[socaldan]

This is a real ODDBALL piece...
It has no numbers or letters...ANYWHERE!
It HAS to be old...(at least 90 years)
It's .32 cal. and rimfire. (7 shot )
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk294/djp7558/IMG_0166.jpg
Anybody else have one...or seen one?
Any info I can get would be great.
Thanks

Dan

[Jim K]

I don't think I have ever seen anything like that. It seems a fair bet that it is not American, but if there are no proof marks that pretty much rules out an origin in the UK, Belgium, France or Germany.

Jim

[HoosierQ]

That is a handmade gun...made by someone with access to machine tools. Probably a project. That's my guess. I offer this more or less useless opinion because I have always wondered just what a good machinist with tools could make. I would think the easiest thing in the world to make, other than a single shot zip-gun, would be a Sten gun. Maybe this is somebody's shot at a revolver.

[Ron James]

With no markings then it could very well be a " Pattern Gun or tool room gun ". or perhaps someone has just polished the markings off????? If it was a work shop project I would think a center fire caliber would have been chosen.

[SDC]

Interesting; perhaps a tool-room prototype? Does it tip down to open, or twist and pull forward like some of the Merwin & Hulberts? Are there any markiings at all on the rear of the cylinder, the topstrap or inner frame, or under the grips?

[Kman]

I'd bet it's american, looks to be a tip-up, I think I have seen that side plate before somewhere..could very well be a prototype...Hmmm Interesting grip angle, wish we had something else in pic to gauge size, but I'm assuming it to be a vest/pocket pistol.

[socaldan]

I've been over it with a magnifying glass...nothing.
I've had the grip off (one piece wrap around the rear wood )...nothing.
It is a breaktop...its 8.5" long, barrel is 3.5".
Its very well machined
I just don't know what it is !!!

[socaldan]

By the way....I have other "oddities"
I'll be posting...if you like?

[John-Melb]

I'm guessing here.

European copy of a Tranter pocket revolver, possibly Spanish?

[SDC]

They style of the bolt notches in the cylinder, the round sideplate, and the sheath trigger remind me of some of the revolvers that the Hood Firearms Co. made, but this is one of those things that would take a LONG time to nail down. Do you know if it uses coil springs or leaf springs inside? If you've got more of these oddballs, I know I'd enjoy seeing them :-)

[JohnBlaze]

as would I. Please, post pictures, lots of them.

[PTK]

Very interesting. Please do post any other oddballs you have. :)

[krs]

I've seen that before, many years past. It's no shop project - more likely a production of one of the precurer companies with Harrington, later of Harrington and Richardson.

there were lots of pocket pistols made by just about every bicycle maker in the 1870 through 1895 period. The winners finally settled out through coporate takeovers, partnerships, bankruptcies, and what all, with only a few emerging to last.

Kind of a similar story is the beginnings of US automaking.

[RonE]

It looks like a top break pocket pistol from around the turn of the last century. Is there anything under the grips that would give you a clue? Perhaps a picture sent to the NRA would get you some information but not the instant gratification that you might get here if someone knows what it is. Good luck, it is a nice looking old pistol.

[RonE]

Another guess (speculation) is that it was made to be privatly labled and therefore a very common pistol and it got out of the factory with no ones name attached. It looks too old to be the first "Ted Williams" from Sears.

[socaldan]

O/K...Here's a couple more...

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk294/djp7558/IMG_0152.jpg

The two barrel has very few markings. mostly the number "36".
Strange knurling on the barrels, and symbols that look like an old squatty bottle, a crown, and a "U" stacked up top to bottom on the frame and both barrels.
The single barrel is too rough to get anything from.
they're BOTH odd to me.