H&R 32 S&W

riadat · October-15-18 17:10

Premiere h&r break top 3rd edition I think. 1914-1915

Weight is 12 ounce unloaded.

Picked it up from gunbroker where it was described as tight with no timing issues.

Range today said that was wrong. Doesn't index right and is a bit loose. Off to gunsmith tomorrow.

Here are some pics.

Wish naa would make a clone of these.

Anyone know if this is remotely drop safe?

Uncle_Lee · October-16-18 03:10

When that was made the folks didn't go around dropping a gun that much. They kept them in their pocket until they were needed.

linux_author · October-16-18 03:10

i'm going to assume there is a leaf spring under the grips - should shoot Magtech S&W (~$20/50-rnd box) fine after you resolve indexing issue?

since the breaktop is double-action only and the hammer is internal i would *assume* it is relatively safe... if you're really worried, just don't carry loaded or loaded with a round in the hammer cylinder?

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

miker · October-16-18 05:10

If you look at it from the side with a light behind it and pull the trigger thru you should be able to see if the firing pin appears and retracts. If the pin is always visible and doesn't retract, I would guess that is less drop-safe than a retracting design.

miker

riadat · October-16-18 05:10

I have not taken the grips off yet. I might just leave it to the gunsmith to do so.

It says 32 sw on side so I assumed smokeless is ok. I got a partial box of 40 from local pawn store for 10 bucks.

I fired it. The firing pin is always out. It goes bang when it indexes. I'm kind of the opinion with the curve on it, that it may not go bang with a drop.

I had tried to put the firing pin between two cartridges but with the indexing issues that didn't work, not sure if it will work when all issues are fixed.

May see if my local range will let me hold it and bang on the back with a rubber mallet a few times when i get it fixed.

Interesting size for a gun. It is about halfway between the size of a pug and my j-frame. I think there is a niche for a weapon this size.

If NAA made one i would pay at least 500 bucks for it. But i would hope they would use a more traditional ejection system like on the break tops rather than the one they use on the ranger.

I saw a video with a guy who keeps accidently hitting the cylinder release on the ranger and it stopped me from wanting to buy one. Where this design makes me go, yeah, that could work.

I kind of dig it. The size/weight, even the bullet. I'm convinced that this caliber and this weight of bullet will be as effective as a 22, maybe not a magnum. If this one doesn't work out there maybe an iver johnson safety hammer in my future

linux_author · October-16-18 06:10

i like the weight and size of these .32 S&W breaktops, too... not much in the way of accuracy, but then again it was intended to be a belly gun

my great-mother-in-law carried one (a Smith Safety Hammerless) in a purse holster back in the early 1910s while going to the opera at the Old Met, but never used it... it was gifted to me by her son, my father-in-law (who just turned 89 last month)

(and *someone* i know just couldn't resist and had to clean it up and take it out to the range)

willie
on the 'just couldn't leave it alone, could you' Gulf of Mexico

bearcatter · October-16-18 09:10

The .32 S&W is a little better than .25 ACP in performance. The .32 S&W Long is more like the .32 ACP.

riadat · October-16-18 15:10

Got converted to paperweight.

No parts. Nobody wants to work on it.

Maybe I will find a parts gun later on.

heyjoe · October-16-18 15:10

i have one just like yours. its a second model small frame hammerless bicycle gun

Quote from: riadat on October-15-18 17:10
Premiere h&r break top 3rd edition I think. 1914-1915

Weight is 12 ounce unloaded.

Picked it up from gunbroker where it was described as tight with no timing issues.

Range today said that was wrong. Doesn't index right and is a bit loose. Off to gunsmith tomorrow.

Here are some pics.

Wish naa would make a clone of these.

Anyone know if this is remotely drop safe?

riadat · October-16-18 19:10

If you push down on your cylinder stop does it have give like there is a spring beneath it?

I looked at some iver johnsons today they had a spring under the cylinder stop

Mine seems to have a swivel and when you pull trigger the cylinder stop goes in and another piece of metal comes up. I'm wondering if my cylinder stop is broken. Put it another way. When you open the cylinder and pull the trigger, the cylinder stop goes in and another piece comes up. I think that may be called the lifter. My lifter looks like it is not the same height fully up as the cylinder stop is when it is up. And im wondering if it was sheared off or is that normal? Does the lifter hit the cylinder to stop it or is the timing more or less just always half assed on these revolvers? I don't understand the cylinder stop working at all since it is only momentary on iver johnson but stays in entirely until I reset the trigger on my h&r. If the lifter piece hits the cylinder marks and stops it, if mine is sheared off, that would explain it. That plus my worn extractor. I really need to see a working version of this gun to see what normal looks like.

