerdown
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Yeah though I Walk Through The Valley of Death, I shall fear no evil as I carry with me my S&W
Anyone have any idea what load and or cartridge one would need for a .32 cal New Departure (model 2) vintage?? I just picked one up at an auction, it's in fair to good condition, want to see how she shoots, but
need to find ammo for it.
That would be 32 S&W( not 32 S&W Long).
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I feel more like I do now than I did awhile ago.
Hello Blat
The .32 S&W Cartridge is the forerunner to the .32 S&W Long Cartridge. That said it can be viewed as a .22 short cartridge compared to the .22 Long Cartridge. In Loading for this cartridge Caution must be exercised as it take very little Powder. I have taken the Liberty to look up a suggested load from my Book entitled The Complete Guide to handloading by Author Philip Sharpe. Sharpe is a well respected handguner who wrote several publications on handloads and is well known for his acuracy in loading rounds. He suggests that you Load the .32 S&W cartridge at 1.4 Grains of Bullseye Powder using a 98 Grain lead bullet. It will have a velocity of 725 F.P.S. Loaded to this level. We Must remember that the .32 S&W cartridge was designed for weaker top break model revolver's so do not Hot Rod it. It was introduced in 1878 and in 1940 they switched it from a Black powder cartridge to the new smokless Powder Offerings.I also found some other loading Data see below, that my Interest you. Hammerdown
Bullet {Grains/Type} Powder Grains Velocity Energy
85 Lead Bullseye 1.1 705 90 F.P.
85 Lead Blackpowder FG 9.0 680 90 Factory Load
98 Lead Smokless Powder N.A. 705 115 Factory Load
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Yeah though I Walk Through The Valley of Death, I shall fear no evil as I carry with me my S&W
Yeah, I was just telling Frewilly what ammo his 32 ND used; all I have in 32 is a Hand Ejector, 4th model.(It's on my avitar). I don't shoot it much, tho it is in pretty good shape. It was my late Dad's gun (B 1897-D 1996). I use Georgia Arms 85 gr hp S&W Long, at 850 fps, when I carry it.
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I feel more like I do now than I did awhile ago.
That's a pretty little break-top Scotty. Nice work, nice luck finding it. The .38 short (S&W) is a fun enough gun to shoot, I can attest to that. I've had an old Iver Johnson in the caliber for years, I've still got it, but it's worn clean out. I don't shoot it anymore.
