Harrington and Richardson Top Break .32 Short
Harrington and Richardson Top Break .32 Short
This is a .32 S&W top break revolver built by Harrington and Richardson sometime between 1908 and 1913 according to my research.
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That’s a cool little revolver, that gets no respect. I have one, and like you, I claim it belongs to a friend. lol
Me waiting for him to shoot the gun…………………………………………………………………….
Very nice little peice, I’ve got an unstamped one that says "Secret Service Special". I’m thinking it’s probably an Iver Johnson. Very interesting little guns they are.
I have one of these that was my great grandpas that he carried in the 30’s when he did desert land dealings. I was wondering if you can shoot the S&W 32 longs or only the shorts?
I have one of these!
I had one given to me, except it was an Iver Johnson. it was my great grandfathers .32 top break revolver that he carried as a backup gun. He was a Pa state police trooper, among other things.
lol if it’ll group good…. that thing is made for blasting people trying to rob you at close range.
That split the difference is something I never knew! Thanks for a great video.
That’s a huge gap between the cylinder & the forcing cone. Not good.
I found one of these back in 1995 after my grandfather died at age 94. It was in pretty rough shape. There was a box of 20 shells with only five left in the box. My guess is that my grandfather loaded it up and shot it 15 times sometime around 1925-1930 and then put it back in the drawer and never cleaned or got it out again. The barrel was gummed up and the nickel plating was coming off. I should have taken it then and tried to clean it up, but I didn’t and my mom came along and threw it in the trash.
I’ve seen those used in a few games, I’d love one for concealed carry.
It’s pronounced like wooster mass
I love these. I have bought a lot of them off Gunbroker for very reasonable prices. I actually prefer top break revolvers to side swing cylinders BUT the frame is too weak for powerful revolver cartridges. The auto ejecting is a good feature. I have one of the S&W PC Schofield revolvers they made in the early 2000s. I also have a S&W .38 "Lemon Squeezer" that I actually still carry concealed sometimes. Most of my collection of these are "misc. brands" for lack of better term.
They are just for fun and curiosity. I have a Spanish made copy of the S&W #3 revolver in .38 S&W. The Spanish blatantly copied many designs as they did not recognize foreign patents. These guns are actually beginning to gain some collector value, but they are still available quite inexpensively. It would be a good genre to look into for collectors.
The ammo can be challenging to find, but well stocked gun shops will have it. I handload for everything, so I usually use cast lead bullets and light powder charges. You are correct, Buffalo, who can even imagine how many millions of these revolvers are laying around in sock drawers? The good news? A lot of these are in excellent condition, I think some were never fired until I got them. Someone bought them for home defense, loaded them, and put them in the drawer where they stayed for 80 years. Great video! Variety is the spice!
Would you be able to post pictures of what it looks like inside of the gun with the hammer cocked? I got to make a spring for the indexer and need to see where it interfaces
Nice little shooter. I have the H&A .32 Safety Police 5-shot model. Pat: date on it is Aug,21,1906. It’s nickel plated. This gun belonged to my great, great uncle. I’ve had it 27 years and have never shot it. Mechanically it seems pretty tight. Had a gunsmith look at it few years back and he determined outer finish was around 60%. He told me clean it up and shoot it, but I never have. Recently got it out and cleaned on it some, but as of these crazy times ammo is hard to come by. I see your video is now 2 years old, but off top of your head do you have any idea where a man my get some .32 S&W shorts these days? Enjoy your videos.
I have a Iver Johnson 32 s&w that is identical to that h&r. Someone sawed the barrel off and put a bead for a front sight. From my research it’s around the same age as yours. Never fired it. Finally found some ammo today gonna try it out tomorrow. I’m the same as you I’d like to know the story on mine and with the barrel being sawed off a couple inches makes me think it’s seen some action.
32 short is rare I can’t find it. I bought one during the covid panic buying it’s all the guy had left. Might not be great protection but I needed something however I regret it as ammo is hard to get for it
Ha ha, you can always tell someone who isn’t from my home state of MA when they try to pronounce some of our town and city names. Worcester is pronounced Wusster or Wuustah! Lol. Another great video brother, I love ‘em!