I think the extractor is worn, possibly the hand, possibly the cylinder stop, and possibly the lifter. If I had all those parts I'm thinking this could be repaired by someone with the right tools and know how.

heyjoe · October-17-18 11:10

ill have to dig it out and look at it.

riadat · October-17-18 11:10

appreciate it

Here is a parts list schematic. for 22 version

heyjoe · October-17-18 13:10

Quote from: riadat on October-17-18 11:10
appreciate it

Here is a parts list schematic. for 22 version

dont dry fire these, the firing pins will break

heyjoe · October-17-18 13:10

trigger at rest

heyjoe · October-17-18 13:10

trigger at rest

heyjoe · October-17-18 13:10

trigger pulled halfway

heyjoe · October-17-18 14:10

trigger fully pulled and held

heyjoe · October-17-18 14:10

there is no give on the cylinder stop

riadat · October-17-18 14:10

Thank you. I was right. I ordered the correct part, which is the replacement of the piece that sticks up. Not sure which it was so I ordered a lifter and a sear.

Mine is sheered off and doesn't stick out far enough to rebound and stop the cylinder.

Gracias.

BTW my trigger at rest the firing pin sticks out. But mine is a 3rd edition. So maybe they changed it up.

Seems like a bad design I may have to put the firing pin out and take a look at it or get a spring or something.

heyjoe · October-17-18 15:10

Quote from: riadat on October-17-18 14:10
Thank you. I was right. I ordered the correct part, which is the replacement of the piece that sticks up. Not sure which it was so I ordered a lifter and a sear.

Mine is sheered off and doesn't stick out far enough to rebound and stop the cylinder.

Gracias.

happy that i helped!

heyjoe · October-17-18 15:10

Quote from: heyjoe on October-17-18 15:10
Quote from: riadat on October-17-18 14:10
Thank you. I was right. I ordered the correct part, which is the replacement of the piece that sticks up. Not sure which it was so I ordered a lifter and a sear.

Mine is sheered off and doesn't stick out far enough to rebound and stop the cylinder.

Gracias.

happy that i helped!

im pretty sure that is the sear according to that diagram

heyjoe · October-17-18 15:10

if you can get that pin out, it shouldnt be too hard to change. you might want to let it soak for a few days, in oil. ,maybe kroil.

riadat · October-20-18 12:10

If anyone is following along on this 3 hour tour which turned into a 7 year stranding on a desert island.

None of the parts I ordered are needed to fix the gun but the actual broken part seems to be the trigger.

The trigger itself, has a rocker and as you pull back on it this fin thing comes up and engages the cylinder. That is sheered off on my trigger.

As I look at this more, it seems like the firing pin is the "plug" type rather than the "nut" type. Plug seems unavailable. Since the firing pin always seems to be out, im wondering if the firing pin is missing a spring. Don't know. But the plug seems a bit loose.

So im thinking I need a trigger and then a firing pin plug and a firing pin spring and a spare firing pin, perhaps. And im looking at the old cylinder stop, and it looks pretty worn.

I can buy all these parts with the exception of the plug, and maybe it can be reused, if I can figure out how to get it out, but maybe it will be too worn then.

Can you smell what I'm stepping in here?

A whole lot of man this is neat looking gun but a pain in the butt to fix. Time, parts, skill, I may not have. Morale of this story? No more gunbroker for me. NEVER EVER.

If I can't hold the gun in my hands, I am not buying it.

At this point, I think a fair price for this would have been 40 or 50 bucks as a broken gun. I paid way more than that plus parts and time.

linux_author · October-20-18 12:10

i feel your pain - but lesson learned, right? what's that old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."?

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

riadat · October-20-18 13:10

Yeah, I've done way dumber stuff than this.

Still want to get a working iver Johnson safety hammer in 32 blued one of these days.

heyjoe · October-21-18 10:10

Quote from: riadat on October-20-18 13:10
Yeah, I've done way dumber stuff than this.

Still want to get a working iver Johnson safety hammer in 32 blued one of these days.

try soaking it in penetrating oil for a few days...sometimes with old guns the internals are just gummed up not broken. you have nothing to lose trying.