Year of Manufacture

[wlott]

I have a US Revolver hammerless 32 cal revolver and would like some help identifying the year of manufacture. The serial number on the frame is 17719 and the number on the trigger guard is 17492. Everything I have researched on this pistol shows hand grips with US in a circle at the top of the grips but this pistol's grips display a spread wing eagle gripping arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other. Any ideas?

The photos show the serial number on the left hand side of the frame and the number on the trigger guard. I had disassembled the revolver before I posted the original question. I still have a lot of cleaning on the pistol grip as a previous owner had it wrapped in duct tape because the left side grip is broken.

[gdmoody]

Pictures. Pictures. We need pictures!!

[Jim K]

The gun is obviously from parts of different guns. Goforth, if I read the table correctly, says that both those numbers date to 1911. U.S. Revolver production began in 1910 and continued until 1935. The actual maker was Iver Johnson, and the U.S. revolvers were first produced to use up parts left over when IJ went to their safety automatic with the transfer bar.

I don't recall seeing grips like that on IJ or US revolvers, but maybe someone else has.

Jim

[b.goforth]

the trigger guard is a replacement. check the serial number on the bottom of the top strap to see if it is a replacement also. what was said about the u.s. revolver co. being made to use up left over second model safety automatic revolver parts is true except most of the left over parts were gone by the time 17,000 had been manufactured.

the grips could be from an earlier model american bull dog solid frame but would not fit this gun very well. i do not know of any top break revolver that used an eagle grip.

bill