Old Revolver in the ceiling

[Ditto_95]

Pictures would be nice.

 

[Sheldon J]

Yes we have registration in Michigan, and BTY if it is non functional you do not need to register.. It is considered a curio or relic....

 

[Eightball]

I agree--pictures are fun.

 

[bigalexe]

Pictures Now included!

Notable is that the top above the cylinder says "The American / Double Action"

 

[Cosmoline]

That is what's known as a "lemon squeezer" double action revolver. Typically a five shot. They were very popular in the later 19th and early 20th century as a CCW piece. They were typically either small caliber in the .32 or .38 S&W range or "bulldog" type in the .44 range.

Yours would appear to be a "American" brand double action by Forehand & Wardsworth. It's so far gone it would be a real stretch to call it a firearm at this point. But you might want to keep it as a relic with a shady past. If you want one for shooting they're still pretty easy to find on GB and aren't too pricey. No idea re. Michigan gun laws.

 

[WardenWolf]

I'm tempted to say Smith & Wesson, just by the overall shape, but I'm by no means an expert on old revolvers. It's very old, very possibly 19th century, judging by the hexagonal barrel and the fact that it uses a gate loading system instead of a swing-out cylinder.

Barrel seems to be deformed internally, and it's missing the hammer, so yeah, there's pretty much no chance of it ever being serviceable again.

 

[bigalexe]

Took it over to a local gunsmith and his opinion was it would make a good paperweight. I also was told that when we found it (i was wee little at that time) my mom took it over to the local PD and they didnt have anything to say about it. So legally im clear.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Nothing about it looks like a S&W.

If it was me, I would take it the police and make them register it... it would be funny to watch them struggle with registering that thing.

Or take it to a gun back and get some money.

Or stick it back in the ceiling and let someone else find it in another 100 years.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Regardless of where you are,you will have to have a Make,a Model and a SERIAL number to register it. Lacking any of these, registration(sorry,I gagged on that word) will be a problem. BTW. S&W Lemon Squeezers had a grip safety and a swingout cylinder. These gun has neither.

 

[SDC]

This revolver was built by Harrington and Richardson sometime between 1883 and 1940, as they used the name "The American Double Action".

 

[divemedic]

Marked "The American Double Action" makes it an H&R.

- 5 shot, fluted cylinder
- center fire
- octagonal barrel
- see the screw hole behind the cylinder?

The American Double Action (large solid frame centerfire revolver) Manufactured 1899-1940, likely made later in that period because the early ones were nickel plated, and also a likely .38, as the .32 was a 6 shot, and the only other 5 shot in this model was a .41.
Here is a pic:

 

[jumpstart]

You have to register handguns in Michigan? Wow. That's BS. I thought there was a law against handgun registration- the 2nd Amendment. Cross off Michigan as another state that I would live in.

 

[bigalexe]

messed with it some more today, realized there was still a casing in one cylinder (which drastically changed the handling of the gun) and got it out. Its empty but the primer is intact and its marked as a .32 S&W which matches what ive found stating the 6 shot models were that caliber. There is also what appears to be UMC in lettering but i am not sure, if anyone can tell me if thats a manufacturer it would be appreciated.

 

[justashooter in pa]

agreed. this is prolly not an antique. it is incomplete, and of no collector interest. it cannot be registered, as pointed out in an earlier post. it should be given to the local police department for destruction. if the cylinder contains ammunition, the gun should be destroyed by someone who is qualified to do so.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Why turn it in to the police for destruction? It won't fire so it isn't dangerous. No serial number so it cannot be linked to a crime or traced to a previous owner. Don't give an inch to the antis by turning it in.

 

[W L Johnson]

If they make you register that, that would be like registering a rock.

 

[SDC]

The UMC headstamp was used by the Union Metallic Cartridge company, which was later bought out by Remington; you still see some brass headstamped "Rem-UMC" today as a result of this merger.

 

[bigalexe]

Thanks for the info about UMC. After I posted that i found that Remington now owns the company or at least the name UMC. Also as I stated earlier the local PD has already seen the gun years ago when it was chipped out of the plaster it was in and they declined to register it.

Ok in response to justashooter
-I think we've made it quite clear the gun is of no collector interest in general, yes its incomplete and inoperative. As you read it HAD a casing left in the cylinder which was successfully extracted with a pocket knife, as safely as possible.
-I have no interest in destroying a gun found in MY HOME that may be 100 years old (the gun i mean), it is of interest to me

Overall here is the info we gathered
-Manufactured by H&R 1880 to early 1900's Model
-.32 S&W caliber 5-shot model, Caliber confirmed by spent cartridge in gun
-Rusted heavily, missing hammer, a spring, and grips
-Some Nickel Plating intact
-Not very interesting as a model, more as a relic of local importance.

Some new information I keep getting out of my parents:
The gun when found was not just plain in the ceiling, like it had been dropped or stashed under floorboards above. It was in fact plastered into the ceiling as if someone was trying to bury it in a block of cement.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Soak it in ATF for a few days then soak in it in Naval Jelly to remove the rust.

 

[evan price]

It's possible this gun was permanantly disabled and given to a child as a toy. This was fairly common back in the day, and it is possible that someone didn't like the "toy" gun and decided to get rid of it forever by plastering it into the house.

 

[Dutchman01]

I dunno. It sounds like someone was trying to hide evidence.

 

[WC145]

Interesting find but the thing I'm really wondering about is why do people live in Michigan?

 

[divemedic]

Overall here is the info we gathered
-Manufactured by H&R 1880 to early 1900's Model
-.32 S&W caliber 5-shot model, Caliber confirmed by spent cartridge in gun
-Rusted heavily, missing hammer, a spring, and grips
-Some Nickel Plating intact
-Not very interesting as a model, more as a relic of local importance.

Huh. My reference says that no 5 shot .32s were made in this model, that the 32s were all 6 shot. I missed the part where you said there was nickel still on the gun. That would make this one an earlier model-

 

[bigalexe]

aw crap when I do fact roundups I need to recheck facts, .32 6-shot

 

[Art Eatman]

Just opinion: It's a rusty piece of junk, with no way to tell anything about prior ownership. The rust inside the barrel obviates any ballistics testing for any evidence of prior misuse.

Paperweight.