Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 4" 22/32 Kit Gun?

Anybody here got one?
Anybody got pics of one next to a model 34?

Don't ever see them at any LGS.
Wondering how many are out there...

I grew up shooting one with a four-digit serial number, the first two digits of which were "0" and "1". No pics, though.


Okie John

Gee, I could be mistaken, but thinking the 22/32 kit was the name of the model that became the 34 when model numbers were introduced.

Of course, very early 22/32's would have a few differences.

Gunzo,

I believe the early 22/32's were on the I-Frame and later were on the J-Frame.

Jerry

Probably this.

The I frame revolver is what I'm asking about.

Seems that I read that not all of the older ones had a hammer block? Would this indicate that an empty chamber be under the hammer when carried?

I like mine, an older model.

DF

John, I have my dad's.. I owned a couple before, but I have had his for about 15 years... Great shooter, very accurate.. Also have a 2" model..

Nice guns.

That 2” looks more like a K frame than a J.

DF

Just checked the 2" model 34-1!!

I reckon looks can be deceiving.

How rare is a 2” M-34?

DF

Farmer, I really don't know... I bought this one in the early 80's used... Skeeter Skelton wrote about one he had in 2" and how handy it was... He was right.. Several times I have sold all my handguns, but this one I always kept... Great forest grouse pistol.. Don't use it like I did but a handy little weapon...

Dirtfarmer: I do not know the exact answer to your question "how rare are the 2" Model 34's".
But I do know they bring a 10% to 20% premium over comparable condition 4" Model 34's.
This is my observation from chasing them for the last several decades.
I have 3 (three) Model 34's with 2" barrels and have owned a couple more that were not up to my collector quality standards and they got resold.
Two of my Model 34's with 2" barrels are blued Model 34-1's and my third is a Model 34 of later vintage and is factory nickel finished in the original factory "nickel" (grayish) box.
I would guesstimate that 1 (one) out of 10 (ten) Model 34's are 2" barrel models.
I would love to hear others "estimates" on the rarity of the 2" Model 34's.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks guys for that info.

How many of yours are flat latch?

Seems I’ve seen 6” J frame .22LR, don’t see them listed in Blue Book. Don’t guess they’d technically be a Kit gun.

DF

Just found the M-35 in Blue Book, 6” J frame. That’s the one I saw. They’re priced higher than the 34’s.

Must be rarer.

DF

Well I'll be dammed, I was wrong, a little bit.

http://www.ogca.com/Legendary%20Kit%20Gun.pdf

Very nice pieces, DirtFarmer and WyoCoyotehunter!

VarmintGuy, I agree with your assessment on the model 34s. I hunt S&W handguns tirelessly, and the kit guns in general, and the model 34s specifically, are like hen's teeth, When you do find them, they're often trashed and not at all up to collector quality. I, too, recently found a nickel model 34 that was not worth the price tag to me.

I've got a couple of the stainless versions of the 34, the 63 with 4 inch barrels... I used to disdain the 2 inch versions as non-sense. And of course I saw the light after all of the collectors decided they wanted one. From looking through gunbroker too much the last couple of years===> the shorty model 63's command a premium over the 4 inch 63's, actually getting (as opposed to asking and not selling) 'almost' twice as much as the 4 inch version.


JohnW,

Sorry we've gone a bit off your topic, happens when you bring up S&W Kit Guns. I had a 22/32 I-frame (pre-model 35, 6 inch barrel) years ago and IIRC it had a hammer block.

Going off of memory, always a dangerous and unreliable thing; The pre-model 35 started with the 'Beakert' not too long after the turn of the century, and I believe 'Beakert' was a dealer in San Francisco who convinced S&W to produce the 6 inch barreled I-frame in 22 LR (by ordering enough of them), hence his name attached to it. With that long of a history some of the 22/32's were very likely made without a hammer block.

Jerry

a short history; https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2018/2/8/a-look-back-at-the-smith-wesson-2232-kit-gun/

I'd say 2" Kits and 34s aren't particularly rare but minty ones are, because they kinda call out to be carried and got a lot of carry wear, including sitting in back pockets and overall bibs in places where "concealed carry" wasn't something most people knew about or cared about if they did.

I've owned about all of the variations of the J-framed .Smith 22s over the years. Bought most of them new and only kept the ones I really loved: blue 35 (yes, they did make a few nickeled ones, although I always wondered why), blue 51, and blue 4" 651 (the only one I carry any more). Had a 43 for a few months but it was so light the Wisconsin winter winds would blow the sights off target--too much of a good thing, worse than an original Ruger Bearcat!

Nifty guns. I shot 'em all, right out of the boxes.

Good stuff here and some great pics.

I have an original model 43 Airweight. Love it and it's not going anywhere. Without me anyway...

Got an itch for the slightly smaller I frame revolver. Think I'd prefer the 4", but I'd be OK with a longer barrel too.

Don't think I want one without the hammer block. How would a guy know the difference without holding it in his hand?

I'm having trouble telling the improved I frame from the early J frame.

Someone who knows, tell me what I need to know.

DF