Revolver

[Relle]

Can somebody tell me about this hand gun please

 

[ancientnoob]

Looks like an Iver Johnson.

See here...
https://www.guns.com/news/2013/04/20/iver-johnson-safety-revolvers-glorious-contradictions

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

Looks like a blackpowder era Iver Johnson Safety Hammer to me. Probably .38S&W caliber based on the relative scale.

If I'm remembering correctly, the patent info on the side of the barrel instead of the top rib indicates that it's a little older of a gun. 1890-1898 I think. The gun appears to be missing at least the trigger pin.

The serial number should be found on the frame underneath the rubber grips. Remove carefully as they will probably be delicate.

 

[Relle]

Is this antique gun ?

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Yes, it’s an Iver Johnson top beak.
It also looks like it’s in an Evidence box.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Is this antique gun ?

Most likely not.

 

[mcb]

It appears to be an Iver Johnson Safety Automatic in 38S&W. Given the grips and orientation of the owl logo it's a early 1st or 2nd model made for black powder.

 

[Relle]

It is

 

[Relle]

So it’s not an antique?

 

[GunnyUSMC]

So it’s not an antique?

You would need year of manufacture.

 

[Relle]

Ok

 

[WestKentucky]

Trigger pin is in, needs to be tapped back over to be properly in the frame. I have had one of those apart and it seems as if the trigger wasn’t bad to get lined up, but with a fully assembled gun it seems it would be a booger. Tap it gently with a soft hammer or punch (plastic, brass, lead) to move it over flush to the frame.

 

[Relle]

I really can’t see the number on it .

 

[mustanger98]

If it's the gun I'm thinking of, from the time frame I'm thinking of, anybody could walk into any country store in the South and buy one for ~$2.50.

 

[mnrivrat]

Like mentioned it is an Iver Johnson black powder early gun and could very well be an antique. Guns made for smokeless powder had the owl facing downward on the grip looking at the grip screw. I am not all that familiar with these but knowing it was made early for black powder cartridges to me would indicate it was most likely built prior to 1899 making it an antique. A bit more research needed to verify that however.
It should have a serial number and if not it was likely removed which would make the gun illegal as an altered gun. I think that would be true even on a antique gun, but again a bit more research is needed. I know there are people here that know a lot more about these old IJ guns than I do,

 

[Relle]

Ok thank you

 

[ontarget]

I thought serial numbers were not required prior to 1968. Most manufacturers may have used them before that but weren't required to by law.
BTW I am not a lawyer.

Like mentioned it is an Iver Johnson black powder early gun and could very well be an antique. Guns made for smokeless powder had the owl facing downward on the grip looking at the grip screw. I am not all that familiar with these but knowing it was made early for black powder cartridges to me would indicate it was most likely built prior to 1899 making it an antique. A bit more research needed to verify that however.
It should have a serial number and if not it was likely removed which would make the gun illegal as an altered gun. I think that would be true even on a antique gun, but again a bit more research is needed. I know there are people here that know a lot more about these old IJ guns than I do,

 

[Tallball]

If by antique you mean old, yes.

If you mean "worth more than $50", no.

 

[Relle]

Do u know what year it was made

 

[Phil from Kansas]

Models 1&2(black powder) originally had the beak pointing at the trigger. However, model 3 (smokeless) grips fit, so you're going to have to carefully unscrew the grips. Flat spring will be a 1or 2. Coil will be 3. Most importantly, the serial number will be visible. If there is not a starting letter, it is an early 1. If there is a letter, it will correspond to year of manufacture within a couple years. Just post a pic of the frame without the grips.

 

[mnrivrat]

"I thought serial numbers were not required prior to 1968". I believe that is correct, but altering the serial number on a gun, or removing it even though it was made prior to 1968 is illegal . Someone can correct me if I am wrong. Per 18 U.S.C. 922 (k), “It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to transport, ship, or receive, in interstate or foreign commerce, any firearm which has had the importer’s or manufacturer’s serial number removed, obliterated, or altered or to possess or receive any firearm which has had the importer’s or manufacturer’s serial number removed, obliterated, or altered and has, at any time, been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.” This may or may not effect antique firearms , but on models such as the OP has how are you going to prove it is antique without a serial number as this model was made prior to and after 1898/9 ? Grips can be exchanged.

 

[Relle]

The serial number is I28748. What year was it made in

 

[Jonesy814]

What is it? A Colt, S&W, H&R, Iver Johnson? There is no way to tell what you have from some numbers with no description

 

[Jim Watson]

Unfortunately, I do not know of a free lookup for Iver Johnson serial numbers. You need somebody with the late Mr Goforth's book. Maybe the Vorisek book would serve, but I don't know for sure. Might be worth $20 to find out... but not $100 for the Goforth book.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

The bolt cuts in the cylinder shows the cylinder to be a black powder cylinder which renders the gun to being safe with black powder loads only no matter what the rest of the frame was made for .
It was my understanding that the cylinders interchanged so if the smokeless cylinder was damaged and someone swapped it out with a black powder cylinder than the gun is a black powder gun again no matter what the rest of the frame is.

Maybe @Driftwood Johnson could stop by and give us his opinion. He knows a lot about these. But that is definitely a black powder cylinder.