Help with identification of this revolver

[Patrick Ellis]

This revolver has been at my parents house for years and I think it was owned by one of my grandparents, but I can't tell what brand/model this gun is. The ammo in the revolver that I took out was .32 ACP. Does anyone have a clue? Thank you!

 

[Red Marley]

I believe what you have there is an Iver Johnson "hammerless" top break DAO revolver. Do an image search on those terms and I believe you will find photos of an identical gun.

 

[bigfelipe]

Yeah, looks like my old IJ Trailsman but hammerless...

Bet it's a 32 s&w and not acp too...

 

[Patrick Ellis]

I believe what you have there is an Iver Johnson "hammerless" top break DAO revolver. Do an image search on those terms and I believe you will find photos of an identical gun.

Yeah, looks like my old IJ Trailsman but hammerless...

Bet it's a 32 s&w and not acp too...

Thank you all, It is an Iver Johnson.

 

[Schattenreiter]

Yeah, looks like my old IJ Trailsman but hammerless...

Bet it's a 32 s&w and not acp too...

Must have been a common thing back in the day. I know a lady who has one just like it. She brought it to me cause it was jammed and asked if I could get it unjammed for her. I did and I found 32 acp ammo in it but it had 32 S&W stamped on the barrel.

 

[Patrick Ellis]

Yeah, I mistakenly thought it was ACP and it was, in fact S&W

 

[Combat Diver]

Iver Johnson hammerless break open as stated. Should be .32 S&W.

CD

 

[TripleO7]

I was on my way OTD to try to buy one from Denver Defense when by chance I checked my e-mail to find out they had closed. That one was .22.

 

[Geezer]

An Iver Johnson and someone didn't like owls. The owl heads are removed from the grips.

 

[Combat Diver]

Still has the IJ on the grips. It's a IJ Third Hammerless Safety Model (smokeless powder, double latch 1909-41')). The First Hammerless Safety Model was for black powder and single post latch 1894-95'. The Second Hammerless Safety Model (double latch, 1896-1908) which came out in 1896 had a safety on the trigger. Glock would later copy that trigger safety in the early 1980s.

CD

 

[MacEntyre]

I've read that you should NOT shoot 32 ACP out of those, but I don't know why.

The serial number under the trigger guard is not useful in dating the revolver. To get the date of manufacture, read the real serial number under the grip panel on the left side. It may have a letter prefix, which will tell you the year of manufacture.

Of course, it is still not easy. For instance, the A prefix was used three different periods: On black powder models made 1896-97, and 1900. On smokeless powder models made 1909-1914. Then they complicated the C prefix by using it twice: If four patent dates made 1896. If five including MAR.15.88 made 1900.

Once you have the real serial number with prefix, you can Ask The Pros at https://www.thefirearmsforum.com and they can tell you more about it. Pictures help them a lot.

BTW, Leon Czolgsz shot President McKinley twice with a .32 caliber, Iver Johnson Safety Automatic, 6 September 1901. The bullets didn't kill the President, his doctors did, the same as with Garfield.