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Help identifying manufacture date

2K views 12 replies 3 participants last post by  Shrek73 
#1 ·
Any info on this pretty little iver Johnson would be great. What year is it and can it fire smokeless 32 s&w
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#3 ·
Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm obviously holding onto hope that this is a post 1909 model as id love to shoot it. I used to have a 32 S&W Iver Johnson Revolver stamped G which made it after roughly 1915 as far as I know. I loved that pistol. Unfortunately I was burglarized and it was one of the few items to be stolen. :/ picked this one up for $85. For that price and its condition it was a no brainer whether its a wall hanger or a plinker. Hot deal lol
 
#4 ·
Bob was correct, you have an 2nd Model 6th Variation Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless Automatic revolver made in 1906. It is considered a black powder frame and not safe for modern smokeless ammunition.

A quick way to pick out a 3rd Model the coil mainspring and four pins in the bottom of the frame (2 Trigger Guard, 1 Trigger, and 1 cylinder stop) 3rd Models have the Owl facing down the grip, but it may not always be correct if the grips have been replaced.
 
#9 ·
From what I read black powder is measured by volume and must be compressed to work properly. You also need to use non-conductive metal while reloading to prevent a spark.

I didn't feel comfortable doing any of that so I looked up the loads for the .32 S&W, and found one recipe for a velocity of 440fps using Unique. I kept the grains well below the minimum and they worked fine.
 
#11 ·
I have shot my 1st and 2nd Models with under powered smokeless rounds. I am positive most of the 1st and 2nd Model Iver Johnson's had full powered smokeless fired thru them at one point or another, and the condition of the revolver must be considered if you plan on shooting it even with Black Powder. The original ballistics for a 85 grain .32 S&W was 705 fps and 93 ft lbs energy. I am shooting a 90 gr with Unique Powder at 440 fps, but I don't have a way to check the ft lbs energy, but I am sure it is reduced. I am sure there are those out there who would advise me not to do so, but I understand the risks of what I am doing.

You would be fine if you load BP round individually, but if you use a plastic powder dispenser it could create a spark. This guy has a good video on the process.

 
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