I just inherited this old revolver from my great-grandfather. I'd love to find out more about it!

By family story, this gun was carried by my great grandpa all over the west while he was an employee of the Union Pacific Railroad. He and a partner used one of those hand-powered rail carts you see in the movies to make their way to remote repairs.

Here's what I know:
no printed model number
top-break
serial # 447822
.32 caliber
3 3/16" barrel
fixed sights
no strain screw
no butt swivel
3 screws (no trigger guard screw)

Attached Images

resized gun.jpg (152.0 KB, 240 views)

Revolver does not appear to be a S&W to my eye. Is there a makers name or any other markings that may help to identify it.

I think it is either a Harrington & Richardson or an Iver Johnson.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Appears to be an H&R.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

First gun I ever had. An H&R 32. At the age of nine, go out behind the garage and shoot cans. AH! the 1950s.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Oops. I thought Smith and Wesson because the barrel reads:

32 S & W CTGE.

So you think it's a H&R, eh?

Thanks! I'll start checking around there too...

Yep looks like an H&R or an Iver Johnson to me. Granpa's ol revolver usually turns out to be one of those. The 32 s&w refers to the cartridge for this revolver.

The square target logo at the top of the stocks belongs to a Harrington & Richardson.

If in good condition, these are quite neat old guns. Not a marksman's gun, but a good, fun, functional revolver in a great chambering, if you don't mind the costs and/or reload.

Yours appears to be in very good condition given its history. H&R continued to make very similar .38 S&W top break revolvers into (I think) the 1970s, and they were well made. I have one of them from the early 1960s in .38 S&W, and it is one of my favorite fun guns. Unfortunately they don't have much demand or monetary value. At the last gun show, I saw more H&R revolvers (mainly .22s) than I have seen for a long time.

Yep, my grandfather carried an Iver Johnson.Not a gun guy at all-a businessman who collected cash from his tenants and other assorted businesses.Not a bad idea to carry during the depression. A cousin has it now.

Believe it is a Harrington and Richardson Automatic Ejecting 3rd Model. If it has the ".32 S&W Ctge" designation on the left side of the barrel then it is made for smokeless powder and would be safe with current factory 32 S&W or 32 S&W Long ammo, still available, providing it is in good functioning condition. The most common problem with these when they get a bit worn is they get out of time, that is, the chambers do not line up perfectly with the barrel when operated in single or double action. These were made up until about 1940. Yours looks to be in good condition.