My new “Terrier” from Iver Johnson finished grips in post 29

Picked this up over the weekend. Almost new in the original box IJ Cadet in 38 S&W caliber. Very nice feel to it but came without grips so I am going to attempt to make some walnut ones for it. Not bad for $175

Kelly

Good gun for 5 shots, very slow to reload! The cylinder pin is used to knock out the empties from the removed cylinder.

They make a great second back-up gun!

Ivan

Very cool! I would have been all over that!

For grips get a roll of friction tape. You might try Numrich for grips.

Old_Cop said:

For grips get a roll of friction tape. You might try Numrich for grips.

Click to expand...

What about Jay Scott?

There is a certain utilitarian charm about the older H&Rs and IJs. They deserve more respect. One of my earliest revolvers back in the Iron Age was an H&R Model 922, and I wish I still had it. I had a lot of fun with it. It was one of the several guns I have owned that seemingly simply vanished, and I have no memory of what happened to it.

I would have given that puppy a home.

Is the frame steel? If so it seems like it would be quite a stout little revolver, with no crane or sideplate.

Frame material

Yes the frame is steel. The trigger guard is blued and the frame has a matte finish. Trigger guard is very thick also, so a holster designed specifically for a J or I frame won’t work, this one is to tight. Heavy little revolver. I don’t think I would use it as a carry revolver. Might be a side by side gun or a fishing gun. Or could end up stuck back in the safe for awhile

Grips are available but they are plastic so I am more inclined to try my hand at making grips. I am a wood worker but mostly stick with square stuff like cabinets and furniture


It does have a loading gate on the right side but done know how tight the brass will be after firing. I have never owned a 38 S&W
Kelly

They were all-steel, except for grips, sturdy, dependable, and well made. They did lack the cosmetics and finish as compared to more expensive revolvers. But at the time, they sold for 1/2 to 1/3 the price of a Colt or S&W, so they were affordable for people of moderate means who simply needed nothing more than a gun to keep in the bedside nightstand drawer for self protection and home defense and had no intention of taking them out to the range to fire 100 rounds every weekend.

A negative is the difficulty and expense of obtaining .38 S&W ammunition.

A piece of my family lore. I had a grand-uncle who, in 1906, shot and killed his wayward wife and her boyfriend using a .38 S&W Iver Johnson revolver. That was in the trial records. The first known double homicide in the county. Proves that such guns can be very effective. To complete the story he was handed a life sentence in the Ohio Pen, but was given a full pardon (I don't know how that happened) after serving 6 years. He went on to marry two more women before dying in the late 1920s. I don't think he shot either of them. I suspect neither was inclined to run around on him after what happened to wife #1.

Correct me if I'm wrong, please, but weren't those inexpensive revolvers the reason that the term "Saturday night special" was born? Quality had nothing to do with it in many case; dollars mattered. Maybe I'm incorrect?

Still, cool old gun!

According to Wikipedia, the SNS term originated in a newspaper story published in 1917 to describe a cheap pistol. It became more popular in the late 1960s. Later immortalized by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

DWalt said:

According to Wikipedia, the SNS term originated in a newspaper story published in 1917 to describe a cheap pistol. It became more popular in the late 1960s. Later immortalized by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Click to expand...

While not as fancy or costly as a S&W or Colt, The Iver Johnson revolvers were several steps above the SNS guns. Many of the old top breaks were neglected, and in poor condition (Mostly from improper cleaning!) and were sold off for cheap. Some people just didn't understand that many of today's safety features were invented on top break revolvers by Iver Johnson and H&R.

The standard bullet weight for 38 S&W is a 146 grain LRN bullet. However It is easier to find 146 gr. wadcutters. These will work fine if you load them with the bullet sticking out of the case to the recommended overall length. When The original Hydra-shok bullet came out, it was sold as a loading component: a 146 gr full wadcutter containing the huge hollow point with the post in it. I never loaded any in 38 Special, I loaded up 25 in 38 S&W, and that was my pocket gun carry ammo for several years! Never used any on people! But an angry dog or 4 found out that 38 S&W is a real gun, I only had top breaks and kept the loads to Lyman #45 specs. Any solid frame revolver could withstand a little beefier load.

Last summer I loaded up a batch of 350 38 S&W's for my brother and I I couldn't find any 146's, so I used 158 RN and SWC bullets. Lyman #45 and some later issues have data for them too. Stick with pure lead or a very soft alloy. .357" bullets work fine in my ,361 guns.

For loading dies: DO NOT USE 38/357 DIES! you will under size and ruin your brass. I had a batch of "New Handloads" from a commercial loaded that were sized on Special dies. Every fired case split just above the web from this mistreatment!

A 38 Super die works fine for a sizer die, 9mm Lugar flair, seating and taper crimp die worked fine. (I have a Lyman 310 tong tool die set, but prefer loading these with 7/8-14 dies.) I like WW231 for powder but Unique and Bullseye have always worked well! Standard Small Pistol Primer only, The brass is very common in nickel or plain brass. Several years ago, South Africa surplused out literally tons of 38 S&W brass with a blank head stamp. These were intended as starter rounds for small mortars from the WWII era. There is no difference from regular pistol brass, but at the time my best friend and I got them really cheap! BTW, 38 S&W has a larger rim diameter than 38 Special and uses a different shell holder.

Buy, borrow, or piece together a loading die set and assemble some ammo and enjoy these affordable and wonderful little guns! I don't have a Terrier (yet) but my Regulation Police, Webley, BSR's and top breaks all shoot very well with this ammo!

Enjoy!

Ivan

I have always loaded the .38 S&W the same way - using a .38 Super sizing die and 9mm for neck expansion and bullet seating. I normally use 125 grain .38 Special (.358) truncated cone lead bullets.

My first revolver was an Iver Johnson Trailsman 66 in 1960. The worst firearm I've ever owned and a huge disappointment for a 15 year old kid. It went back to the factory twice and still had timing problems. Gave me a lifelong aversion to anything IJ. YMMV.

I had that revolver chambered in 22. It shot way off to one side so I ended up bending the front sight over in an attempt to sight it in. Ended up trading it off.......

I picked one up at a gun show three years ago for $150.00 with two boxes of ammo. Mine shoots to point of aim out to 15 yards. I wouldn’t think of using it for anything beyond that. As to reloading, I pull the hammer back to the first click, open the loading gate and push the empties out with 3” metal pin similar to unloading a single action revolver. Works for me.

check "Ebay" for grips

I have a set of dies specifically for 38 S&W. I also found some 125 gr semi wad cutter style bullets from Rim Rock.

Nothing wrong with these old Ivers.

ISCS Yoda said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, please, but weren't those inexpensive revolvers the reason that the term "Saturday night special" was born? Quality had nothing to do with it in many case; dollars mattered. Maybe I'm incorrect?

Still, cool old gun!

Click to expand...

I wouldn't characterize the OP gun as a SNS. I'm thinking really cheap guns and low quality.