I started collecting old top break & solid frame revolvers manufactured from the late 1800's & early 1900's this was the era of the black powder cartridge gun, & the switch to the 1st smokeless cartridges... these are normally pretty reasonably priced, good quality guns can still be shot albeit I load light loads of Trailboss & lead round balls for weaker or rarer guns if shooting them... even the S&W's in this era can often be purchased pretty reasonably ( most of which I'm talking about are 32 & 38 S&W ) there are alot of these guns that are Rim Fires, which I don't normally collect, except for a few examples, because they generally aren't shootable... excetions being the 22 Rim Fire which I shoot Colibri & Super Colibri ammo in those...
the Safety Police guns were mentioned, & I find them to be almost as shootable as the S&W's... BTW... there was a pleathora of gun inovations both in design & metal advances... I have a couple old Iver Johnsons, that have trigger safetys very similar to the glock trigger safety, & these are on pre 1900 guns...
BTW... in tha era, it was easier to produce a nice nickel gun than a nice polished blued gun, so the blued guns are more rare... & real MOP grips were not uncommon...
this is one of my nicer old Hopkins & Allen guns...
