IJ Revolver Info

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Shadi Khalil

New member
Hello all,

A friend of mine was recently given a sweet little revolver Ivery Johnson with the following description...

Small frame .32, automatic hammer, serial # 73811 US Revolver Co. Made in the USA on top of Barrel

My main question is whether or not it is s black powder frame. Any other info is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 

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Shadi Khalil

New member
Update... that is not the correct serial number. The correct number is under the grip. I'm waiting to here back from him with the correct number.

Thanks
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
Wow. That's in pretty darned fine shape for a gun that old.

It's also interesting in that I didn't think that the US Revolver Company mark was put on break action .32s. I've only ever heard of and see solid frame .32s, but I know that they did make break action .38s with the USRC mark.
 
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PetahW

New member
.

If you intend firing that little beauty, IMO whether or not it's a BP frame won't make much difference as long as the proper ammo's used - IOW, stay away from firing .32ACP's in it, even though they usuallychamber/fire.



.
 
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Magnum Wheel Man

New member
MIKE... ran across this picture while replying to a different thread...

here is a 7 shot 22 ( U.S. Revolver ) I bought several years ago... I forgot about this one, so I have one in 22, 32, & 38 :)

attachment.php


couldn't tell the age for sure, without the serial ( & my books in hand )

but looks like it cost about $6.00 new ;)

attachment.php
 
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9mmfan

New member
Magnum Wheel Man, is that .22 short, long or LR? Not knowing a whole lot about these, I didn't know they came in .22.
 
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Magnum Wheel Man

New member
I think that one is 22 Long ( but I honestly don't remember ) when I shoot my old 22's I always use Colibri's ( no powder just priming compound, & lighter bullets )
 
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James K

Member In Memoriam
The history of the U.S. Revolver Co. is interesting. When Iver Johnson developed its Third Model Safety topbreak revolver in 1909, it had a lot of parts left over from the older Second Model. To use up those parts, IJ established the United States Revolver Co., which continued to produce what amounted to the IJ Safety Second Model, but without the IJ transfer bar, which IJ wanted to keep exclusive to its Iver Johnson line. The U.S. line proved so popular that IJ continue to make it long after the old parts were used up. U.S. revolvers were not sold through IJ's own distributors but only through mail order houses.

Concurrently, IJ also marketed a version of its solid frame Model 1900 as a U.S. product, also through the mail order route. The solid frames, regardless of name, never had the transfer bar.

Jim
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
US Revolver Company guns were sold at lower prices than IJ branded guns.

IJs were being undersold by other brands, so I guess IJ decided to use up the spare parts AND capture a part of the market it was missing out on.

I have my great grandfather's solid frame .32 S&W USRC. He was a track gang foreman on the PRR in Central Pennsylvania in the early 1900s, and I guess he figured he needed something to settle the occasional dispute.
 
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James K

Member In Memoriam
Just from curiosity, where in Central PA did your great grandfather work or which division of the PRR?

Jim
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
Not sure what the division was (Altoona, possibly), but my great grandmother was station mistress at Anderson, Pennslyvania, west of Lewistown.

I can't remember for certain, but I thing my Grandfather said that his father was foreman on a trackgang that worked the stretch between Lewistown and Mt. Union.

My Grandfather was a freight conductor for many years who ran alternately between Enola and Philadelphia and Enola and Altoona.
 
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James K

Member In Memoriam
My father was station agent for many years at Gallitzin, my home town. I went to high school in Altoona (to then Altoona Catholic HS, now Bishop Guilfoyle HS) when the shops were booming, making both cars and locomotives. All gone now, along with the "Pennsy". Norfolk Southern owns the tracks and all. When I get up that way, it still looks odd to me to see those black and white engines instead of "Pennsy red."

Jim
 
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