OK, I've been looking for an inexpensive .22 revolver, and just came across an Iver Johnson Viking. It's a top-break and looks old but in decent shape. Asking price is $100 and I'm tempted, but all I know about the manufacturer is that it's everybody's example of a POS saturday night special. Is that just because there are a lot of old ones on the market, or are they just bad? I'm not afraid to spend more on a new gun, but if this one might be OK I'll spend the money on ammo. Anybody familiar with these things?
Iver Johnson worth bothering with?
- Thread starter icecorps
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During the time they were made, Iver Johnson's were considered to be decent guns for the money, but of course not equal to similar (and more expensive) Smith & Wesson's.
The problem I see isn't so much the basic quality of the gun as it is getting repair parts if you need them, that and a gunsmith that knows anything about fixing them. In decent shape, $100.00 is not a bad price, but I'd sooner save more money and then go looking for a used Ruger Single Six. I have seen (and purchased) them for as little as $175.00. Then you'd have a quality gun from a respected maker that would hold it's value.
The problem I see isn't so much the basic quality of the gun as it is getting repair parts if you need them, that and a gunsmith that knows anything about fixing them. In decent shape, $100.00 is not a bad price, but I'd sooner save more money and then go looking for a used Ruger Single Six. I have seen (and purchased) them for as little as $175.00. Then you'd have a quality gun from a respected maker that would hold it's value.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
Grasshopper (Fuff) speak with plain tongue! 
There are still a lot of these around - tho I have seen very few I'd have given even $50 for. I have two old 'un's - one is in .32 and can shoot, sorta! But on balance yeah - save that cash and go up market just a bit - it'll be worth it.
There are still a lot of these around - tho I have seen very few I'd have given even $50 for. I have two old 'un's - one is in .32 and can shoot, sorta! But on balance yeah - save that cash and go up market just a bit - it'll be worth it.
allmons
Member
Iver Johnson
The old Viking and Owl Head designs did tend to get the cylinder "out of time" and could "shave lead" dangerously. I had some bad experiences with Iver Johnson revolvers and semi auto pistols and cannot recommend them!
I had to pry a piece of .22 lead out of my chest one day, and by golly it hurt!!! The bullet did go downrange, but a small chunk of it caught me in the chest.
One of my high school friends swore that his dad was shot through the right buttock by an old Owl Head top break WHILE IT WAS LYING ON A BENCH WITH NO ONE NEAR IT. Hard to believe, but his dad told me the same thing. He had squeezed the trigger, nothing happened, so he laid it on the shooting bench and went out to move his target and suddenly felt a round go through his buttock. OUCH!
The old Viking and Owl Head designs did tend to get the cylinder "out of time" and could "shave lead" dangerously. I had some bad experiences with Iver Johnson revolvers and semi auto pistols and cannot recommend them!
I had to pry a piece of .22 lead out of my chest one day, and by golly it hurt!!! The bullet did go downrange, but a small chunk of it caught me in the chest.
One of my high school friends swore that his dad was shot through the right buttock by an old Owl Head top break WHILE IT WAS LYING ON A BENCH WITH NO ONE NEAR IT. Hard to believe, but his dad told me the same thing. He had squeezed the trigger, nothing happened, so he laid it on the shooting bench and went out to move his target and suddenly felt a round go through his buttock. OUCH!
rock jock
Member
The only handgun my father owned for 40 years was an Iver Johnson .22 lr revo. He purchased it new in 1964 for $15 and never fired it. In 2004, he wanted a handgun for his Texas CHL and asked me what his IJ would be worth as a trade-in. Now, at the time, I didn't knw much about the IJ line of revos, but thought for sure that a 40 y.o. unfired revolver would be worth a few bucks. did a little research and found that in that 40 year span, his gun had appreciated from $15 to a grand total of $50. When he found out what it was worth, he just gave it to me. I fired it one time, and let me tell you, $50 would be a generous price for this POS. You literally could not design a worse trigger on a gun even if you tried. At one point in the trigger pull (which is about ten lbs total, even with all the grittiness) the cylinder turns freely. I would use it as a hammer, but the nails around my house deserve better.
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