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old revolver

5K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  Dee 
#1 ·
I have an IJ 32 cal break top and it looks to be pat. nov 17, 08 with hard rubber grips with owl looking away from the hammer cyl does not freewheel and a four pin frame its in fair shape does anyone know its value id like to sell it I have no use for and I don't think you can get ammunition for it gary
 
#2 ·
Is it centerfire or rimfire? You can still get .32 S&W centerfire ammo though it may take some searching. These little poppers generally don't bring much money, 50-100 bucks seems about right.
 
#7 ·
Good morning
These old revolvers represent a lot of good history. Good people going through life with just a bit of "equalizer" on hand for the rough moments. We have a couple 32's that came our way over the years. No I would not think of them as a combat pistol but would be far better than nothing in a dark corner. Many a struggling family made it through due to inexpensive arms being available.
 
#11 ·
Btdt
The little break-tops are the weakest of the lot and made for black powder pressures.
No dies are needed as the cases dont expand at low pressures to any great extent.
Light for caliber bullets, or better yet round balls will also keep pressures down. The 32s will take one of the buckshot sizes. Use as much bp under the ball as fits with the middle (equator) of the round ball seated a bit below the case mouth so you can spread a little soft lube in thegap between ball and case. This will emulate the percussion revolver loads, is fun to pop off now and then and cheap.
 
#12 ·
No problem, I recently bought an old Enfield of this site but, when it arrived the cylinder would free spin and nothing locked up the way it should. I hunted around and found needed parts and then found a gunsmith(who worked on old handguns) to fix the problems I encountered, I like challenges. Especially old problem guns.
Steve
 
#13 ·
The Webley and Enfield (iirc the Enfield is actually a 'Webley' made at the Enfield factory) are not in the same 'weak class' as the little break-tops. Wish I could have ended up with the 455 Enfield a friend had years ago, crisp and tight, low mileage and it shot 45 AutoRim well. It was a horse pistol size but then so are a lot of Rugers, pretty beefy to be trying to wear on a hip without a shoulder strap.
The best of my little break-tops was a .32 Smith & Wesson, a pretty little thing in about 90% condition; the Iver Johnsons, H&Rs, etc. were lesser guns.
 
#14 ·
One of the ladies I know from church called and wanted to know if I would "accept" a gun. (She was moving to a high rise). All she could tell me over the phone was it had an owl on the grips, and her father-in-law had carried it through WW2. I was OK with that. I keep it around just because of it's history. Happens to be in .32, hammerless.
 
#15 ·
I just gave my great grandmother's Iver Johnson Bicycle Works 38 S&W to my eldest son. She carried it in her apron back in the early 1900s in Oklahoma.
 
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