...and I got home from work on a summer afternoon, leaning up against the door jamb was a long cardboard box.
Cars driving by on street, box in plain sight, no sig needed.
/lulz
What Is Your Oldest Shooting Rifle Or Pistol
- Thread starter Storch4
- Start date
...and I got home from work on a summer afternoon, leaning up against the door jamb was a long cardboard box.
Cars driving by on street, box in plain sight, no sig needed.
/lulz
I finally narrowed down a likely made by date for the Harrington & Richardson top break with no model number or name. I had seen an advertisement that was kinda similar and dated to 1935 and the gun had no letter as part of the serial number (H&R started using a letter code for manufacture date in 1940) so it was likely made between 1935 and 1939. I also found a brochure from 1940 where it was called the "Defender" and in addition to 38S&W, 38/200 ammo was mentioned. That led me to believe that H&R was marketing the gun to the Commonwealth where 38/200 was a more common ammo designation. My gun though showed no British Proofs so was meant for the US domestic market.
The earlier but similar handguns had a finger rest on the trigger guard not found on mine and adjustable sights, again missing from my example. Most had wood rather than a plastic grip. Later guns carried a model number (25 and 925) and model name "Defender 38" but nothing like that on my example.
Mine did have the caliber marking on the side of the barrel, maker name and city on the top of the barrel and a serial number on the front grip strap, on the left side under the grip and on both the cylinder and extractor star. The serial number was only three digits "234" and so likely an early example but from an unknown run. There was no info on how H&R numbered guns over the years or when they changed systems or sequences other than the addition of a date letter starting in 1940.
Inquiries on several different boards got me no closer to a date than the 1935-1939 range I had originally until finally I was referred to someone who is the current resident H&R handgun guru and he was nice enough to send me some information originally posted by Jim Hauff that seemed related.
There was also an image attached:
And there it was, a sample just like mine and also a very low serial number. So now it seems almost certain that my example dates to 1938.
Regardless, it is a really sweet shooter, accurate as all the H&R handguns I've owned have been and with the fantastic double trigger system that give it an absolutely effortless crisp break.
The earlier but similar handguns had a finger rest on the trigger guard not found on mine and adjustable sights, again missing from my example. Most had wood rather than a plastic grip. Later guns carried a model number (25 and 925) and model name "Defender 38" but nothing like that on my example.
Mine did have the caliber marking on the side of the barrel, maker name and city on the top of the barrel and a serial number on the front grip strap, on the left side under the grip and on both the cylinder and extractor star. The serial number was only three digits "234" and so likely an early example but from an unknown run. There was no info on how H&R numbered guns over the years or when they changed systems or sequences other than the addition of a date letter starting in 1940.
There was also an image attached:
And there it was, a sample just like mine and also a very low serial number. So now it seems almost certain that my example dates to 1938.
Regardless, it is a really sweet shooter, accurate as all the H&R handguns I've owned have been and with the fantastic double trigger system that give it an absolutely effortless crisp break.
I finally narrowed down a likely made by date for the Harrington & Richardson top break with no model number or name. I had seen an advertisement that was kinda similar and dated to 1935 and the gun had no letter as part of the serial number (H&R started using a letter code for manufacture date in 1940) so it was likely made between 1935 and 1939. I also found a brochure from 1940 where it was called the "Defender" and in addition to 38S&W, 38/200 ammo was mentioned. That led me to believe that H&R was marketing the gun to the Commonwealth where 38/200 was a more common ammo designation. My gun though showed no British Proofs so was meant for the US domestic market.
The earlier but similar handguns had a finger rest on the trigger guard not found on mine and adjustable sights, again missing from my example. Most had wood rather than a plastic grip. Later guns carried a model number (25 and 925) and model name "Defender 38" but nothing like that on my example.
Mine did have the caliber marking on the side of the barrel, maker name and city on the top of the barrel and a serial number on the front grip strap, on the left side under the grip and on both the cylinder and extractor star. The serial number was only three digits "234" and so likely an early example but from an unknown run. There was no info on how H&R numbered guns over the years or when they changed systems or sequences other than the addition of a date letter starting in 1940.
Inquiries on several different boards got me no closer to a date than the 1935-1939 range I had originally until finally I was referred to someone who is the current resident H&R handgun guru and he was nice enough to send me some information originally posted by Jim Hauff that seemed related.
There was also an image attached:
And there it was, a sample just like mine and also a very low serial number. So now it seems almost certain that my example dates to 1938.
Regardless, it is a really sweet shooter, accurate as all the H&R handguns I've owned have been and with the fantastic double trigger system that give it an absolutely effortless crisp break.
Great write-up & great revolver. Always had a thing for top-breaks but never owned one. Yours gives me a nudge.
Wink wink, nudge nudge
Say no more guv...that Webley is the bomb!
Is it a British military one or commercial?
Singapore police. Mark IV 38/200.
Even better, scarcer I would think.
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