Hopkins & Allen .32 Centerfire

[Mzuri]

Years ago I inherited this revolver from my Grandfather who himself inherited it from one of his aunts. The family lore is that she lived on a ranch in South Dakota and used it for shooting rattlesnakes. This may be a story that has been seriously embellished over time and I am not even sure there are rattlesnakes in South Dakota.

In any case I have learned from other sites that Hopkins & Allen produced inexpensive revolvers from the 1870s until going out of business in the early part of the 20th century. I suspect that this one is on the older side because the top strap specifies that it uses .32 centerfire, which suggests that it dates from a time when someone might have tried to use 32 rimfire.

The cylinder rotates freely until the trigger is pulled. It locks up reasonably well with the trigger pulled. There is supposed to be a folding hammer spur, but it is missing. There is some corrosion on the exterior but the chambers and the bore look good.

There is a little bit of end shake and the gap between the cylinder and the forcing cone is bigger than I am accustomed to seeing on more modern revolvers.

My questions:

Does anyone have further information about this revolver?

Am I right to assume that .32 centerfire means .32 S&W?

Might 32 ACP work in it? It lacks an ejector and it appears that you use the rod that hold the cylinder it to push the fired rounds out, so the semi-rimmed nature of the 32 ACP might not be a problem.

I really want to shoot it. Should I resist that urge?

 

[TomkinsSP]

.32 centerfire is .32 s&w DO NOT SHOOT .32 AUTO/ACP IN IT. .32 acp cartridges will fit and shoot, but psi is TWICE that if .32 S&W. Magtech makes factory .32 S&W (as do others). If you don't mind the mess you can load the S&W or ACP case with black powder (proper loading for any BP cartridge is the base of the lead bullet, no air, no compression). Or a .32 S&W case with 1.9 grains of Unique. Acme in WI makes lead bullets (as do others) have fun, be safe, you are holding history (family history-the best kind) in your hands.

Spaces on (semi) rim. Pencil works as ejector, if it has cutout or gate like my Iver Johnson I wouldn't pull the cylinder each time, just load and unload like a SA. Lots of guns of this era only locked to fire (With trigger pull), if it locks when you pull the trigger, but otherwise freewheels, that could just be the way it's made.

Lots of pocket guns have had their hammers bobbed to prevent snagging. Now it's DAO unless you can snatch the hammer after pulling, definitely an acquired skill. IMHO guns are meant to be shot.

 

[Mzuri]

I think you are right that it is supposed to freewheel until it is cocked. The cylinder stop seems to be part of the trigger and rotates up out of the frame as the trigger is pulled or the hammer is cocked. It's actually a pretty clever design. Looks like there are very few parts in the fire control group which seem to fit into the frame from below. More like a Ruger than a Smith.

 

[TomkinsSP]

I have an IJ .32 and a H&R .38 of similar design/vintage. They are fun. Maybe 15-20 parts per gun. Trigger guard is pinned to frame and all other parts go up inside.

 

[Wee Hooker]

We took one in as part of an estate a few months back. It was not something we would want to see someone try to fire so it was sent to egunparts for cannibalization. I don't know but I'd be concerned about the pressures developed by modern 32 cartridges if fired from the gun.( Even if it were in new condition.) As you say, they were not top of the line, even in their time.

IF it were me, I'd count my fingers and put the gun aside as a curiosity.

 

[DWalt]

It is probably OK to shoot standard .32 S&W cartridges if all of the cylinders line up with the barrel. Probably not a good idea to attempt using .32 ACP. They are OK to use in a good condition newer solid frame revolver chambered in .32 S&W Long, but they do operate at a higher pressure than .32 S&W (which is fairly puny) and could damage any of the old top break revolvers. Assuming they can be chambered.

 

[Mzuri]

I think I might double up my eye protection, put on pair of welder's gloves and see what happens. With 32 S&W, not 32 ACP.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Elmer Keith tells about him and a buddy getting hold of one of that kind of cheap pistol and a box of shells for it . He did the shooting ( Very few rounds ) and the top strap blew off and went thru the crown of his hat . He threw what was left in a ditch and that is what I would do with that one if I found myself tempted to shoot it . See page 238 of "Sixguns By Keith "

Eddie -who still has his eye sight and all his fingers !

 

[DWalt]

Over the years I have fired many of the .32 and .38 IJ, H&R, and several miscellaneous other brands of old top break revolvers using factory ammunition without incident. But most were in reasonably good condition. The only incident I am aware of involving one was maybe 30 years ago. One of my acquaintances and one of his friends went out to butcher some hogs, using an old .32 top break revolver (I don't remember what kind it was) as an anesthetic. He accidentally managed to shoot and kill his friend because the first hog he shot got loose after it was shot and in the melee he somehow pulled the trigger hitting his friend. I guess the lesson was that butchering hogs with an old .32 revolver can get you killed.

 

[TomkinsSP]

OPs gun is NOT a break top (see pictures). And while DWalts story is tragic, I don't see how the type of gun had a bearing on the described event.