Free revolver..38 S&W top break.. a Meriden?

[Breakaway500]

Woman gave me her grampas 38. Didn't want it in the house any longer (liberals..)

Says her gramps bought it new at the factory in town MANY years ago. They lived in Connecticut ..in the town of..Meriden.

So..could be a true story. Nevertheless..here it is.

I cleaned it up a bit..everything has matching numbers.

Built like the H&R top breaks I have and seems to be of good quality.

Times up nicely. Bore is shiny. I'm awful tempted to shoot it..

The only one I see on GB is a 32 and has a buy it now of $1k?



Seems like very wishful thinking....me thinks..

 

[Breakaway500]

I do have some ammo..hmmm

It works! I hit everything I aimed at so it has some accuracy at 10 paces anyways. Makes me wonder when it was last shot.

 

[Barbarian-CBX]

I bought its brother (38 Safety Hammerless) last month from a member here.

SWCA# 3713

 

[Breakaway500]

^ I'd say the Smith is a better built gun. Not brothers... maybe distant cousins

 

[ACORN]

I think the "Buy it Now" price the OP referenced is extremely optimistic.

 

[2152hq]

Meriden's revolvers were designed by Andr Freiburg (sp?)
He had worked for IJ, H&R and a couple others of the later 1800's.
So his designs were spread around the trade.
He set up shop for himself but was bought out by Sears Co and his shop, designs and I believe he himself were moved to the Sears owned gun factory...Meriden Firearms Co, Meriden Ct.

That buy-out and move were just after 1900.
Meriden FA stopped making sporting firarms & revolvers alltogether right around 1916. That's when New England Westinghouse took over their factory and converted the place to make Moisen Nagant parts for the NE Westinghouse M/N contract (for which they took control of the Stevens Arms plant to mfg'r).
After WW1 was over, NEWestinghouse was no more, no more Govt work to do and left the factory. Meriden Firearms Co was bankrupt & never came back.

Nice looking revolver. I've had quite a few Meriden guns, mostly their SxS shotguns. A few of the single shots inclu a hammerless SBTrap gun.
A couple of their Singe Shot .22 rifles and the nice Meriden Pump .22. The latter came back to life after WW1 when some guy named Mossberg bought the rights to mfgr it at the bankruptsy action of Meriden in 1920.
Mossberg mfg'd it as the K,M &L
Also one of Meridens Model 1912 Pump Shotguns,,the 'Other Model 12'.
That one used a Krupp Steel bbl and that source went south with the outbreak of WW1.

 

[max503]

I heard if the caliber is stamped on the left side of the barrel, then they are proofed for smokeless powder. If not they are meant for black.

 

[Breakaway500]

From what I read (before firing it) all Meriden firearms company marked revolvers were designed for use with smokeless rounds.

 

[walnutred]

Probably the cleanest Meridian revolver I've ever seen.

 

[ShivasIrons]

I would like to personally thank the OP for taking this firearm from the owner and providing her with a future of restful nights. ��

 

[max503]

My like-new Model 19 and Bersa 22 came from a liberal who was angry because #45 got elected. I was glad to fork over $350 for the pair.

Congratulations on your 38.