h&r sportsman single action questions

[shaman572]

Hey Bill! i recently picked up a couple of what i thought were double action sportsmans, but when i tore one down i realized it was single action. the serial numbers are #109835 and #92674. they both have 6inch barrels but are different in a couple ways. #109835 has the long lever on the right that releases the cylinder, #92674 has the newer style push button on the right. also i havent tore #92674 down yet cause i havent finished paying it off yet, but it appears that the frames are different too. #109835 has the traditional rice frame but #92674 appears to be squared off where the other comes to a point like a birds beak. they are both missing the cylinder advancement lever/spring. my questions are what models are these? do you know of any source for the levers? i tried gun parts corp and bob's gun shop. but no luck. are there any other models that use this system with the trigger/sear being one piece and the lever on the hammer? it would help if i could expand my search. on an unrelated matter the dealer i bought them off had something i think u might find interesting. its a double action sportsman that has the serial #276 and a marking on the cylinder that says "patent applied for". i told him id ask if u could maybe put a value on it for him. thanks in advance....

[shaman572]

update...i went and checked out the second sportsman and it is a double action, sorry. ive attached a pic of the squared off frame. also i snapped a pic of the sportsman he has with the 3 digit serial number. could you please tell me what year these guns were made also?

[b.goforth]

the one in the picture appears to have the grip frame of the "new defender model 299". but that does not really mean that much. the serial numbers are are what is bothering me. i have never seen a serial number with 6 digit and no letter code. would like to see pictures of both of these revolvers. the single action sportsman is rare but these two are intriguing.

lets take them one at at time. the one in your possession please show a picture of the serial number.

[shaman572]

update...here's the photo you requested. i also included a pic of it broken down to show the internals. its missing the lever/spring and i was hoping you might be able to direct me to a source for this part. its hard because im not even sure what it looks like. ive been trolling *********.com for what i think it looks like but im not having much luck. so is this a 199 sportsman? or the more rare ultra sportsman? also would u have any idea the year of manufacture? thanks in advance...

[b.goforth]

this is going to be hard to give a date on but i am going to say this one was made around 1940 or so. but on the other hand it could be one of the one made in 1949 thru 1951 as i have not actually seen one of those models.

it is not marked like the eureka or ultra sportsman i have seen. each of those have there own serial number series, also are marked with their name. so i am going to say it is a single action sportsman.

i can help you out with a picture of the part you need. you may end up having to make it. send me your e-mail address and i will send it to you.

in 100% operating condition the single action sportsman is valued at:
SPORTSMAN SINGLE ACTION MODEL 199
LARGE FRAME TOP BREAK .--------------------------------------1932-1951
Large frame single action top break revolver; Caliber 22 rimfire (short, long & long rifle) cylinder capacity 9 rounds; Safety rim cylinder; blue finish only; barrel length 6 inches (round heavy rib); Automatic cylinder stop; Sights, front adjustable for elevation, rear adjustable for windage only; Finger rest trigger guard; One piece oversized checkered Walnut grips (birds head grip frame shape); top of barrel marked with company name and Address, left side of barrel marked in two lines; “H & R SPORTSMAN SINGLE ACTION” right side of barrel marked “22 LONG RIFLE CTGE.”
Serial numbered in series from 01 up and early production will have S letter code denoting single action.
First Variation; heavy ribbed barrel with non-adjustable front sight----OCT. 1932-APRIL 1933
Second Variation; oval shaped barrel with flat top, fully adjustable sights----MAY 1933-????
Third Variation; very small lettering on cylinder patent date-----????-1936
Fourth Variation; firing pin moved to the hammer----------1937-1941
Fifth Variation; limited production 1951=J101-J148, 1950=K101-K265, 1951=L111-L112----1949-1951
VALUE: : 100%=$495 60%=$225 Add 15% premium fir 1st Variation; 10% premium for 5th Variation

bill

[Jim Hauff]

Originally Posted by shaman572

update...here's the photo you requested. i also included a pic of it broken down to show the internals. its missing the lever/spring and i was hoping you might be able to direct me to a source for this part. its hard because im not even sure what it looks like. ive been trolling *********.com for what i think it looks like but im not having much luck. so is this a 199 sportsman? or the more rare ultra sportsman? also would u have any idea the year of manufacture? thanks in advance...

Bill,
This one is identical to my Model 199 3rd Variation. Picture is not all that great but: Straight trigger and three pin frame is a give-away for this Variation and Single Action. The Model 777 and 196 barrels and frames are quite different than those on the 199, as well as many other attributes - hammer spurs, triggers, cylinder shapes, cylinder release levers, trigger guards, sights.
Jim

[Jim Hauff]

Originally Posted by shaman572

update...i went and checked out the second sportsman and it is a double action, sorry. ive attached a pic of the squared off frame. also i snapped a pic of the sportsman he has with the 3 digit serial number. could you please tell me what year these guns were made also?

Bill,
Top one seems to be transition from DA Sportsman Var. 1 to 2. Note: Keyhole shaped barrel and square finger grips on barrel latch. All Three of my V1s with "keyhole" shaped barrels have round finger grippers, the V2s have the "tear drop" shaped barrels and square grippers. I have no idea why the bottom of the grip frame is "clipped", would like to see a picture of the wooden grips - inside and out.

Would be helpful to know if the firing pin is mounted in the frame or on nose of hammer; if front sight is adjustable or fixed with pin. This info will get us a bit closer.

The Bottom piece is the earliest DA s/n I've seen. I've recently acquire s/n 608 which is identical to the one pictured and has a fixed front sight and firing pin mounted in the frame.

There appears to be Model 1 Variations 1A and 1B (based on front sight mounting: A= slotted and soldered, hemisperical; B= slotted and pinned, "clipped hemi/semi Patridge". Perhaps there is a 1C which would cover the top piece - need a bit more info though.

[enca33]

Hello, I know this thread is a bit old but I have a question regarding the DA with the three digit s/n. I'm looking for parts for my fathers gun and it looks exactly like the photo above. His has a s/n of 176. I know nothing about guns and wondered if this would be a 999 model? Any help would be appreciated. Dad's not very computer saavy, so I offered to look.

[b.goforth]

all double action sportsman's were model 999's. althought the model number was not marked on them until the 1970's and 1980's. the one in question with the three digit number is amoung the earliest known manufactured in 1932.
bill