Stealth15

Hey guys, a friend of mine has a Iver and Johnson Cycle Works revolver and would like to find more info on it.

Here are some pictures









I haven't been able to find a whole lot of info on these pistols. It does have a hammer, a 5 shot cylinder, and the barrel is a bit longer than some of the ones I've seen pictures of. Not sure what caliber, I'm thinking .32... Definitely not a .22.

The serial number was located underneath the left grip. (I had to remove it) The serial number is I 18122.

If anyone has some info on these things, that'd be great. I would think he would rather sell it (if it's worth anything) then keep.

vetsvette

Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works Third Model “Safety Automatic” break-top .32 S&W double-action revolver
Gun Review: Iver Johnson .32 S&W | The Truth About Guns

ExArmy11b

It looks like a .32 Long, these were basic no frills revolvers, kind of the Charter Arms of their day. I had a 3" .38 S&W Iver Johnson break top and it was actually a solid little gun, I put a few hundred rounds through it and it was quite accurate at self defense ranges, went bang everytime and didnt spit any lead. I sold it but kinda miss it, it was a good example of a "working man's " protection piece. The early ones weren't made for smokeless powder but most of the factory stuff is loaded very light. I had a bunch of old break tops and shot them quite a bit with light smokeless.

Stealth15

I imagine these really aren't worth much, right?

Does it shoot .32 short/S&W? I don't know if I've ever seen that ammo... I imagine it's not readily available?

Since the serial number is I 18122, it should be safe for modern ammo, correct?

He said he and his dad found it out in the desert or something like that lol. He's had it for years, never shot it. It seems to be in pretty good condition, the bore is dirty, so I couldn't tell if there is rust, but the rest of the gun seems okay.

Nice thing about AZ is guns don't rust very easily.

ExArmy11b

It will shoot .32 short also, Remington still makes both .32 short and long but its not cheap if you can find it. These aren't worth a lot, that's probably a $100 gun if its in good working order. I don't know about the serial number, there may be a forum dedicated to old Iver Johnson's out there but I have never found one. Iver Johnson was "resurrected" and exists as a company but I'm not sure if they have info on dates of manufacture for the old guns.

Vic

Back in '73 or '74 I bought one at the local pawn shop in 22 cal. Fun revolver. I think mine was a 6 cylinder.

jaxrider14

I have my grandfather's 9 shot Iver Johnson 22 revolver.
I took it to the range last year and shot it for the first time.
The pawl shows a lot of wear but it fired every time and didn't spit lead.
As others have said, they are not worth a lot, but kind of neat to own.

texassmitty

Thanks for posting. Interesting old gun.

Bigman

I don't know alot about these old guns, except that I have one also. The one I have was my grand-dads, then my dads and now mine. I beleive the one I have was carried alot more than it was ever shot. But it still shoots just fine with no problems. As for value, I have heard and read that they don't bring any type of money, like an older S&W or Colt, but they are fun to shoot, and I value this gun just like I do the other guns that belonged to dad and G--Dad.
Ray

bwinters

i have had iver johnson and hand r top break revolvers they are decent and a bit of history to boot.

elrondo

I own a IVER JOHNSON 38 S/W I would not shot this gun unless it was checked out by a qualified gunsmith. They are notorious for the timing being off. It would probably cost more to get it checked out than it is worth. $75 to $125. They make good wall hangers. The were the Saturday night specials of there day. Mine was manf. in 1903 and I got mine in the 1960's when my father passed away. If it was a S/W breaktop you would have something.

Stealth15

Thanks for the info guys, I appreciate it. I'll pass it on to my friend and see what he wants to do with it. Pretty cool little gun though. Seems like it would be safe to fire, but it's not with the risk.

Thanks again