i have a breaktop 38 markins are top of barrell rib for 38 smith & wesson ctgs on left side of barrell stamped seceret service special five shot fluted cyl square but two screw frame s/n 131xxx it seams to be double action only it was handed down through the family and cam with the original sholder hoster. in all the books i have i cant find this pistol what real model and it worth. any body got any ideal

Could be an Iver Johnson or any number of European copies. Generally, these were very inexpensive revolvers with little to no collector value and are somewhat suspect of even being fired safely.

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Old paratrooper in NC

The "Secret Service Special" was a brand name used by Fred Biffar company of Chicago. They contracted the manufacture of their handguns through several different companies from roughly the 1890's thru the 1920's. According to W.E. Goforth's research the known makers were Iver Johnson, Meriden, Hopkins & Allen and an unidentified Spanish company. They sometimes had special features such as a manual safety. It is usually possible to determine who made a particular sample by comparing it to products from a known maker as there are some obvious mechanical differences.
There is a limited collector market for guns in very fine or near new condition, guns with any amount of wear are, at best, curios and of very little value. Even the nice ones don't bring a lot, I recently sold a nice Meriden made version with real pearl grips for $100 and felt I did well to get that.

This question has come up in the past. Answer was the same then or now. The off-brand manufacturers liked to use dramatic names for their products.

The Iver Johnson would probably be the best built of the lot of those manufacturers. I have a late 1890's Iver Johnson top break .38 revolver that has a hammer block similar to the Ruger transfer bar.
They are interesting to some people, but as stated above there is little collectors market for them.

mark

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Liberals made the USA

thanks for all the help now it makes sence,,,,,,