The following information comes from Smith & Wesson Hand Guns by Roy C. McHenry and Walter F. Roper. Smith & Wesson Hand Guns is also available to purchase in print.
MODEL .35 CALIBER—Automatic Pistol
Ammunition .35 Caliber S&W Automatic cartridge. Patented September 13, 1910; December 13, .1910; February 28, 1911; July 30, 1912; September 24, 1912. Manufactured 8,350 from May 6, 1913 to January 27, 1921.
DETAIL OF DESIGN
Frame—Square butt, round end rectangular slot through tang to receive seven shot cartridge magazine, with magazine catch cuts in butt. Insert let in back of tang carrying main spring and plunger held in position with two screws, covering lock work cuts for hammer, sear, sear spring, and safety slide. Post raised from top of frame rear as guide and stop for breach bolt forming barrel joint. Frame extended forward of magazine slot bored, and slotted to receive barrel, guard, and trigger. Dovetail cuts let in from right and left sides to receive stock plates. Magazine catch let in from right side at butt operated by traverse motion of thumb piece located on butt. Safety lever cuts located in tang below trigger guard and to the right of magazine slot. Made of 3 1/2% nickel steel. Finished in blue or nickel.
Barrel—Straight round body at caliber hole with recoil spring chamber located directly over, extending full lengths of body and strap. Strap extending to rear of butt jointed to frame post held in position by interlocking ribs and joint pivot screw. Lug raised from body at butt swinging into slot in frame held in locked position by caroming action of trigger guard in closing. Solid front sight. Made in 3 1/2″ length only. Made of nickel steel. Finished in blue or nickel.
Bolt—Rectangular shape block straddling frame post operating between top of frame and barrel strap. Bolt release catch let in from top left side engaging and releasing spring rod. Extractor let in from right hand side. Ejector located in slot at left side bottom. Lug raised from top of bolt as an abutment for bolt spring rod. Firing pin let in from rear of body held in normal position with coil wire spring and retaining cross pin. Made of 3 1/2% nickel steel, heat treated.
Hammer—Straight sides with friction bosses raised at stud hole pivoted to frame located to operate between body of bolt and frame post, slotted to receive main spring stirrup.
Sear—Jointed to front face of hammer held in latched or cocked position by flat leaf sear spring pinned to frame. Driller for sear plunger and pin. The action of cocking the hammer raises the sear to a latched position on the tempered steel notch plate located on rear wall at magazine slot, thereby carrying sear plunger into close engagement to trigger end. Made of nickel steel, heat treated.
Trigger—Sliding type, finger piece with thin steel offset arm to left side designed to clear magazine case and engage sear. Finger piece body drilled to receive coil trigger spring and plunger, stop and retaining leaf spring and plunger, stop and retaining leaf spring punched through and raised from arm surface. Made of carbon steel, tempered.
Safety Lever—Located under trigger guard right side operating safety slide. Designed, straight flat body with corrugated trigger piece, drilled to receive spring pin and coil wire spring. Flat spring mounted on left side forcing lever to a latched position in notch upon recovery of forward action.
Safety Slide—Rectangular shape thin steel piece located in groove at right side of lock work cut in frame, lug raised from flat surface operating between frame insert and sear blocking action against accidental discharge.
Stock—Made of walnut, mounted on stock plates with S&W monograms insert.
.32 AUTOMATIC PISTOL
Manufactured between February 29, 1924 and July 9, 1937. Cartridge .32 A.C.P.
DETAIL OF DESIGN
Differences in construction:
The barrel is not hinged to the frame, as in the .35 caliber model but was placed inside a two part slide, the rear portion of which, containing the firing mechanism, could be retracted separately from the forward part, permitting a cartridge to be loaded without compressing the recoil spring, as in the .35 caliber model, a feature of the original Clement patent under which both pistols were constructed.
Click here to purchase Smith & Wesson Hand Guns in paperback
