smith and wesson revolver serial number lookup

The Model of 1896-which would later be known as the. 32 S&W by 1/8 inch to increase its powder capacity, and this required a slightly larger frame. Smith & Wesson lengthened the case of the. It was made on a new frame size called the I-frame, which had been designed for a new cartridge, the. 32 Hand Ejector Model of 1896, its year of introduction. The first revolver to be given the name was the. This allows the cylinder to be loaded or for the fired cases to be “hand-ejected” by pushing back on the ejector rod. “Hand Ejector” is a reference to the loading and unloading procedure, whereby the shooter releases the cylinder to tilt out of the left side of the gun. Toward the end of the 19th century, Smith & Wesson began work on a new-style revolver-one with a solid frame that would soon replace the popular top-break models the company had been known for since the 1870s. When referring to the basic design, all Smith & Wesson revolvers made since 1899 can be described as “hand ejectors,” but my plan here is to provide a bit of history on the original named models. The focus of this column is on Hand Ejector models of the pre-World War II years with “Hand Ejector” in their official names. Author Jim Supica wrote in Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, “The Hand Ejector is the style of handgun that epitomizes Smith & Wesson.”

Introduced in 1896, its basic design is still in production, not only by Smith & Wesson, but also by many other gun manufacturers around the world. This series of solid-frame, double-action models with swing-out cylinders and manual case extraction has certainly stood the test of time.

For many, this hand-ejector model is considered to be the finest double-action pistol ever made.Īmong the many contributions Smith & Wesson has given to the firearms industry, the most significant would have to be the Hand Ejector revolver.

44 Hand Ejector First Model (New Century, Triple-Lock.

Soon to follow was S&W's first K-frame revolver-the.

What You Need To Know About Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector Revolvers: Photo: Guns International Introduced more than a century ago, the basic design of the Smith & Wesson hand ejector continues to define double-action pistols today.

Smith and wesson revolver serial number lookup