Michael Tinker Pearce
Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2016
- Messages
- 1,577
Picked up this little .32 today. It's an Iver Johnson Model 1 (first Model, 2nd change) made in 1896 according to it's serial number. It has a 2" barrel, and a combination of features that are inconsistent with either a modified or factory gun. It's a bit of a puzzler, so I am hoping someone here can shed some light on it. The crown of the muzzle appears to be the factory crown-
This is well and good; they did offer a 2" barrel as far as I know. The finish on the crown exactly matches the rest of the gun. But the front sight groove is cut into the patent data on the top of the barrel, as you might expect of a gunsmith job, and is notably off-center. On the other hand it is a typical factory sight installed in what is other wise the standard fashion.
So, the gun is sending mixed signals. When IJ decided to offer a 2" barrel did they just cut-and-crown the stock barrel? Or did some gunsmith do it and had a tool to replicate the factory crown? I can't even guess which is more likely. Other than the 124-year-old finish it's a rather nice little gun with a good trigger pull. I haven't shot it to see if the sights allow it to shoot to POA.
So, what do y'all think? Sloppy factory work or gunsmith work?