I was shooting the breeze at the LGS/range today, and this came in:
It’s in absolute mint condition, and they were asking $140. The trigger pull is HEAVY....REAL HEAVY! Combined with the .32 short cartridge, I decided to wait. I’ve been a collector of guns, knives, and fly rods for a long time, and it’s not something I’d like to continue with. Having said that, this isn’t much for just one more revolver. 🥴🥴🥴
It is a clean looking little thing. I personally really like all these inexpensive, oddball little revolvers. That was what a whole lot of people depended on for defense at one time. If you check out the castboolits forum there are a number of threads on handloading for them. Some people just load light round ball gallery loads with buckshot pellets and a grain or so of fast powder for shooting cans, snakes, etc. Me, I'd wave five $20 bills at them just to see what happened....
I originally thought my son would want the revolver, but he didn’t. I was about to wave a couple of $50 bills, but decided to research things first. A $100 piece like this could be entertaining to shoot a few rounds through, and display.
I'm sure you know this, but check the lock up if you end up buying it. Those little break-top 32s, especially the lower-cost ones, were prone to loosening up. The number I've fondled that were rattling loose far exceeds the number that were tight enough to fire.
Chris
Some of them only lock up when you pull the trigger. I don't know about H&R, but Iver Johnson didn't start making whatever they considered to be smokeless powder frames until the early 1900s. You might want to check that. If you reload, it doesn't matter. You would think that the horrific trigger pulls make them impossible to shoot, but I can do pretty well with my .38 S&W. For a bit more than a hundo, I'd have bought it. They were the LCPs of their time.
"Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA
Beware of my temper, and the dog that I've found...
If you're into any of those turn-of-the-20th Century cosplaying matches, that would be a terrific gun for it.
If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.
Personally, I really enjoy the history behind those things.
That is a really good looking example. If it's your sort of thing, it might be worth the effort. The H & R's seem well-made by 19th century standards. I've cleaned up a friends circa 1920s H & R double action safety revolver in .38 S & W. It was reasonably tight and the whole hammer dropping below the firing pin action feature is a hoot.
Last edited by Lex Luthier; 05-21-2020 at 10:26 AM.
"If I ever needed to hunt in a tuxedo, then this would be the rifle I'd take." - okie john
"Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." - Michel De Montaigne
Ammo's available, so.. DOOO EEEETT!!!
If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.
And think how much fun it could be.. you are hanging out with 'gun people', at the range, whatever, particularly if they lean towards the pretentious tacti-cool side, and they ask what you are running today.. Reach in a side pocket and slowly, deliberately slide that out and watch their faces. Fun messing with people sometimes like that, like when I showed off my backpack PDW at work one day by pulling out my Broomhandle tucked into its holster stock.
That is a cool little gun.
I paid $100 for a finish-challenged P32. I bet I’d have bought that cool little revolver with less contemplation than I spent on the P32.
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