Iver Johnson break top revolver 5 rd .32 cal?

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WanderlustAR

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I have an old Iver Johnson break top revolver that I think is a .32 cal. I'd love any information someone could share on this firearm, including a decent price for it, since I am considering selling. I am attaching pics. Thanks!
 
I've never seen those grips on an Iver Johnson ( but am far from an expert ) I have a set of those target grips on a Hopkins & Allen safety police, & thought they were a Hopkins & Allen grip... but they may have been put on many of the top breaks for "target use"

could the gun be chambered in 38 S&W ( maybe it's just because my Safety Police with those grips is in 38 ) :confused:... the gun just looks like a 38 to me ???

it doesn't happen to have an adjustable rear sight does it, I'd assume not, but saw a junk one at the last gun show that had an adjustable rear sight, so it's worth asking, since it has the target grips...

best guess on value if functional, would be between $125.00 & $300.00, with out more details
 
One like that was my very first handgun, and it was a .32 centerfire.
Not with those nice grips, though.
The caliber should be on it somewhere.
 
a lot of times on the "b" level guns, the caliber wasn't stamped on the gun... especially on earlier models... this one may have the caliber designation, as it looks at least smokeless era... ( a serial number would help date & value )

I collect a lot of these old guns... love the creativity... I have an Iver "bicycle gun" from the black powder era, that has a trigger safety, ala Glock style
 
I lightened up your pic.

That revolver is only worth ~~$100.

It would be more if they were better guns or if they had not made a bazillion of them.

My grandfather had an IJ break top in the Alaskan Gold rush, so I have bought a lot of them and own the Goforth books.

The 32S&W long will take a 32acp cartridge, drop in and fire. And that can permanently damage the revolver, making the action loose. Some of the break tops have incredibly tiny pins in the break top latch that are captured by a thin piece of sheet metal with a hole in it. The hole become oblong with too much recoil and bullet friction.
 

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That looks to be in nice shape but I could not even hazard a guess on value. I once had a similar Iver Johnson break top in 38 Short Colt, back around 1976. Mine was a piece of junk and probably as big a hazard to the shooter as the guy being shot at. The blast from around the cylinder was harsh so it was hard to concentrate of good trigger discipline. It may be one of those things that has more value as a "wall hanger" than you will get trying to sell it. Good luck.:)
 
I doubt IJ ever made a revolver in .38 Short Colt; AFAIK, the .38's were all made in .38 S&W. The .38 Short Colt will fire in them, but it is loose in the chamber and may bulge and be hard to extract. The .32 caliber IJ's were made for the .32 S&W.

I believe the grips are factory. For those with Goforth's book, see Page 85 for similar examples.

I can't judge condition from the pictures, but $100-150 would be about average, retail. A problem in selling is that many gun shops won't take them, even in trade because the guns are long discontinued and can't be warranted on a further sale.

Jim
 
I'd guess they're factory grips as well. I have an IJ Supershot .22 (looks basically just like yours, but in .22lr) and it has grips that are the same cut, but they're fancy grain and have a diamond checker pattern along the backstrap.
 
Those look like the optional Iver Johnson special order Western Walnut Grips. They cost a whopping $1.50 extra. They were available on the small frame, five shot, Safety Revolver,.32 S&W caliber.
 
Those grips were also available on the .38 S&W revolvers as well; I have a similar IJ gun to yours, but with a slightly shorter barrel.
 
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