What year was this revolver made?

[Relle]

I have a single / double action revolver iver johnson brand model safety automatic hammer, caliber .38 serial number 128748 barrel length 3 1/4 .. what year was this made

 

[Col. Harrumph]

Pics please! Especially of barrel markings and of the grip frame (with grips removed).

 

[Relle]

I dont have a pic of the gun

 

[JONWILL]

If you are going to shoot it you need to check the owl on the grips. If it is tilted toward the trigger it is a black powder frame. Straight up and down hammer to the butt smokeless powder frame

 

[Sarge7402]

If your Iver Johnson has Cylinder Notches similar to the Picture it was probably made towards the early to late 1930's


If they are similar to this one it was probably made closer to 1900

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

Without a picture and description of the patent dates stamped on the gun it will be difficult to narrow down the date. Here's another example of what Sarge7402 is trying to show you:

The gun on top is an Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless with the earlier (blackpowder only) cylinder cuts and was made right about 1989. The gun below is a Smith and Wesson, but Iver Johnson top break revolvers made after about 1900 will have the same shape of cylinder stop cuts and are designed for use with smokeless powder ammo.

 

[Relle]

 

[Relle]

This is wat it looks like . ..

 

[Col. Harrumph]

That's a black powder cylinder.

 

[JohnKSa]

Because the gun is a blackpowder gun, it is not safe to fire modern ammunition, even if you can find ammunition that will fit the chamber.

Your gun is a 5 shot, but to provide more information about when it was made, it will be necessary to have the full serial number that is under the grip. The screw holding the grip on will have to be removed so the grip can be removed to read the serial number, including the letter prefix that isn't stamped on the barrel.

 

[Relle]

What's the difference between a double top latch and a single top latch on a 38 safety automatic hammer irver johnson from 1898

 

[Relle]

If the prefix letter is I what year was it made?

 

[Johnm1]

What's the difference between a double top latch and a single top latch on a 38 safety automatic hammer irver johnson from 1898

A single top post is what the name suggests and were used on early firearms. The part attached to the frame was a single piece hand shaped to provide locking of the action with the movable part of the latch located on the barrel. The movable latch surrounded the fixed single post. Later double posts have two pieces attached to the frame towards the outside of the latch area. . This allowed for more surface area to hold the action closed by not only surrounding the two fixed posts but also engaging the post through the center.

A picture would have been easier to explain but I'm working on my technical writing skills. Does that help?.

 

[Johnm1]

This revolver has a double post latch.

 

[Johnm1]

Single top latch.

 

[Relle]

How do I know the difference