S&W Model 1 1/2
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 89 mm
- Weight, empty
- 312 g
- Introduced
- 1865
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Smith & Wesson Model 1 1/2 was the company's second .32-caliber revolver, intended to combine the compact size of the .22 Model 1 with a more potent cartridge than the smaller pocket guns. A single-action, five-shot tip-up revolver chambered in .32 Rimfire, it was loaded by tipping the barrel up to remove the cylinder. Produced from 1865 to 1892 in three issues, total production exceeded 223,000. The first two issues were rimfire tip-up designs, while the Third Issue introduced the .32 S&W centerfire cartridge.
The Model 1 1/2 bridged the gap between Smith & Wesson's tiny .22 Model 1 and the belt-sized .32 Model 2 Army, giving civilians a genuinely pocketable revolver in a more serious caliber.
First Issue had a non-fluted cylinder and flat-bottomed square grip; Second Issue had a fluted cylinder and rounded bird's-head grip. The Third Issue debuted the .32 S&W centerfire cartridge.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Smith & Wesson
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1865 to 1892
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 89 mm
- Overall length
- 191 mm
- Weight, empty
- 312 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Single action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Revolving cylinder
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Nickel
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 210 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 119 J
- Effective range
- 18 m
- Maximum range
- 55 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Tip up barrel
Removable cylinder
Spur trigger
Birds head grip
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 404 revolvers | 312 g | 1.05 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 415 revolvers | 191 mm | 260 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 431 revolvers | 89 mm | 127 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 revolvers | 5 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the S&W Model 1 1/2
How much does the S&W Model 1 1/2 weigh?
The S&W Model 1 1/2 weighs 312 g (11.0 oz) empty.
What caliber is the S&W Model 1 1/2?
The S&W Model 1 1/2 is chambered in .32 Short Rimfire.
How many rounds does the S&W Model 1 1/2 hold?
The S&W Model 1 1/2 holds 5 rounds, fed from a revolving cylinder.
How long is the S&W Model 1 1/2?
The S&W Model 1 1/2 is 191 mm (7.52 in) long overall, with a 89 mm (3.50 in) barrel.
Who makes the S&W Model 1 1/2?
The S&W Model 1 1/2 is made by Smith & Wesson (United States). It was designed by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson.
When was the S&W Model 1 1/2 introduced?
The S&W Model 1 1/2 was introduced in 1865 and discontinued in 1892.
How does the S&W Model 1 1/2 operate?
The S&W Model 1 1/2 uses a single action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- American civilians
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
83%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/smith-wesson-1-1-2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "smith-wesson-1-1-2", "name": "S&W Model 1 1/2", "manufacturer": { "id": "smith-wesson", "name": "Smith & Wesson", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1852, "website": "https://www.smith-wesson.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "6e259a578cb1b21d72610d761d652c983ff25806b9e736e2db8d2938596e9202" }, "category": { "id": "revolver", "name": "Revolver", "description": "Handguns with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1865, "barrel_length_mm": 89, "weight_empty_g": 312, "action_type": "single_action"}