[Jector]

I own this Harrington & Richardson .38, and I am trying to determine its age and value. As you can see, there are variations of the S/N on 3 parts of the gun. The cylinder shows 838, the web of the grip shows 1838 and the strap on top of the body shows 31838, this I take to be the complete S/N. The plating is in very good condition. There is no caliber designation on the gun anywhere that I can find, so I take this to mean it was designed for black powder shells. On top of the barrel it reads: HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON ARMS COMPANY
WORCHESTER MASS USA PATD OCT 4TH 1887
This gun has been in the family for many years, and was carried by my great uncle, or so the story goes. It was given to me by my Dad along with some S&W .38 caliber shells. I have fired it a few times using those shells, with no bad effects.
Any help you could provide to help establish the age and value of this gun would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jector]

I am having some difficulty posting photos from Flickr. Can anyone help me out?

 

[ampaterry]

First, download the picture to your computer. Save it in JPG format.
Then, Manage Attachments, Browse to the picture, and click the upload button.

There are other ways, but this one is the simplest, IMHO

 

[Old Gun Guy]

Jector,
You have an auto-ejecting, large-frame, second model, second variation manufactured in 1890-1892 according to the info you gave. The serial number on the frame under the left grip is the official serial number, and all your serial #'s match. Check the serial # under the grip very carefully because it should have a number matching the one under the top strap. Sometimes they are very lightly struck and are hard to see. The last 3 digits of the serial number are usually used on the cylinder.
It is definitely a black powder cartridge revolver, and to determine its value you will need to post some pictures as was suggested.
Old Gun Guy

 

[lefty475]

Hello, I am sorry to jump in like this, but I can't pm you old gun guy.

Is the Goforth book on the Sportsman available yet?

Also, has anyone on any of the forums taken up the slack that developed when Mag.32 passed concerning the H&R sportsman? I have not seen any.

Thank's
GC

 

[Old Gun Guy]

lefty475,
Since the passing of Jim Hauff, I have not heard of anyone taking over the H&R book that Bill Goforth and Jim were working on before their untimely deaths. I'm sure someone on this forum can give you alot more info on this.
Old Gun Guy

 

[Jector]

Thanks, Old Gun Guy. I am trying to attach a photo.

 

[Old Gun Guy]

Jector,
That is a very nice looking revolver. Is there some kind of marking on the barrel just forward of the cylinder?
Old Gun Guy

 

[Jector]

No, although it looks like there could be in the photo. There are no markings other than what is on the top of the barrel. Here are a couple of other pictures showing the 2 S/N's.

Thanks much for the info, Old Gun Guy, very sorry to hear of the passing of your friends.

Jector.