looking for info on a H&A DEFENDER?

[m-134]

i just got a nice little H&A DEFENDER in .32RF. looking for any info on years they were built from-to, how to find a possible year ext. mine has realy nice nickle finish on it, only things marked on it is DEFENDER on top of the reciever and under the left side grip it is stamped 3 and 75, could it possible be the build date? (3- March, 75-1875). 2.5" octagon barrel (2" exposed, .5" in the reviever), dark hard plastic/rubber? grips with a eagle on them with 4 arrows and like a vine held by there feet

 

[tokguy]

H & A or H & R?
No expert by any means but Harrington & Richardson rings a bell, but not H & A.
Perhaps you've missread the 'R' as an 'A'?

 

[green]

Hopkins and Allen H&A a very large and old US diversified gunmaker ceased operations in WWI.

 

[m-134]

i was told it was a H&A (Hopkins & Allen) i will post a few pictures of it right away.
while i wait for the pictures to upload, this is exactly what it looks like.

http://www.icollector.com/H-A-Mdl-D...ot-revolver-chambered-in-32-caliber_i13065627

 

[m-134]

i cant seem to get a good picture of the top becouse of the glare but all it says in capital letters is DEFENDER in the center on the top of the frame.
i done more research and im thinking maybe this is a pre 1889 Hopkin & Allen Defender Model wich was built under contract. then in 1889 they took over the name and renamed it the "defender 89". anymore info would be very much apreciated. i am just going by little info im finding in diferent spots all on google.

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

I'll check my copy of "Suicide Specials" but I don't recall there being much model-specific info not already out on the net (most of which seems plagiarized or borrowed from that book). Won't be tonight though.

What there IS, is tons of info on the company, its predecessors and affiliates. Somewhere I have a write up I put together, going through records from Connecticut. Seems a lot of those companies were quite closely related; and the executives held other non-firearms companies as well.