rupertus Nero revolver

[AntiqueCollector]

Does anyone have any info. on these little .32 rimfire spur trigger "Nero" revolvers I have? Brass framed (nickle plated I guess but it's very worn), and I've managed to find out they were made by J. Rupertus. I'd be interested in when and how long they were made, and, are they for .32 rimfire short or long? I don't want to get expensive obsolete ammo and then find out it's the wrong one...Thanks.

 

[Ron James]

Are you sure sure it doesn't read Hero? Doesn't matter , Rupertus , like many of his contemporaries, used very colorful names on his revolvers as a sales gimmick. As far as .32 rimfire short or .32 rimfire long, I believe his revolvers were made for the short rimfire. They were very inexpensive revolvers, even for the time frame ( 1871 to 1890's something ). For .75 (or less)cents you could get one new in the box. A/C, if you shoot anything in one these old pot metal revolvers then you are a braver and more fool hardy man than I. These are not old Iver Johnsons or Merwin and Hulberts. These were very cheap, made for the Kitchen cabinet, never to fired type guns. If you can find .32 rimfire short good luck and be sure to wear gloves and eye protection and shoot off by your self. Vaya con Dios

 

[AntiqueCollector]

I only plan on using low power blackpowder loads (I'll carefully pull the bullets and reload smokeless ammo with blackpowder, as there is some navy arms imported .32 rimfire smokeless ammo still around). Wouldn't be the first set of old/antique "cheap" revolvers I've fired...I've actually always been pretty impressed by how long some of these cheap "suicide special" guns have lasted and that they can still function...

It's Nero for sure (the N is pretty clearly an N), which I was able to find was used by Rupertus. Just haven't been able to find all that much info. on them...

 

[Ron James]

Handguns of the World by Hogg and Walter has a small write up about them.

 

[AntiqueCollector]

I'll have to try and find a copy to look at then, don't have that book (don't have a whole lot of paper material on guns really, most things are easy enough to find on the internet now...).

 

[Ron James]

You would really, really be supprised how much information is not on the internet.

 

[AntiqueCollector]

Well, so far I've usually managed to find quite a bit on the old guns I've found...

 

[littlejoe]

dear sirs i have a j.rupertus but it does not have a nero on it just a empire pat. 1871, i have shot it severl times and the rim fire 32 ammo works just great,, they are short rounds and smokless powder,, i have the place you can buy ammo if you want

 

[Ron James]

Same advise, these were the RG-10 of the day. Even in an era of cheap mail order guns. these were among the cheaperst.

 

[Jim Watson]

Flayderman says Rupertus revolvers were made in the 1870s and early 1880s.
Cheap but not common, Flayderman says of the .32, "Estimated quantity made 1500."

 

[Ron James]

Even more reason not to shoot it.

 

[Jim K]

Those fell into the category known to collectors as "suicide specials", supposedly because they were good for only one shot, just the gun for someone who wasn't going to care about durability.

There is a mild collector interest, but only if the guns are in good shape. Some folks have built large (though not very valuable) collections, trying to obtain all the various makers and markings.

Rupertus revolvers are listed in Flayderman, or at least the "Empire" is; the Nero is not.

According to Webster ("Suicide Specials") the name Nero was also used on a .22 revolver made by one C.L. Riker, of New York, otherwise unknown.

Jim