HOPKINS & ALLEN Dictator identifying help

[tscupr]

Howdy, Just inherited some this piece from Grandpa. This is a first of many coming.

Here is what I have so far. This is a Dictator with a .36 caliber percussion single-action revolver with a 5" barrel and 5-shot cylinder with walnut grips. The barrel marked “Dictator.” The serial number is 848 and is all matching.

I know what blued is and this does not look blued to me. Also all the books do not mention any models with a 5 inch barrel. Also I have not seen any examples with this type of trigger guard.

FYI, in the one side pic there is a mounting bracket attached to the pistol but comes off with ease and no mods to the pistol to accommodate the mount were done.

Any info or value amount would be greatly appreciated and a huge thanks in advance.

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[RJay]

That is not the correct trigger guard on your gun. The H&A was nothing more than a Bacon pocket revolver modified by H&A. Flayderman's states most were converted to fire the 38 rim fire, but that trigger guard was not part of the conversion. I also can't find anything that states it had a barrel longer than 4 inches, that one looks closer to five.

[PetahW]

.

This is what an unconverted (to .38RF) should/usually look like:



.36 percussion caliber, 5 shot single action revolver, Dictator, 4" barrel, sold from 1869 to 1872.

Total production was about 5000, of which about 4000 were altered to .38 RF.

The absense of a bead front sight on the OP's revolver sings "barrel cut shorter", to me.

I'd WAG that the OP's gun could be an expediant-repair parts gun, with that replacement triggerguard & a bbl assembly from some other gun of the day.



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[bedbugbilly]

Remeasure your barrel - from what I'm seeing, that barrel is closer to 5 1/2", not 5". Measure from muzzle to the end of the barrel at the cylinder - not the beginning of the taper.