Please educate me on this firearm

Nate 7504: You have an automatic Ejecting Second Model, second variation. that was produced in 1890-1892 and is a BLACK POWDER ONLY revolver chambered for the Black Powder .32 Smith and Wesson cartridge..

Do not fire this revolver with modern smokeless powder ammunition or even reloads with powders such as previously mentioned Trail Boss. Smokeless powder produces chamber pressures dangerously in excess of those that this revolver was designed to handle.

This revolver was produced with materials and technology that is in excess of 120 years old. I consider it senseless to risk your eyes, hands, fingers and other vital body parts or those of bystanders just for the thrill of firing and old revolver.
 
HI... TWODOGS puts out a good warning ( in general )

however I do shoot this type of revolver all the time, & with smokeless powders ( Trailboss to be specific )

I hand load actually 5 levels of 32 S&W... my level one load is safe in any gun, that is functional enough to shoot, it's comprised of a "pinch" of Trailboss & a soft lead round ball... & barely has enough pressure to push the soft lead round ball to a target... it's the load I use to test fire any in my collection... I have mild target loads, medium loads, & even a load using Unique powder ( I would not use the Unique load in a gun like the OP is posting about ) even a self defense load that is used occasionally in one of 2 S&W's

a couple things about these guns... ( "these guns" are a group of cheaper high volume produced guns, that include, but are not limited to Iver Johnson, Hopkins & Allen, Harrington & Richardson, & any number of unbranded Belgian & Spanish revolvers ) many of these companies offered different models, or "off brands" so there are a lot of them out there... some people may use the term ( which I don't like ) of Suicide Specials... incidentally, even the S&W's & Colts of this era ( in pocket guns ) weren't that much better in either metallurgy or machining quality

they are made from iron, or early softer, easier to machine alloys, often working parts were just surfaced hardened, & sometimes not even surface hardened... so good lubrication of the movement is critical if the gun is to be fired without undue wear... the bores often varied a lot... from too tight, unsafe to fire as new, to so loose a bullet would drop through... they were fired using corrosive ammo, & the barrels are often pitted... a pitted barrel, on a tighter bore, can push a gun over pressure pretty fast with a hard cast lead bullet...

as far as bought ammo... I personally wouldn't... but something like this... maybe...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=359117378

however I much prefer to control the amount of powder, & the weight & hardness of the bullet...

this rack is all 22's & 32's ( BTW... I shoot all the 32's on this rack with one or the other of my smokeless loads ;) )

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