Need help finding out more about my Iver Johnson .38 s&w

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Ninodrive45

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What are things to look at be for shooting a old gun and does a iver Johnson .38 have a firing pin
 
An Iver Johnson revolver would have had a firing pin as it came from the factory, yes. It would be mounted in the frame rather than on the hammer, because Iver Johnson invented the "transfer bar" safety device, which requires the pin to be frame-mounted to work.

Iver Johnson made decent guns for a modest price for many years. They are not Colts or S&Ws in quality of workmanship or materials, any more than a Model T Ford was a Cadillac or a Packard. These guns were made for short range self defense, rather than target shooting (unless you've got something unusual).

I am not a gunsmith, but the most basic things to look for would be whether the cylinders are lining up with the barrel properly and whether the cylinder is locked in position fairly tightly when the trigger is pulled back for firing. The top catch was another weak point - it should be snug and not loose when the gun is closed.
 
Some older Iver Johnson revolvers were made before the introduction of modern gunpowder and should not be fired with the ammunition you can buy at WalMart. As Gaucho said, more information about the markings on your gun and several clear pictures will help us determine about when it was made and whether or not it is safe with modern ammunition. Even simple function checks may be different depending on the type of revolver and caliber.
 
A black powder frame is easy to spot. If the owl is turned at an angle the top toward the hammer and the bottom toward the trigger it is a black powder frame

If the owl is straight up it is a smokeless frame
 
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