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Old September 9, 2010, 10:47 PM   #1
jimbob86
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Help ID a revolver.....

It's a 7 shot .22 DA revolver, 3 5/8" octagonal barrel, fluted cylinder 1" in diameter, cylinder pin release on front of the frame (no crane), fixed firing pin on hammer (no transfer bar), overall dimensions 7 5/8" x 3 5/8", only markings are a serial # (165***) on the front of the grip, the last 2 digits of the serial # on the rear face of the cylinder, and "HUNTER MODEL" on the top strap. It has only 2 screws, one holding the grip panels on and the other appears to be a pivot point for the hammer. There are 5 pins arranged along the front an bottom edges of the fram as viewed from either side....

Sorry, no pics....... any ideas?
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Old September 9, 2010, 11:10 PM   #2
James K
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I think pics will be needed for any reasonable attempt at identification. It could be an old (c. 1900) gun or it could be a cheap import of the Saturday Night Special type. Either way, it would have little value.

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Old September 9, 2010, 11:22 PM   #3
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Sounds like an H&R Harrington & Richardson .22. I hadn't known about a 7 shot but removing the cylinder is right.
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Old September 9, 2010, 11:41 PM   #4
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At what point did manufacturers start puttting Serial #'s on their guns?
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Old September 9, 2010, 11:47 PM   #5
Mike Irwin
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"At what point did manufacturers start puttting Serial #'s on their guns?"

It varied WIDELY from maker to maker, and some makers put serial numbers on SOME of the guns in their lineup while other models made during the same time frame were not serial numbered.

Couple of cases in point...

Post World War II Remington serial numbered their bolt action centerfire rifles, but didn't serial number their mid- to high-end .22s such as the 521-T.

Savage serial numbered its Model 99 lever action, but didn't serial number its Model 219, a single shot rifle.

Changes in the law in 1969 mandated that ALL firearms be serial numbered with unique numbers. Prior to that time, different models would often share the same serial number. Smith & Wesson was famous for that.
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Old September 10, 2010, 12:06 AM   #6
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History....

This gun came into the family in the 50's..... dad traded some mechanic work on a '41 Ford for it.....

..... seems it is out of time (spits lead shavings sideways on firing)..... I was wondering how possible it would be to remedy that.....
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Old September 10, 2010, 09:16 AM   #7
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Are you sure about the cylinder capacity? I'm pretty sure you have an H&R Hunter Model, but I believe they're 9-shot like most other older H&R .22 DA/SA revolvers. IIRC this model was made from the late 20s until the start of WWII.

I've never seen one with a barrel that short; all the Hunter Models I've seen had somewhat ridiculously long 8"-10" barrels (I'm not sure of the exact length). OTOH the gun probably had the barrel cut, which was commonplace in the early 20th century because many people associated CCW with criminal behavior at the time, making it socially unacceptable for retailers in some areas to sell short-barreled handguns. (FWIW most of the recently-repealed laws prohibiting CCW date from this time period.) Hence, if one wanted a snubby in the 40s or 50s and couldn't afford a new Colt or S&W, a popular option was to get a cheap gun such as a rimfire H&R and cut the barrel.

H&R .22 revolvers were low-priced when they were new and their value has remained low due to their high production figures and somewhat crude build quality. IIRC the cylinder pawls and hands on these guns tend to wear out if the gun was frequently fired DA, and good parts aren't easy to come by. Honestly, if I were you, I would make the gun into a wallhanger.
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Old September 10, 2010, 12:41 PM   #8
32 Magnum
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The 1st Variation H&R HUNTER (circa 1926-29) was derived from the H&R Model 1906, small frame, 7 shot .22 rimfire (initially short & long) and had a 10" octagonal barrel, although I have one with a round barrel. The TRAPPER model was the same lineage but with a 6" barrel. Both were issued with checkered walnut grips and in blue only. Value for one in V.G. to EXC. condition will range up to and over $400- they are collectible.
The 2nd Variation HUNTER (circa 1929-40) was derived from the larger framed Model 922, which derived from the H&R Model 1904. It also had a 10" round barrel, but was chambered for 9 rounds of .22 rimfire. This variation is scarcer than the 1st Var. and has sold for over $400 in Excellent condition.

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Old September 10, 2010, 01:00 PM   #9
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I'm with Jim Keenan on this one. You state there is no crane, therefore you remove the cylinder to reload? If it had a crane I would tend to agree with some of the others that it's an H&R.
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Old September 10, 2010, 01:37 PM   #10
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Quote:
The 1st Variation H&R HUNTER (circa 1926-29) was derived from the H&R Model 1906... Value for one in V.G. to EXC. condition will range up to and over $400- they are collectible.
The 2nd Variation HUNTER (circa 1929-40) was derived from the larger framed Model 922... has sold for over $400 in Excellent condition.
Yes, but I'd argue two points:

1) Any collectible value this gun once had was ruined when the barrel was cut.

2) Regarding the value, this gun is like an old DA S&W top-break; oodles of them were sold but most were treated as tools, making high-condition guns very rare, and only the high-condition specimens have any real value.
Quote:
You state there is no crane, therefore you remove the cylinder to reload? If it had a crane I would tend to agree with some of the others that it's an H&R.
I've handled a really old H&R that lacked a crane and the entire cylinder was removed to reload. The seller didn't know exactly what it was, but after reading 32 Magnum's post and looking up pictures, I believe it was a Model 1906. I was unaware that there were two versions of the Hunter Model, as all of the examples I've seen were the 9-shot 922-derived versions.
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Old September 10, 2010, 04:49 PM   #11
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Ahh, I thought they all had a crane.
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Old September 10, 2010, 08:39 PM   #12
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Quote:
You state there is no crane, therefore you remove the cylinder to reload?
Yes, and I count 7 (seven), as in 8 minus 1 = 7 holes in the cylinder, not counting the center one for the pin.....

I googled "H&R .22 revolver Hunter Model" and mine looks nothing like what came up......

...other features- front sight blade is not a half moon- it is convex on the front, flat on top, and concave on the back, like an elongated shark fin.

-rear sight is a notch in a hump at the top rear corner of the frame

-the whole scale of this gun is tiny, except for the trigger and trigger guard(which take up nearly the entire lenght of the frame). Seriously, it looks like a toy gun.

- it is made of steel, and has a little bluing leftin protected areas.

-grips are walnut

I'll try to have my daughter figure out how to post a pic.....

Last edited by jimbob86; September 10, 2010 at 09:46 PM.
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Old September 10, 2010, 09:16 PM   #13
jimbob86
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I think I have the pic thingy figured out......


..... the coin in front is a nickel ..... the cylinder is 1" long..... only my 2 middle fingers fit on the grip- my pinkie winds up curled under the butt.....
Attached Images
File Type: jpg tiny revolver.jpg (54.3 KB, 74 views)
File Type: jpg hunter model.jpg (51.7 KB, 27 views)
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Old September 10, 2010, 10:04 PM   #14
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It looks similar to, but not the same as a H&R 922 six shot(!) image i pulled up from an old gunbroker auction.... rear sight hump more pronounced, octagonal barrel, different front sight..... if it is a H&R 922, the serial # puts the manufacture at about 1937-38......

Anybody else got any more info?
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