In House Shipping:
Make: Smith & Wesson
Model: .32 Safety Hammerless 1st Model
Serial Number: 54230
Year of Manufacture: 1888-1902
Caliber: .32 S&W
Action Type: Double Action Revolver
Barrel Length: 3 1/2"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned round blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “U”-notch in the raised portion of the barrel catch.
Grip Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber with S&W monograms at their tops. The grips have very minor handling wear. There is little evidence of use. The checkering is well defined. The grips are inscribed with the serial number inside to match the revolver. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Excellent Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue (Scarce)
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent faint erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 9 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 95% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. There is infrequent faint surface oxidation, mostly on the front sight and trigger-guard. There are a few scattered minor marks. There is a crisp turnline. The action shows operational wear. The grip screw is lightly tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Fine Plus Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this handgun. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment:The name Smith & Wesson has been synonymous with finely crafted American made firearms since 1852. In 1888, Smith & Wesson introduced the .32 Safety Hammerless revolver, with a rear grip safety that quickly earned it the nickname “Lemon Squeezer”. It was simple to operate, easy to conceal, and with sleek lines plus no hammer spur, almost effortless to draw. The 1st model featured a push down barrel latch, and 91,417 were made over its production run from 1888-1902. Those finished in blue are scarcer than the more common nickel examples.
This Smith & Wesson Blued .32 Safety Hammerless Revolver was made between 1888-1902 and is in Fine Plus Condition. It features a 3.5” barrel, 95% of its crisp, original blued finish, with some vibrant, iridescent case coloring on the trigger, serial-matching, elegant two-piece checkered black hard rubber grips with “S&W” monograms at their tops, good mechanics, and a mostly bright bore with sharp rifling and infrequent faint erosion. Lastly, this revolver comes from the personal collection of inventor, founder, and President of Universal Firearms, Abe Seiderman, and should be of additional interest to collectors for that ownership lineage. A signed Certificate Of Authenticity from the Seiderman family will be included with this piece. This is a beautiful old 1st Model “Lemon Squeezer” in the rare blued finish.