This was Grampa's "tool-box gun. It's a Harrington and Richardson "Automatic" 2nd Model 1st Variation; made in 1891 as near as I have been able to determine. It's chambered for six rounds of .32 S&W Long. Despite being a "cheap" gun it still locks up good and tight. It hits point of aim at 10 yards, but that firing pin will pierce one primer in about ten. It's definitely a black-powder gun, I didn't know that when I bought smokeless ammo and fired it. This gun is the first gun I carried when I got my Florida permit, the Glock 21 being a lot too big for summer.
This is the "under-the-counter" gun. The rationale for the smaller gun than the H&R was that grandma would often be out front doing the books and she needed something smaller. This is an Iver Johnson Safety Hammer Automatic five shooter chambered in .32 S&W and made in 1911.
These two guns have almost exactly zero intrinsic value, but vast sentimental worth.
Wow I loved when you told the story of them, I'm surprised they look as good as they do.
ReplyDeleteAnd by "Good" I mean "Great"
As for their monetary value I suspect their market price is "Fuck off, they're not for sale!"
Thanks for sharing!
Very nice to see these McT. I have my great uncles IJ 38 that he carried nearly a century ago. He used it to defend against a mugging once - and managed to take the mugger's pants instead.
ReplyDeleteThe old H&R revolvers were actually top of the line for suicide specials back then.
ReplyDeleteFor a cheap revolver, they were very well built.
Period ads featured a drawing of someone pounding the hammer down with a carpenter's hammer ... supposedly illustrating its inherent safety features.
Couple of very nice examples, and back in the day, both were well respected manufacturers! Good piece of family history too!
ReplyDelete