Antique Firearms - S&W "Lemon Squeezer"

Tiller

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I have this nifty little guy in my closet. It was a gun that my grandfather had stuffed in a sock, in a drawer for who knows how long!!

A little research discovered that this is a S&W DA Hammerless Revolver, 1st model (.32 cal). The 1st models were produced from 1888-1902 and the serial numbers went up to 19,xxx. This one is 17,xxx, so I'm guessing somewhere around 1900?

Either way, it's pretty nifty. Not in great shape, but appears to be fully functional. Still holds nice and tight and the grips aren't cracked or chipped. Anybody know why they call it the "Lemon Squeezer"? Anyone know more about this puppy, or maybe a guess at what it might be worth?

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re: Antique Firearms - S&W "Lemon Squeezer"

WOW! Next time I'll double check the spelling of the title. No, it is not an antique forearm! :rofl:

Could a mod correct the title for me, please? :please:
 
There is an interesting bit of a story about the development of this gun in Roy Jinks' book called History of Smith and Wesson. On page 135 Jinks writes:

Legend has it that D.B. Wesson (founder Daniel Wesson) developed the Safety Hammerless model in a night-long session after hearing that a child had accidentally been hurt by cocking and pulling the trigger on one of the Smith & Wesson Double Action Revolvers. This legend cannot be substantiated, since factory records show a methodical development of the revolver. D. B. Wesson was a sensitive person and perhaps after hearing of this accident was inspired to work very closely with his son Joe to develop a revolver with a safety on the handle and a strong trigger that would require a long pull, making it impractical for a child to pull through and fire...this style of revolver also stems from the law enforcement officer's requirement to draw his revolver from his coat pocket without the exterior hammer catching in the pocket lining.

Joe Wesson's first drawing of the new hammerless design was completed in 1882 but needed further revisions. It wasn't until four years later in 1886 that the Safety Hammerless was introduced to the marketplace. Contrary to first impressions, the hammerless model isn't just a DA with an ugly shroud over the hammer; it's actually designed to be faster and safer than the standard DA. Its main improvement is that it has a safety bar on the backstrap which must be fully depressed to release the hammer. Also, the latch design on the first three variations are different than standard DA's...probably to reduce chances of the latch from being released while being drawn from the owner's coat or pocket. Internally, the firing pin is separate from the hammer. Resting behind the recoil shield, it's a spring-loaded "inertia type" that requires a sufficient blow from the hammer to make contact with the cartridge in cylinder chamber. Since it does not rest statically against the back of the cartridges in the cylinder, it's less likely to discharge accidentally if dropped fully loaded. Another advantage of the hammerless model in addition to the reduction of snagging...the shroud protected the action from dirt and debris that could jam the weapon. This advantage piqued the interest of the US Army. While many would think this idea somewhat strange, the US Cavalry actually tested 94 blued 38 DA Hammerless revolvers with 6" barrels in 1890 as a possible replacement for the Single Action. These were actually issued to several US Cavalry regiments for field tests but failed to impress many officers. The .38 Model 1892 Colt Double Action turned out to be the winner.
 
Can't say for sure, but I'd bet the lemon squeezer comes from the hinged takedown which is similar to a true mechanical lemon squeezer.
 
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