Found an old pistol while remodeling an old basement

[VonPalm]

The other week while I was doing some work for an old friend in a small river town on the southeast tip of Minnesota helping her with some work in her basement. I noticed something wooden sticking partially out of some mud, i dug it out and it was what looked to be an old stock to a shotgun/rifle with a name scratched in it. I had heard old gangsters used to etch their name in the stocks of their guns and knew they had frequented river towns such as the one i was in. i took a shovel and continued to poke around and hit a metal lunchbox, inside i found this wrapped in a cloth.

Its a .32 Cal Smith and Wesson, or what i think was reffered to as a lemon squeezer, their are 3 dates written very small on the top of the barrel and the last is "April 9th 1888" if anyone knows anything about this gun or its value your expertise would be very much appreciated.
The gun looks to be in working condition however my local Gunshop doesn't carry the ammo i need .32 S&W
short

 

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[Tnmountains]

VonPalm I am moving this for you to the what is it section as they will be able to quickly ID your find.

 

[VonPalm]

Thanks!!

 

[Rawhide]

Here is the lemon squeezer. Not sure its the right pistol.

Smith & Wesson Lemon Squeezer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Subterranean]

Hi VonPalm, You most likely have a Smith and Wesson .32 Double Action 4th or 5th Model revolver. Provide the serial number and I can tell you for sure. In 2006, (date of my S&W bible...) they were priced at $225 for very good and $250 for fine, and still may be in that range now. 4th Models were made from 1883 to 1909, and 5th Models were made 1909 to 1919. What a great find. Smith and Wesson can (for a small fee) provide you with a history on the revolver. Just a note, but the "Lemon Squeezer" models of revolvers were hammerless...
Happy hunting, Sub

 

[VonPalm]

Thank you Subterranean !! I appreciate it, the Serial Number is 27282X, yeah I could hardly believe it as well as the condition it was in, had a hard time sleeping that night haha

 

[NHBandit]

Ammo is available. I may have some I don't need if you want to send me a pm. The date of manufacture of your pistol could be pre-1898 which makes it an antique in the eyes of the government or it could be after. The serial number determines that, not the patent dates.

 

[Subterranean]

VonPalm, Your revolver is a 4th Model. The serial number range for that model starts in 1883 with 43406, and ends in 1909 with 282999. So, yours being in the 270000 series would probably have been manufactured after 1900, closer to 1905 or so. Hope that helps! Sub


PS: I suggest saving the old rifle stock, the lunchbox, and the cloth that your revolver was wrapped inside...it makes for a great story to pass down!

 

[VonPalm]

Awesome! Thanks a lot Sub, have been trying to identify it for the last few days, that's extremely helpful

 

[Red James Cash]

If you plan on it,dont fire it until you found out when it was manufactured.Firing smokeless loads in a gun manufactured for black powder loads wouldnt end well.

 

[leviathanrick]

Might possibly be a Spanish Euskaro. Imported in the first quarter in the 20th century they used S&W ammo. They were inexpensive knock offs.

 

[releventchair]

Congrats! neat find.
I think lemon squeezer was the pistol style with safety bar in/on back of handle /grip that had to be depressed to fire.(disclaimer,all ways have weapon inspected by a competent gunsmith before firing)
Break top may not want modern loads,research model and its original diet, and if need be some lighter reloads a possibility.
As Red mentioned black powder a consideration,that too could be used for working up a mild load,followed by very judicious cleaning.

 

[Peyton Manning]

hey how about the lunch box? was it a dukes of hazard?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Nice find. Similar Iver Johnsons and Harrington & Richardsons are worth about $50.

I went to a local "gun buy back" and sold two non-functioning "Saturday Night Specials" like that for $100 a piece! Idiot pacisifsts were happy and I was happy.



If you can find ammo (a box of 50 costs about what the pistol is worth) be careful as they are notorious for getting out of time - which means the cylinder doesn't quite line up with the barrel when the hammer falls. Don't have any body part beside the cylinder gap if this occurs as it spits lead to the sides.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

PS - they are nothing like a "Lemon Squeezer" style. See below.

View attachment 909264

 

[Citiboy289]

FYI - If you want to get the official manufacture date and shipping date along with who it was shipped to S&W charges $75.00 per inquiry, You get a really nice letter back with a seal --- Just look on the S&W website or there is a S&W Forum on the web also

 

[cw0909]

VonPalm, cool find md that dirt could be other goodies
just curious could you still smell the cleaning oil

 

[BosnMate]

People shooting modern hot loads in those top opening pistols caused them to get the name "suicide specials." Be very careful what loads you shoot in that gun. That said, great find, a find like that is still on my bucket list. The best I've done is to find gun parts.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

saw this one lat, but really great find! as mentioned have it checked and only use low pressure loads in it, I've fired those old pistols and they're lots of fun to try to hit something with

 

[Citiboy289]

FYI - If you want to get the official manufacture date and shipping date along with who it was shipped to S&W charges $75.00 per inquiry, You get a really nice letter back with a seal --- Just look on the S&W website or there is a S&W Forum on the web also

I stand corrected S&W letters are $50.00 each Had them confused with Colt letters