I picked up this revolver at a local gun show over the weekend, but can't find out anything about it. Barrel is 5", takes 32 S&W shorts. Seller says it functions fine.












Any body know anything about these? I gave $100 for it.

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SWCA 2082

These were essentially copies of the Smith & Wesson break opens of the same sort. Iver Johnson made many copies of these, although I have not run into one before with the longer barrel like yours. They are often known as permit getters because they are so cheap and many people get them when they first get their pistol permits here in NY to have something to put on it. Many of the ones I see are not functional or if they are they get used rarely.
One of my wife's relatives has a similar gun with the shorter barrel in .38 S & W that used to be a back up gun for a Troy PD cop from the 1920's. It works so-so. His is in the same overall condition finish wise and he took it to a gun shop and was offered $50. I would think with the longer barrel and if it works ok, $100 would be about right, I would not have spent any more on it though.

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Vaya con Dios

Any body know anything about these? I gave $100 for it.

Why? Not trying to be rude but if you know nothing about it why would
you want to buy it? A very common type of low powered cheap revolver
made in large numbers in the early 1900s. They are usually called " owl
heads ". Most have shorter barrels. Most of them by now have suffered
the common malady of breakage of the flat trigger spring or the
transfer or safety bar. The frames are soft cast steel and the top
latch can come open when fired after a bit of wear. Parts will be
difficult at best to find. The guns are not for serious use but might
be a fun plinker but high priced very low powered ammo takes the
fun out of plinking. Again not trying to be rude but I think $100 would
be put to better use as money to be part of the price of a quality gun.

Well, I have lots of higher priced guns. Just don't have one like this, it is over 100 years old, and it works!

I think it is cool!

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SWCA 2082

If you like it that's all that really matters, isn't it?

It's nice to see one that old with the grips intact. Very often, being elderly and brittle, they're broken.

I like it just for the long barrel and general coolness.

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Oh well, what the hell.

very nice gun you got.I would have bought it.

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God save the SOUTH

Nice revolver. The positive cylinder stops and four pins in the frame identify it as a Model 1909, not 1908, and it's suitable for smokeless powder as tthe earlier ones weren't. Shoot factory smokeless loads in it all you want. The 1909s had all wire springs, no leaf springs. They were made up to the start of WW II. There's a book by Bill Goforth that lists the guns by serial number and date; you need the letter prefix that is in the number under the left grip. Looks like it has a six inch barrel; they're scarce. This model and caliber was made with barrel lengths of 2", 3", 3 1/4" , 4", 5" and 6": the 2" and 6" are the scarcest. Looks like it was blued: most are nickle and bluing cost an additional $1. At the right gun show you could double your money. Pity I'm not still collecting them.

Pretty nice for a 100+ year old gun.

Well, I posted a picture of the serial number stamped on the left grip. There is no prefix. There is a 8 U 37 on the bottom of the trigger guard.

AC

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SWCA 2082

I have one with a shorter barrel. I bought it from a guy at a gun show for $30. He then proceeds to empty his pocket of ammo, and says "here, these go with the gun. They were 32 ACP.

It almost takes two fingers to pull the trigger. Is yours that stiff?

No. Trigger pull is nice, about like a S&W J frame.

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SWCA 2082

I have an affinity for old guns like yours. Maybe
because they're still working after all this time. They just had to be pretty well built to have survived this long.
Nice catch; glad you got it. Price is immaterial anyway.
TACC1

While it's not the most powerful revolver cartridge in the world, the .32 S&W has a long history of effective use in both field and farm.

You can rout pests all day long without feeling tired, and it beats the heck out of the .22 LR in power. The .32 S&W has a great history when it comes to accuracy and is a lot of fun to boot!

Screw the naysayers, shoot it and enjoy it!

Scott