Mystery gun

eddyb74 · August 21, 2010, 09:18 PM

Was helping my buddy clean out his sister's house today and ran across this in a drawer.

Anybody have any info on it?

The only markings on it are the SN and on top of the barrel.

U.S. Revolver Co.
Made in U.S.A.

**Mike Irwin** · August 21, 2010, 11:37 PM

US Revolver Company was Iver Johnson's inexpensive house brand.

Not worth a lot of money, not finished as well as the ones bearing the Iver Johnson name.

mapsjanhere · August 22, 2010, 08:30 AM

Looks like Iver Johnson's Safety automatic hammerless, third model, made 1909 - 1941.

James K · August 22, 2010, 03:14 PM

Not that inexpensive from a retail viewpoint, as the U.S. Revolver Co. guns sold for about the same price as the Iver Johnson guns and were of equal quality. But it is likely that I.J. made more money per unit on U.S. Revolver guns than on its "own" brand.

The major difference was that the I.J. transfer bar safety was not used on the U.S. guns. The latter were sold through mail order houses, not through I.J.'s system of "licensed (by I.J.) dealers" of which they made much at one time. Their "authorized" dealers kept I.J. revolvers from getting into the wrong hands (sound familiar?) and prevented cut-price sales. So, while the company was hand wringing and voicing phony concern about "unauthorized persons" and unwarrantied sales, they were happily selling (as U.S. Revolver Co.) guns to mail order companies to be sold to anyone with the money.

Jim

August 21, 2010, 09:18 PM	#1
eddyb74 Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 222	Mystery gun Was helping my buddy clean out his sister's house today and ran across this in a drawer. Anybody have any info on it? The only markings on it are the SN and on top of the barrel. U.S. Revolver Co. Made in U.S.A. Last edited by eddyb74; August 21, 2010 at 09:33 PM.

August 21, 2010, 11:37 PM	#2
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,383	US Revolver Company was Iver Johnson's inexpensive house brand. Not worth a lot of money, not finished as well as the ones bearing the Iver Johnson name. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 22, 2010, 08:30 AM	#3
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	Looks like Iver Johnson's Safety automatic hammerless, third model, made 1909 - 1941. __________________ I used to love being able to hit hard at 1000 yards. As I get older I find hitting a mini ram at 200 yards with the 22 oddly more satisfying.

August 22, 2010, 03:14 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Not that inexpensive from a retail viewpoint, as the U.S. Revolver Co. guns sold for about the same price as the Iver Johnson guns and were of equal quality. But it is likely that I.J. made more money per unit on U.S. Revolver guns than on its "own" brand. The major difference was that the I.J. transfer bar safety was not used on the U.S. guns. The latter were sold through mail order houses, not through I.J.'s system of "licensed (by I.J.) dealers" of which they made much at one time. Their "authorized" dealers kept I.J. revolvers from getting into the wrong hands (sound familiar?) and prevented cut-price sales. So, while the company was hand wringing and voicing phony concern about "unauthorized persons" and unwarrantied sales, they were happily selling (as U.S. Revolver Co.) guns to mail order companies to be sold to anyone with the money. Jim