The Smith & Wesson Lemon Squeezer - Popular but Ill Fated Design

The Smith and Wesson “Lemon Squeezer” - officially the Smith & Wesson .32 Safety Hammerless model - was a popular top-break model that was preferred for its ability to be reloaded quickly. Another benefit that the Smith & Wesson Lemon Squeezer was known for was that it could be concealed and drawn quickly, since there was no chance of the internal hammer getting snagged in a pocket during a draw.

Produced before World War II, the Smith and Wesson Lemon Squeezer, named so because the top-break action resembled the same motion of the kitchen tool, was doomed by the very qualities that made it special.

The top-break action of the Smith and Wesson Lemon Squeezer couldn’t keep up as smokeless powder rounds became more popular. Smokeless powder produces higher pressure than black powder - pressure than the Lemon Squeezer design couldn’t handle.

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