Back when I was poor, I would buy stuff like this. They were everywhere. . .pre 1910 Smiths. When I was little, I would buy them for under $5 just to shoot. In the 1970's and 1980's, I would collect them. A poor man's hobby. Now I am digging them out of the boxes and working them over. Many of them look pretty good. They are just not out there any more. Back in the late 1970's an old Jewish man owned the main pawn shop here in Macon. He let me go into his office one time. The walls were covered with peg boards. Little metal clips were inserted in the holes and old guns were hung on the pegs. There were hundreds of them. He would take all the nice ones that came into the store and keep them. It was his collection. Smart man. This pictured gun is a 1 and 1/2 32 center fire from the late 1880's. It's a little junky, but tight and shoots good. I guess Smiths stay "tight" for an infinite period of time. Now I am locating the boxes that these guns came in. Got my third one today.

Attached Images

M 1 12 1880's.jpg (159.8 KB, 60 views)

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Dr. B

They can be fun little shooters, and if you can keep a consistent grip on the gun, and see those tiny sights they are pretty accurate. I'd put their max distance at 10-15 yards, and don't rely on one for self defense.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244