It is a Premier Second Model Small Frame, 3rd Variation. It was made between 1909-1913 - no way to narrow it down any further to year of production.
If you're curious about value - unfortunately the condition doesn't help it much. I'd start off about $90-$100. But what is going for it is : it is .22RF, which has a 20% premium. Then also that it was blued, add another 10% premium, then add another 20% because of the 6" barrel. An original set of grips would add about $15-25.
As is - $140-$150 tops.
You might want to get a chamber reamer to clean up the peening from someone dry firing it. Since it really isn't a cash-cow of a gun, it really wouldn't hurt it's value to have it refinished.
Unfortunately here (in France) the price is higher ! I paid much much more for it ! Patented before 1900, it was "legally" released as an (usable) antic ! The only way to "own" a gun here without complex authorization !
Not a bargain in fact according to prices and choice available in US !
I got some work to do on it (gap between barrel and cylinder cylinder stop. Maybe I need to add some metal on extractor center pin and cylinder stop with laser soldering and reshape ).
Maybe you might have a better idea ?
Before you do too much work on your .22 H&R try shooting it a few times and see how it does without the extra work. But, use only .22 shorts or .22 long rifle of low power. I have seen lots of these little H&R revolvers with cracks in the breach face. I suspect the use of high velosity ammunition caused the cracks. However, I'm not sure of why so many had cracked breach faces.
I should add that I have continued to fire H&R Premier .22 revolvers with hairline cracks in the breach face. This is because in spite of the crack, there is plenty of metal to protect the shooter. The breach would have to have a rather wide split before there would be any danger to the shooter.
The cracks I have noticed, run from the firing pin notch at the top of the breach face down to the hand slot. Some cracks also run from the hand slot down to the opening for the cylinder bolt. As I said, though, I use .22 Shorts in my revolvers and this appears to be a safe combination for shooting.
I already tried to shoot with it but very carefully with 22 long Z first and subsonic too. I also tried GECO pistol which are known as good subsonic for old pistols ( that I use for my old Stevens diamond 43).
In fact I have a blow due to the gap between barrel and cylinder (as you can see on picture img_0696 above).
I did not test accuracy so far but I'm quite sure there will be an impact with such a gap (60/100 mm).
I would like to reduce the gap to about 30/100.
I can move back and forth the cylinder gap to 30.
I put tentatively a drop of cyanocrilate glue on extractor's center pin and the gap is reduced to 40/100 mm without any other impact.
My first idea was to change extractor and trigger (cylinder stop seems to be part of it) as these parts are rather cheap but I cannot find these here and the only gunshop I found for H&R parts do not sell outside USA.
If I definitely can't find parts, I will double check before doing it permanently. Main challenge being to find someone with a laser soldering system
I doubt the trigger/bolt will have any effect on the cylinder-barrel gap. The problem you have is trying to move the cylinder forwards. This may result in the hand and ratchet starting to disengage causing operating problems. I cant even begin to think his gun originally had a gap this big. Did someone file the barrel back a bit? Or has the cylinder been faced off on the front? It may be the wrong cylinder. This is not an easy fix. The correct thing to do is to add metal to the barrel or cylinder but as you know this is not really feasible. These little guns were not the best of quality to start with and fixing them is often not an easy undertaking. If the gun works and is reasonably accurate as it is I would just leave it as is.
There is also a trigger bolt wear when cocked and I would like fix a very discret cylinder loose also.
To move cylinder forwards I have noticed that ratchet center pin got a lot of wear and it is not long enough to fit in the suitable notch in the frame (located in the center of the recoil shield) which might increase whole ratchet wear
As far as I know (and can see) no barrel and cylinder work to face them ! Furthermore cylinder number is same (last digit) with revolver serial which might indicate that it is the original one.
As I wrote previously if I push the cylinder forward, the gap is reduce to 30/100e with any impact on hand and ratchet alignment. This is why I was thinking about reshaping thickness of the ratchet center pin to fix it (doing the same to the trigger bolt to fix stop cylinder is a plus but not mandatory anyway).
I keep the idea about fixing cylinder or barrel length but if it appears to be the only way to fix it I would agree to let it as is, it is far beyond my skills
I have worked on many of these revolvers. The wide gap is most likely the way it left the factory. It was not made as a target revolver, more for use in self defense. Some of these old Premier revolvers shoot rather well anyway. I suggest you try shooting it at a target and see how it does.
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