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Real Pocket Pistols...

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St. George:
Just a short note to illustrate the fact that you can still find "real" pocket pistols out there in the woodwork.

In the past few months, I wound up with three additions to my collection of odds and ends.
1.  S&W 2d Model, 2d issue, spur-trigger .38S&W - built in 1888.
2.  S&W Safety Hammerless in .32S&W.
3.  H&R "Vest Pocket" in .32S&W - a truly ugly little revolver - with no front sight and hammerless, to boot.
No front sight was ever installed, and it's so ugly, it's really nice.

These things are out there in drawers and on tables and in many cases they're worth picking up.

Good, solid makers include, but are not limited to:
Colt, Iver Johnson, Smith & Wesson, Harrington & Richardson, Forehand and Wadsworth, Merwin, Hulbert, Webley, Hopkins & Allen and Frank Wesson.

Look at a couple of things before you do decide to buy:

Overall condition - look at evidence of abuse - but don't pay much attention to loss of plating, as that's common and can be re-done, and if you don't want to do that - you can Simichrome or Wenol everything enough to mask its loss.
Look instead for big dings and pitting and burred screw heads and remember - spare parts are found in other people's guns...

Cylinder lockup - you want it to be tight and not to wobble.
In many cases, these guns were played with by grandkids after their daily carrying duties were over (I once knew of kids who played with a Dance Brothers...), and they can play rough.

You want something that'll lock up reasonably - especially when you hold the hammer down as if fired.
That's the tightest lockup you'll see in a revolver, so if there's a lot of play - you can think about it for parts.

Barrel-Frame Lockup - Has to be tight.
Look for cracking at the point of joining.
In many cases, tightening the screw is all that's needed, but if it's not able to be done - think "parts".

Condition of Grips - Hard Rubber grips can be a challenge to repair, but it can be done.
Better when you don't have to.

Once you've located your prospective companion - clean it - but carefully and pay attention to how it assembles and disassembles - Dave Chicoine's book - "Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West" is invaluable here.

As far as ammunition is concerned - BP will always work, but factory smokeless will work as well in later revolvers, but don't get carried away - these little guns were never meant for the shooting stresses of C&WAS, or the pressures of modern reloaded ammunition.

As to .22's - the really short .22CB Cap (NOT the CCI - in the .22 Short case) will safely drive a Conical Ball from its barrel and not increase pressures.
Standard Velocity .22 Shorts are about as "heavy" a round as you'll ever want for later revolvers, but I'd certainly get some of the CB Caps first.
Better yet, just pick them up to add to a vest pocket as an accouterment, if you're concerned about firing them.

Good Luck.



Scouts Out!

Will Pluggum:
This is good stuff St. George, thanks for info.  Are you saying that H&R is sooooo ugly only a cowboy action shooter could love it!

St. George:
You kind of have to see it - the barrel measures just 1 1/8", and what with it being hammerless, the entire thing looks sort of "circular" - for lack of more accurate terminology.
On the other hand - it locks up tight and the tip of the hammer is knurled so as to facilitate single-action aimed fire.


The Old West was full of interesting small revolvers, derringers and single-shots - some of which earned the sobriquet "Suicide Specials" and some of which turned out to be well-built and designed for service.

Scouts Out!

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Will Pluggum:
I recall seeing the H&R pistol your describing in an article in The American Riflemen.  Harrington and Richardson (H&R) is  a name many  people are not familier with but they have been around for over a century and have made thier contributions to early American arms developement.  They are currently selling a line of single shot rifles under the NEF (New England Firearms) banner who's roots can be traced back over 130 years.  Nothing fancy, but solid, reliable and affordable.....and always American made.  Not many early American gun makers survived that long.

Will Ketchum:
St. George, where did you find the date of manufacture for the S&Ws?

I just picked up a S&W just like your Number 1.  I'm not sure that it has ever been shot.  There is slight pitting in the nickle plate and the let grip is discolored rto a brown but the right grip is as black and unworn as a new gun.  It locks up as tight as any revolver I have ever handled. :)

I would also like to find out the dates of manufacture for my 2 New Model Number 3s.

Will Ketchum

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