Iver johnson pistol

[Johnnie e Humphrey]

I have a iver johnson arms pistol, it is a 5 shot, 32 cal I think, ser # 42177, can u tell how old this gun is, or any other information.

 

[Kaeto]

Need some pictures. However .32 Ivers were usually 6 shot so it might be a .38 S&W caliber

 

[davek32100]

Need some pictures. However .32 Ivers were usually 6 shot so it might be a .38 S&W caliber

Hey, don't mean to intrude on you.
The 38 iver top break pistol shoots a .358 bullet?
My 32's are 6 shot also , but all 3 are H&R not iver Johnson

Thanks David

 

[Kaeto]

Most of the manufacturers of .32 revolvers made them 6 shot.

Actually the dia of the .38 S&W is .361. That's why .38 S&W won't fit in .38 Special. And .38 Special is too long for the .38 S&W chambers. I shoot both calibers.

My H&R Safety Hammerless Top Breaks. I sometimes keep them hidden in places around my home loaded for just in case as I live right on the border of the city of Detroit Mi.






My .38 Special Charter Undercover Southpaw. Which is my normal day to day carry piece.

 

[jfurlong]

I have a iver johnson arms pistol, it is a 5 shot, 32 cal I think, ser # 42177, can u tell how old this gun is, or any other information.

I had two of these 5 shot, top break 32's that were handed down through family. Purchased in the 1920's. would not recommend modern ammo.

 

[archangel2003]

There needs to be an Iver Johnson thread.
I just picked one up and other than excessive barrel to cylinder gap, it looks decent for a cheaply made pocket gun of that era.

 

[Coyote3855]

http://www.american-firearms.com/am... Works/Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works.html

There are many versions of the Iver Johnson breaktop revolver. Check the link above.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Without detailed photos it is pretty tough to say anything about the OP's Iver Johnson.

However, I can offer this bit of advice. Around 1900 Iver Johnson completely redesigned their line of revolvers. Prior to these design changes, the older Iver Johnson revolvers were not safe to fire with modern Smokeless ammunition, I don't care what anybody else tells you. After the design changes Iver Johnson revolvers were safe to fire with modern Smokeless ammunition, as long as the gun was in good condition and functioned properly.

There are three easy ways to tell a Black Powder Only Iver Johnson revolver from the later Smokeless models.

This is an earlier Black Powder Only model.

1. The little owl on the grips faces forward.
2. The shape of the locking notches on the cylinder shows that the bolt only engages the cylinder on one side, the hand is what keeps the cylinder from rotating backwards.
3. If you remove the grip, the hammer spring will be a flat, leaf spring.







This is a Smokeless Iver Johnson.

1. The little owl faces backwards.
2. The locking slots on the cylinder engage both sides of the bolt, the cylinder does not rely on the hand to prevent backwards rotation.
3. If you remove the grips, the hammer spring will be a coil spring.

 

[Johnnie e Humphrey]

This looks like my gun, but I have a 6 inch barrel, the spring under the handle Is a coil spring, thanks for the info, would like to be able to shoot the gun, if I can get amo for it, and is there anyway to tell how old it is.

 

[Monac]

Thanks for putting up photos, Johnnie e Humphrey. That is a small-frame Iver Johnson revolver. Most of the guns that size had small grips and a short barrel, unlike yours.

The ammunition it uses is called 32 Smith & Wesson (NOT 32 S&W Long). You can still find it at really big gun stores or on the Internet. It is very low powered, about like 22 Short, but much more expensive. It is still used in some fancy high-grade automatic target pistols, but most of the guns made for it are 100+ years old.

Your gun is pretty well worn. The thing that looks like a small button on the frame is a bit odd. It may be a pin starting to back out. Also, can the gun be closed completely? In the photos of the side of the gun, the top latch does not appear to be fully down.

Your gun is of a type (except for the long barrel and big grips) that was made in immense numbers from the 1870's until about 1917, when the US got into the First World War. They were then made in much smaller number until 1942, when the US got into the Second World War. Some were made for a while after that, even, but they were the larger, 5-shot 38 caliber size. Iver Johnson was one of the most prominent makers of this type, and advertised heavily in then-popular magazines, like the Saturday Evening Post. Large numbers have survived to the present day. It probably sold for around $10 when new, possibly less.

I don't think your gun has a lot of cash value, but it's an interesting piece of Americana. Despite its age and low power, it is still a firearm for all legal purposes, BTW.

 

[lewwallace]

My IJ. 2nd model, safety hammerless in 38 S&W. $80 pawnshop buy, late 80s!View attachment 226095 View attachment 226095

 

[lewwallace]

My IJ. 2nd model, safety hammerless in 38S&W. $80 pawnshop buy late 80s!

 

[dodgethejeep]

Couple old top breaks. Larger one is 1930's ij super shot 22lr 6in barrel. Smaller on is an H&r project