Smith & Wesson introduced their first top-break/double action pocket revolvers in 1880 (they’d made top-break/single action models previously). They proved to be very popular, and when patent protection ran out a number of competitors jumped in with their own versions. This situation was not unlike the one faced by Colt today, relative to clones and copies of their model 1873 Single Action Army and Government Model pistol.
Without exception the copies of S&W products were not equal to the original, but they sold for less money, and therefore were well received in certain markets.
One of these competitors was Harrington & Richardson. In their earliest revolvers the cylinder was not positively locked in line with the barrel, but depended on the hand to rotate the cylinder up against a one-sided notch to keep the chamber (somewhat) aligned with the bore. As these were made during the black-powder era, and aren’t the best of quality in any respect,
I strongly suggest that they shouldn’t be fired. Put frankly, as shooters they aren’t worth the price of the ammunition. As collectables with a connection to our frontier past they are interesting.
During the early 20th century, H&R redesigned their Premier (best) line of top-break revolvers to have a positive cylinder latch, the same way S&W had always had. They also upgraded materials so they would be safe with light smokeless powder loads found in cartridges such as .32 S&W, .32S&W Long and .38 S&W. They were manufactured up to about the beginning of World War Two, and some were bought by the O.S.S. (Eat your heart out, James Bond)…
The revolver that is the subject of this thread is one of the later models, so it should be safe with current .32 S&W cartridges. But there is a difference between what is safe, and what is accurate – and again as shooters I question if they’re worth the price of ammunition.
If one wants to actually shoot top-break pocket revolvers I would recommend they buy a genuine Smith & Wesson made during the latter 19th or early 20th century. Contrary to what some believe, they were put together with greater precision and workmanship then those being made today. Powerhouses they are not, but that makes them more pleasurable to shoot.
A recommended source will be found at:
www.armchairgunshow.com