if you handload at all, you can pick up a top break S&W in 32 S&W for around $150.00 ball park... I 've been loading 32 S&W with lead round balls & light loads of Trailboss powder... heck, if you only fill the case 1/2 full of Trailboss the brass doesn't even need resized, & with round balls, the cartridges can be hand loaded with simple tools... I have 2" snubbies that are throwing 2" 5 shot groups at 25 feet with these loads...
over the last year, I started collecting 38 & smaller bore black powder cartridge era guns, because they are really fun to shoot with the Trailboss loads, & are pretty cheap to buy, & even cheaper to shoot... the S&W's, & Hopkins & Allen Safety Police models have generally been the most shootable of these guns, but the H&R's, Ivers, Forehands, etc. can all be good & shootable guns, if you buy one in good shape to start with... things to look out for... spanish & other imported copies, often were not safe to shoot when new... lead bullet factory loads "may" be OK, but alot of these guns have tight bores or cylinders, & may not be safe for even low pressure factory loads ( I always start with light loads & round balls 1st, & work my way up to bullets only in guns that look like they'll do OK with them )
you can often find period "solid frame" guns for less than the top breaks, & condition for condition, they can often be more shootable than the top breaks
if you have no interest in handloading, you can pick up some interesting 22's from H&R & Iver Johnson that were made in the 50's, & are safe with modern ammo, but in guns that offer the "feel" of an older gun ( H&R made top break guns in 22 lr well into the 1960's or early 70's )
