Ive looked across the web and have had little success. Im curious to know how old this gun is. All i know is that its a 38 US Revolver Co. Its seriel number is 41290 and that it was supposedly used in the civil war. Im on mobile and unable to upload a picture. Those interested in helping please email me [email protected] thank you
Need help identifying model and value
- Thread starter Csmith131
- Start date
Welcome to the Forum. Whenever I hear someone say this or that gun was used in the Civil War, I immediately am skeptical. It is surprising how many cartridge double-barrel shotguns and cartridge single action revolves are claimed to have been used by an ancestor in that war. It is also not possible for your revolver to have been used during the 1860s.
The US Revolver Company was part of Iver Johnson Cycle Works & Firearms Company, which operated from 1871 to 1993. They made guns under the trade-names American Eagle, Boston Bulldog, Lovell Safety, Defender, US Revolver, Swift, Secret Service, Champion, Armsworth, Viking, etc. The US Revolver was made in three different models; top-break, solid frame, and the Automatic Hammerless, but you did not mention which type of frame you have.
The top-break model was made from 1910 to 1935, the solid frame from 1910 to 1933, and the Hammerless in the same era. That means there were no antique US revolvers made, and certainly not back to the early 1860s. About the only cartridge US manufactured revolver used in the Civil Was was the Model 2 S&W. A handful of European cartridge guns were used, but seldom have documentation associated with their stories.
I do have access to manufacture dates and, depending on what your model's configuration, it could have been manufactured the following years: Solid Frame - 1915, Top-Break & Hammerless 1912.
The US Revolver Company was part of Iver Johnson Cycle Works & Firearms Company, which operated from 1871 to 1993. They made guns under the trade-names American Eagle, Boston Bulldog, Lovell Safety, Defender, US Revolver, Swift, Secret Service, Champion, Armsworth, Viking, etc. The US Revolver was made in three different models; top-break, solid frame, and the Automatic Hammerless, but you did not mention which type of frame you have.
The top-break model was made from 1910 to 1935, the solid frame from 1910 to 1933, and the Hammerless in the same era. That means there were no antique US revolvers made, and certainly not back to the early 1860s. About the only cartridge US manufactured revolver used in the Civil Was was the Model 2 S&W. A handful of European cartridge guns were used, but seldom have documentation associated with their stories.
I do have access to manufacture dates and, depending on what your model's configuration, it could have been manufactured the following years: Solid Frame - 1915, Top-Break & Hammerless 1912.
opoefc
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
Welcome to the Forum. US Revolver, caliber .38S&W, serial number 41290,was made in 1912. Could have been used in one of the Banana republic's Civil wars of the 1920s or the Spanish Civil War in the 30s, but not the US Civil War ! . Iver Johnson made about 690,000 U.S.Revolvers in calibers .22, .32 and .38 from 1910 to 1935, in hammer & hammerless models. Quality was very good for the price and they were major competitors to S&W. Ed.
I have a both a hammerless and a solid frame of the US Revolver Co. pistols. The quality is pretty good for the money, as Ed mentioned above. These were sold only though mail order catalogs of the day.
Also the top breaks are made from the older style Iver Johnson design and do not have a hammer block safety (or Hammer the Hammer as IJ would advertise), like other IJs have.
They're a pretty neat piece of history, but not work very much on the market.
Also the top breaks are made from the older style Iver Johnson design and do not have a hammer block safety (or Hammer the Hammer as IJ would advertise), like other IJs have.
They're a pretty neat piece of history, but not work very much on the market.
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