Old and unknown

[BIKERTRASH]

CAN ANYONE GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION ON THESE TWO REVOLVERS THE ONE HAS THE MARKINGS NERO AVER THE CYLINDER. I HAVE NOT TRIED TO DISASSEMIBLE IT YET BUT i MAY HAVE TO TO FIND SS NUMBERS OR DATES .
THE OTHERS IS MARKED L.W.POILD WOCHESTER MA. WITH PAT DATE OF JULY 10 1860. THE SS NUMBER ON IT IS 278. BOTH APPEAR TO BE .32 CALIPER.
I WOULD APPRICIATE ANY INFORMATION ON EITHER.

 

[Jim Watson]

The Nero may have been made by Jacob Rupertus in the 1870s or 1880s. We discussed the matter at
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=301990&highlight=nero
and you might want to get in touch with the OP there.

The second gun is a Luicius W. Pond revolver, made from 1861 til 1870.
It was a patent infringement on the Smith & Wesson and Pond went out of business when they lost the lawsuit. Their remaining inventory - over 4000 guns - was marked "Manuf'd for Smith & Wesson".

 

[Radagast]

FWIW, the pond revolver is listed in Flayderman's with an approximate value of $275 in good condition and $850 in fine. These were made in iron and brass frames, yours appears to be iron with the rarer recessed bar along the left side as a barrel catch, which may bring a small premium.

A Rupertus revolver is probably worth around $125 in good condition, but the picture doesn't match the one in Flayderman's. Additionally a Rupertus revolver will usually be marked J Rupertus.Philis. or Protector Arms Co.

I'm guessing the Nero is just a gun made for the hardware store trade and could have been made by one of several manufacturers who didn't put their name on the product.