Iver Johnson 1900?

B

BerdanSS

New member
So I'm wanting to start collecting iver johnsons. For some unknown reason I've become enamored with them. I was looking for a blued .38 exposed hammer top break with a shorter
barrel to kick off the collection. I stopped at a gun shop I visit a couple times a year and they had a large assortment ofor good condition shootable pistols. Mostly nickle safety automatics. One that jumped out at me that I hadn't really looked into was a nice little 1900 DA.

It's in really good shape, has what looks like a 5 or 6 inch barrel. It's a .38 s&w, grips are excellent. It has a four digit serial number on the trigger guard starting with 76xx.

Price is $149 with a little wiggle room. Google as usual has been most unless.
 
First, get Goforth's book on Iver Johnsons. It is the only worthwhile book on the maker. It is not perfect and, had Bill Goforth lived there would undoubtedly have been further editions. But it is the best available now.

The trigger guard number does not have the prefix letter; the full serial number is on the frame under the left grip. With that, we can narrow down the production date.

For a nice IJ, $150 is probably not out of line today; it would still be too high for the average gun with rust and peeling nickel.

Jim
 
I did a quick search and found prices from $85 to $135. If you really want it and it seems to be in good condition $145 +/- might be OK.
 
Thanks guys. I will look for the book today online.

The same gentleman has an assortment of top break nickel medium frame .32s in various conditions from $49-$90 and one very nice nickel .38 safety automatic 2.5"? For $135.00
 
As James K advised, pull the left grip and see if there is a letter prefix. If there is no letter prefix, then your gun was made in 1900 and is considered a black powder frame. But!, need to know what is under the left grip.
 
Well I went ahead and got the nickel safety automatic. The 1900 had a little bit of a timing issue. I got the SA for $140
 
At one time I had a shoe box full of old low pressure revolvers. I do remember one Iver Johnson in particular. It had "Iver Johnson gun and cycle Co." stamped on the frame (Or close to that). It had a unique lock on the top to break it open, that is why I remember it. I guess they are good to collect, as they are not too popular and the prices stay down.
 
I have a 1900 DA...

Which was given to me by my Dad about six years ago.

Story is interesting to me....

He and my Mom had taken on the care of my aging Great Aunt. She had outlasted a husband who was a Doctor and a Main Squeeze who owned a plumbing company. At the age of 99 she crossed over to the other side.

When my parents went through her apartment they found her faithful pocketbook. Inside her pocketbook was this .32 five shot, loaded. He knew of this revolver going back into the forties but had completely forgotten it for the last fifty or so years.

Dad knows of my interest in firearms and asked if I wanted it.

He explained that two weeks before her death, she and my folks went out on the town (as they frequently did) for Gin and Tonics. My Dad limited Aunt Jenny to two drinks to avoid her getting too boistrous. Aunt Jenny had her faithful pocketbook with her. He related the story because he assumed that the pistol was in the pocketbook.

So here is a 99 year old lady who made a habit to the end of her life of carrying a loaded revolver in her purse.

I think she was a Republican.
 
Some observations....

I have two I.J. revolvers and one from U.S.Revolver which is a little like the 1900 accept that it is in .22. I have a Forehand and Wadsworth which acknowledges the connection with Hopkins and Allen and another FW which is a dead ringer for the I.J 1900.

I also have a couple open top revolvers including some from I.J. and Lee (Wilkes Barre, PA) and two Smith and Wessons from the same era.

The difference in queality between the Smith and Wessons and the others is profound with a capital "P".

Both of the S&Ws lock up like they did on the day they were made. Every one of the Forehand, I.J, Lee etc. are loose and only lock up when the hammer is drawn back either with the thumb or with the trigger.
 
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