Where would you suggest I look for the best info on these guns and ammo needed?
Watch that thumb Buf ! I’ve had those little revolver’s spit some fire out the slides of the cylinder !
My great great great grandpa owned one of these when he was a police officer in the 20s He was part of the police force that was after Bonnie and Clyde when they passed through Missouri.
Just bought one for 200… couldn’t pass it up.
bought a real clean one at Richland County show, Ohio, OCT. 2020 / $ 150. / sold for $200. LOVE OLD REVOLVERS
My dad recently showed his revolver to me. It looks a lot like this model but it was made in Connecticut.
Just picked up exact pistol same years. Neat little gun. Just have to get mine worked on a little. Hammer will not lock back in single action. But other than that seams to be in descent shape. Thanks for the videos Buffalo
It’s the .32 pistol from Fallout 3 lol, didn’t know it is so tiny in reality
Great shooting. I have a lemon squeezer similar to yours a .38 short SW. On these old models the cylinder won’t align with the barrel a lot of the time.
Any video’s on how to take the rust off?
I can’t get my trigger to reset lol
Do you now anything about the top break s and w top breaking 32 or 38 short. Found one as a kid, maybe 8 in 1958. Break open squeezi the two buttonz on top. Can’t find any info on it.
Where might you find the serial number on one of these?
I just bought one of these for 35 dollars. Ots missing the trigger, hammer, grips, and trigger guard. Lol. Im thinking about piecing it together but I also may try n sell it on an online gun junkyard
Sears 1895 catalog…. $2.85
Any video on shining it back to color???
good gun to protect pet dogs in dog-parks from pitbulls & other big dogs who can attack our smaller pets
Why are you rotating the cylinder with your thumb ? I have the same gun with NO hammer and the cylinder turns by itself
I have the exact same model and approx age but nickel plated. Haven’t yet shot it, as I can’t find 32 short.
Thanks for the video. Where were you able to find 32 short ammo?
Found a Hammerless version up in Maine. Like these
Never seen a 5 shot. Mines a 6
Please tell me the value of this revolver
I have one of these & was wondering if i can shoot the s&w longs. They are exactly the same diameter as the shorts but longer, they just have few more grains of powder. I put a long in the cylinder an are not to long & cylinder rotates fine,
It groups pretty well. As to the low and left, how did you line up your sights?
It the top of the blade is even with the top of the rear notch, it will make POI about 2 to 3 inches low on these old top breaks. You want the u of the rear sight, about even with the base of the front blade, with the rest of the blade above the notch.
At that point, elevation is pretty much dead on. My grandfather carried one in .38 S&W for 30 years, as a backup piece, while he was in the NYSP. When he gave it to me, he explained the proper sight picture for it.
Left, that’s just down to the ungodly heavy trigger pull, torquing your hand left, while pulling the trigger. Hand it to a lefty, it will pitch right.
They were called card table guns, and belly guns, for a reason. And they are a fun way of getting into collecting pistols, because so many were made, and are still out there. The five we own all have family history attached to them. H&R, Iver Johnson, and US Revolver models, hammer and hammerless.
Fallout 3
I know any gun can kill you but Jesus…you’d have to put a lot of hope and prayers behind each trigger pull with that thing.
my dad has this one! same type too, im trying to repair the trigger rod tho
I’ve got the same gun in Smith & Wesson 38 nickel…My serial # dates mine to 1895… Thanks for the tip to remove the cylinder.
I found a shoebox full of a few hundred loose 32 short in the basement of an abandoned house when I was a kid. Really wish I had one of these lovely little pop guns ^-^
(Edit) These are the most common handguns and ammo in the Fallout Series, set after a Nuclear Apocalypse in the 23 century, and I bet these little poppers would have absolutely no trouble lasting another couple hundred years to battle Raiders and RadScorpions in the Atomic Wasteland of the Future. ^-^
Me encantaría saber Inglés para saber que es lo que explica tengo el mismo soy de argentina.
My man sounds like Cal from Talledega Nights haha, I love it