I’m not just a .32 ACP nut; believe it or not, I embrace most forms of .32. The other .32 I like nearly as much as the .32 ACP is the .32 S&W Long. I have a small collection of I-Frame revolvers, including a pair of 1903 Hand Ejectors, a Regulation Police, and a Spanish copy of the 1903. My most recent acquisition is a snub-nose I-Frame that most S&W collectors call a Pre Model 30.
They call it the Pre Model 30 to be more specific. If you say you have a Pre Model 30, S&W fans know it’s a post-war .32 Hand Ejector, which differs from the original 1903 Hand Ejectors. The Pre-Model 30’s actual name is the .32 Hand Ejector. In 1957, S&W started introducing model numbers, and this became the Model 30.
My specific model appears to be a 4-screw, new-I-frame. I say “appears to be” because the I-frame series has many small changes throughout its lifespan. Mine has four screws, a ramped sight, and an egg-shaped trigger guard, which seems to confirm my findings.
The serial number dates it to 1953-1955.
From my research, it appears to be a fairly uncommon configuration. Most of these guns were carbon blued, so the shiny nickel finish isn’t very common. Most of the pre-Model 30 production seemed to have longer barrels.
The shiny finish could be aftermarket, but since the hammer and trigger are not coated, I’m inclined to believe it’s a factory finish. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking.
The I-Frame Legacy
Most people know snub noses as J-Frames. S&W produced the J-Frame because the I-Frame wasn’t big enough to handle the longer .38 Special round. For a time, they produced both J-Frames and I-Frames, but the economy of producing both became too much for S&W. The .38 Special was the dominant round, so they stopped producing I-Frame guns.
I can see why S&W killed the I-Frame. The snub-nose I-Frame is slightly smaller than the J-Frame, but not by a whole heckuva lot. It’s only around a quarter inch shorter and a couple ounces lighter. It’s roughly the same width, but S&W could only fit 5 rounds in the .38 Special J-Frame, whereas the Pre Model 30 got away with six .32 caliber rounds.
Ounces and length are both critical for deep concealment, but not worth keeping two lines of tooling running. Modern materials have made plenty of J-Frames much lighter than the 17 ounces of the Pre Model 30.
The Shiny Pre Model 30
My Pre Model 30 features a shiny electrolytic bright nickel finish with wood grips. It’s a classic snub-nose revolver. Nothing fancy, and in desperate need of a grip adapter. I love that it has a flat-latch cylinder release. It’s the only flat latch I have, and owning it made me learn all about S&W flat latches.
I’ve read that S&W introduced the flat latch to reduce snags and create a smaller profile, and I’ve also read it was a cost-saving measure. S&W historian Roy Jinks was quoted in American Rifleman crediting concealment and a snag-free draw as the reason for the flat latch. S&W also never called it the flat latch; that’s a pure collector’s term.
J-frames, I-frames, and lightweight K-frames wore flat latches. It appears there are seven different flat-latch designs. They’re not as easy to use as the regular latch, but they look cool and are a quirky piece of S&W history.
The Cartridge
The .32 S&W Long is the sequel to the downright quaint .32 S&W. The .32 S&W was an early centerfire round designed for compact revolvers. We’d describe the .32 S&W as anemic these days, but President McKinley would likely disagree.
S&W introduced the .32 S&W Long in 1896 with the original S&W .32 Hand Ejector. The original S&W Hand Ejector was a .32 S&W, and it set the stage for every S&W produced since. It’s interesting to me that .32-caliber guns seem to always be trendsetters.
The .32 S&W Long was originally a black powder round, but it transitioned to smokeless powder while maintaining a similar chamber pressure. The new .32 Long revolvers could also shoot .32 S&W. The cartridge had a fair bit of success and is still used in wadcutter form in semi-auto pistols for bull’s-eye shooting events like the ISSF 25 Meter matches.
The .32 S&W Long has a few loadings, and I tend to use 98-grain rounds moving at a quaint 650 feet per second. They aren’t exactly powerful rounds, but Lucky Gunner did gel testing, and they can reach the minimum penetration depth from short barrels, but you’ll get 0 expansion.
Sadly, it’s an expensive cartridge, with a good price being a little above 50 cents a round. I’ve heard it’s easy to reload and that might have to be the path I need to take.
The Pre Model 30 At The Range
Then you’ll want to buy your own, and then maybe another, and before you know it, you swipe every box you see at any local gun store.
You’ll be shooting $ 28 to $ 30 worth of ammo in 50 rounds. You’ll keep spending more and more until you’re like me, eyeing reloading setups and figuring out where it could fit in your office.
From a little 17-ounce snub-nose revolver, it’s downright pleasant. You can empty a cylinder as quickly as possible, and your hand won’t feel much more than a burp. The Pre Model 30 handles wonderfully. It launches the little .32 S&W Long rounds with ease, letting you make rapid follow-up shots that stay on target.
Single-handed shooting is almost too easy. I can launch the entire cylinder downrange without losing control. I can typically do that with a .38 Special, but not nearly as fast. It’s not exactly rimfire-level recoil, but it’s close. Since it’s not rimfire, you don’t get the hefty double-action trigger required to ensure consistent rimfire ignition.
Hitting Doubles
A previous owner wore in the double-action trigger, and it’s quite smooth. I haven’t quite figured out how to roll a revolver trigger perfectly, but the Pre Model 30 makes it feel easier. I hardly fussed with the single-action because I loved the double-action so much.
I was shooting doubles from the low ready at a reduced-size USPA target at five yards, and every pair landed side by side in the head of the target.
I had warmed up a bit, gotten a little more accustomed to the point of aim and point of impact, but if you take shooter skill out of the equation, the gun’s clearly capable of excellent accuracy. The .32 S&W Long round does a great job, and Bull’s-eye shooters still use the cartridge in their precision pistols for a reason.
Out to 25 yards, I could land double-action shots on C-zone-sized steel. I had to take my time, and that’s not all that impressive for experienced wheel gunners, but for me it’s pretty dang good. Especially with a rear trench sight and shiny front sight.
The most trouble I had came from the shiny finish. The front sight blends in with the rest of the gun and constantly reflects the sun, making it hard to see at times.
The Pre Model 30 went bang every time I pulled the trigger; that’s an impressive feat because I was using MagTech ammo, a brand known for hard primers. Those hard primers give me trouble with modern guns. The old six-gun eats through the hard primers without complaint.
The Pre Model 30 – Get One
This might be my favorite snub nose. Not from a practical perspective. I have other guns to carry. It’s easily one of the most enjoyable guns to shoot. It’s decades old but almost keeps up perfectly with the 432 UC I adore oh so much. I’m a fan of the I-Frame lineup, and most seem to be fairly affordable.
If you come across one, it’s worth snatching up.