H&R 32 Hammerless Top-Break Revolver w/5" Barrel

[jsmith]

I just recently acquired a H&R 32 Hammerless Top-Break Revolver at a gun show in Ohio. This gun is marked 32 S&W CTGE on the left side of the barrel, and it is clearly chambered for the 32 S&W Long cartridge. The top of the barrel is marked HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON ARMS CO. WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A. There are no patent markings on the gun. It is a 6 shot revolver w/auto extractor and has a 5" barrel, which is an unusual length for a top-break revolver. This gun has a nickel finish with blued barrel latch, trigger and guard. Serial number is 172410 and all numbers on the gun match. The grip frame is round butt, not square. The grips are the original H&R target logo and they are hard black-plastic square-butt extension type.

This gun is in excellent condition, and I would rate it at about 95%. Bore and chambers appear to be perfect. No rust or pits. This gun has been used but well taken good care of. Barrel latch and cylinder lock-up are tight.

The Standard Catalog of Firearms and Flayderman's says this is a Model 2. The Blue Book of Gun Values is much more helpful. It says it is a Automatic Ejecting 3rd Model designed for smokeless powder. It list five variations to this model. My gun is either a 4th or 5th variation which would put it somewhere between 1916-1941.

I would like to find out when this gun was made and any other information about it.

Any comments out there.

Would greatly appreciate help from the expert b.goforth!

jsmith

[b.goforth]

look on page 843 of the 29th edition of the blue book. the H&R hammerless revolvers are listed as seperate models. this is a second model 5th variaion. i am the one who gave the blue book its information on H&R's so what i have is what they have. there are no known factory serial number records on any H&R firearm manufactured before 1940 so no exact date of manufacture will ever be known.

what i can add is the exact configuration of your revolver is almost rare. a long barrel hammerless (extra charge) over sized hard rubber two piece grips (extra charge) and 6 shot 32 S&W caliber (rarely seen in the Hammerless model). yes it will handle either the 32 S&W or the 32 S&W Long cartridges and is safe with smokeless powder
bill

[jsmith]

Thanks a lot for the help b.goforth. I have the 29th Blue Book. My fault for not going a few more pages more. I knew I had a rare find when I bought that gun. It's rare to see an old top-break with an extra long barrel, especially in excellent condition.

Just bought it yesterday at a gun show in Ohio from an old man. I don't think he quite realized what he had. He was offering it up for sale for $200 and I bought it for that price. After I bought it a lot of people were offering much higher to buy it off of me. They must have known what I knew.

The Blue Book lists this as the H&R Hammerless 2nd Model Large Frame Top-Break (Smokeless Powder) with six variations. Mine is the 5th variation, no patent dates, state name in the address spelled out (MASSACHUSETTS), with a serial number range estimated from 160,000 - 190,000, which mine falls into at 172410. They were made from 1916 - 1924.

I know that H&R's and IJ's are difficult guns to find information on.

Question, any idea when your book on H&R's will be coming out?

[b.goforth]

i have hopes it will be available this summer. to get on the waiting list visit www.gunshowbooks.com
bill

[jsmith]

This gun has found its way to a good home and will be taken good care of. I do plan on shooting it though and it has been used.

With what you told me, this gun is worth more than the $200 I paid for it. Probably in the $300-$500 range.

jsmith

[jet]

Have a hopkins allen revolver octagon barrel, serial # 4489, to be rebuilt- Can anyone estimate the value? What gunsmith recommended?

[Jim Hauff]

jet,
I'm sure you'll get more responses if you start a new thread titled HOPKINS and ALLEN REVOLVER - than by tacking on to an old thread. Give it a try.