A day at the range with the hand canon...

[jar_]

Well, maybe not really a canon. Maybe closer to a sling shot; an old fashioned build your own sling shot using pieces from a worn out inner tube.

Hopkins & Allen Safety Police 32S&W on top on a box of ammo:

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Hopkins & Allen ceased production IIRC in 1915 so this little pocket gun is over a century old. The 32S&W (not even 32S&W long) was never considered as more than a mighty mouse even though two US Presidents had been shot and killed with 32S&W short revolvers.

The revolver is a 5 shot, top break, auto eject 32S&W and the hammer at rest sits firmly against the frame. When you pull the trigger it moves back and down then forward to strike a firing pin then raises back up against the frame.

The cylinder is held in place by a levered hook on one side and removed to make cleaning easy. Not quite as simple as the H&R turn the cylinder and pull up to remove but pretty simple and reliable.

It has a three inch barrel and pretty good accuracy out to 7 yards or so. At the intended 3-5 yard range it generally makes one ragged hole. These were unabashedly self defense handguns meant as a last resort up close and very personal option; small, easy to conceal, very low recoil and super accurate ammo. One day I may try it at longer ranges but that is not the design purpose of the gun.

Here it is with a modern iteration that serves similar functions; a Beretta Pico.

What I did take away from today's range session was that the little H&A is fun to shoot and super reliable, more fun to shoot than the Pico.

 

[ackvil]

Nice collection.

 

[machinisttx]

I have a S&W M31-1, chambered for .32 S&W Long. It's probably an excellent target cartridge, but otherwise fairly useless and very underwhelming to shoot. I suspect that it is only marginally, if any, more powerful than the short version. I have dies to reload it, but I am unlikely to ever shoot the couple hundred rounds of Fiocchi target ammo that I bought with the dies.

 

[jkingrph]

Not a H&A, but mine is a S&W in 38 S&W. When my father-in-law passed away 34 years ago my wife got it. Her mother, brother and sister did not want it and since I had always had an interest in guns we got it. It was the only gun he had, and it had a broken spring inside so double action did not work, and the bakelite grips were broke. It took me several years but I finally found a spring that could be fitted, and a set of reproduction grips so I got it back into good shape. It was nickel plated and someone had electro penciled a social security number, fortunately very shallow so I burnished it back in and polished it out. The bore does not look great, probably had been shot with black powder and not cleaned properly. The lock up is very tight, almost to the point of needing gloves to pull the latch back, better that than loose like some I have seen. I have had a box of ammo for years now, but never have shot it.

 

[jar_]

Not a H&A, but mine is a S&W in 38 S&W. When my father-in-law passed away 34 years ago my wife got it. Her mother, brother and sister did not want it and since I had always had an interest in guns we got it. It was the only gun he had, and it had a broken spring inside so double action did not work, and the bakelite grips were broke. It took me several years but I finally found a spring that could be fitted, and a set of reproduction grips so I got it back into good shape. It was nickel plated and someone had electro penciled a social security number, fortunately very shallow so I burnished it back in and polished it out. The bore does not look great, probably had been shot with black powder and not cleaned properly. The lock up is very tight, almost to the point of needing gloves to pull the latch back, better that than loose like some I have seen. I have had a box of ammo for years now, but never have shot it.

Hint.

Before opening it pull the hammer to the half **** position.

Here is the H&A between a Smith & Wesson DA Model 4 and a Webley Mark IV: that's a 38S&W cartridge to show just how small 32S&W really is.

 

[Ad Astra]

Hm. Not a .454 ...

Speaking of .32s, that .327 Magnum is very interesting, and it can shoot everything in the .32 family.

Hopefully I don't ever trip over the Single-Six in that caliber, or I'l have to buy it ....


AA

 

[Mick]

The first hand cannon.

44 mag short barrel. Spits fire.

 

[nortac]

Hm. Not a .454 ...

Speaking of .32s, that .327 Magnum is very interesting, and it can shoot everything in the .32 family.

Hopefully I don't ever trip over the Single-Six in that caliber, or I'l have to buy it ….AA

I have a couple of Ruger Single actions in .32 H&R magnum and have shot the lesser .32 rounds. I just wish I had a cylinder to accommodate the .327 Federal magnum round as well.

 

[jkingrph]

Hint.

Before opening it pull the hammer to the half **** position.

Here is the H&A between a Smith & Wesson DA Model 4 and a Webley Mark IV: that's a 38S&W cartridge to show just how small 32S&W really is.

Just saw your post and went and tried it. No real difference. There is no mechanical relationship as to hammer position and the top latch. Full **** does get the hammer completely out of the way of fingers making it a little easier.
Honestly, that is one series of guns I do not know much about, my favorites being the K frame series. I started with a K-22 way back in jr high school that dad had traded a Colt Woodsman that was not reliable according to him.
That was the handgun I learned to shoot with. Bought a K 38 a few days before I graduated college, then picked up a pristine K22 a couple of years later while a new 2nd Lt in the USAF. Kept my eyes out for a K 32 but never have seen one, so picked up a hand ejector in really good shape, cal 32-20 earlier this year.

 

[jar_]

Just saw your post and went and tried it. No real difference. There is no mechanical relationship as to hammer position and the top latch. Full **** does get the hammer completely out of the way of fingers making it a little easier.
Honestly, that is one series of guns I do not know much about, my favorites being the K frame series. I started with a K-22 way back in jr high school that dad had traded a Colt Woodsman that was not reliable according to him.
That was the handgun I learned to shoot with. Bought a K 38 a few days before I graduated college, then picked up a pristine K22 a couple of years later while a new 2nd Lt in the USAF. Kept my eyes out for a K 32 but never have seen one, so picked up a hand ejector in really good shape, cal 32-20 earlier this year.

Half Cocked gets the firing pin out of the way of any spent cartridges that might make opening difficult.

And to tie this back to the OP.

The Hopkins & Allen used a different system than Smith or H&R on the top breaks. The H&A has two prongs you press in that then release the catch. Much easier to use as well as being stronger.

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[jkingrph]

As I have never fired the gun there is no spent cartridge to be in the way of the firing pin. I did learn something, that it does have a half **** position, more like 1/8 or 1/16 the reward position of the hammer moving just slightly. I can see that by seeing that the firing pin retracts completely into the frame.