Need help identifying old revolver

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True Canadian Rob

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I posted in legalese about registering an old family revolver my grandfather found in his garage. I need help identifying it so i can register it. I have not seen it so all of my info comes from what my grandfather can find on it. Cant get pics right now as my grandparents aren't very computer literate.

He says Harinctoit & Richardson Arms Co. Worcester Mass USA is written on the barrel. Im assuming it's H&R based on the worcester mass. Im assuming he misread it.
Patented Oct 4, 1887
Only other marking is 696, no calibre or anything else.
5 inch barrel and 6 shot cylinder and is a breaktop.
He believes it is .38 special but not sure.

Im going to be spending a lot of time on google trying to figure this out but I'm hoping someone here can help save me some time.
 
offhand guess is that the caliber will be 38 S&W, not 38 special.
It should read Harrington & Richardson.
If you could post a picture that would help, there were alot of different top-breaks in that time period.
H&R, S&W just to name a couple of companies.
 
Tbolt said:
offhand guess is that the caliber will be 38 S&W, not 38 special.
It should read Harrington & Richardson.
If you could post a picture that would help, there were alot of different top-breaks in that time period.
H&R, S&W just to name a couple of companies.
Click to expand...
I would love to get some pics up but my grandpa can hardly use his tv let alone a computer, and he lives in Calgary and im just outside Vancouver.
 
Ok, so H&R top break in 38S&W, with a 5 inch barrel and 6 shot cylinder.
I will check my books when I get home, but someone might beat me to it.
 
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Thanks Tbolt, from my research so far .38 seems to be less common than .32 (I hope 38). Given it is marked with one patent date it was made between 1891 and 1919, no caliber marking dates it before 1905, and denotes it was designed for black powder cartridges. The 696 could possibly be the serial number but more likely a batch number.

I've found this from a few forums and yahoo answers, so I'm not too sure if it's accurate or not.
 
Given the experienced eyes reading the markings couldn't make out the complete name of Harrington & Richardson, the model number might be suspect as well. However, H&R did make a Model 696 revolver, as well as a 666, 676, and 686 at least. I think these are all .22 rim-fire double action revolvers, with removable cylinders (but some have a loading gate and under-barrel shroud with ejector), some with an optional Magnum cylinder. Look tends to be a bit of a clunky frame with pencil barrel, plough handle grip.

Searching for them is made difficult, because S&W made models named 686 and 696 also.

You will find a lot of short-barreled H&R revolvers in .32 and .38 S&W, but I don't recall seeing any snub-nosed .22s. If it's in .32 it's Prohibited by calibre as well, no matter the barrel length. (Would have been eligible for 12(7) inheritance due to age, if it had been green slip Registered.)
 
If he can't find a calibre marking (it could be on one side of the frame/barrel joint), ask him to put a standard pencil in the barrel or cylinder. A .22 will take the point but not the shaft, a .38 will fit all the way and rattle, and a .32 is a pretty good fit.

But I bet it's a 6-shot .22LR.
 
Sounds a bit like the Top Break Model 1 Variation 4 Automatic Ejecting, but your 5in barrel is puzzling. This model has the same patent date on the top of the barrel and was avbl in nickel or blue. If its a Model 2 chambered in 32HR it may very well be an antique as was also avbl in a 127mm bbl. Heres some info
an Oct. 4, 1887 patent date may be marked on the barrel of initial production, while May 14, 1889 and Aug. 6, 1889 patent dates appear later.
- features include pentagonal automatic ejector rod; a checkered button on the left side of the topstrap near the barrel latch releases the cylinder for removal; blue or nickle finish; double action top break; external hammer with or without a spur or hammerless; hard rubber grips with a bullet riddled target logo; round ribbed barrel with a fixed blade partridge style front sight.
Sounds more like a Model 3 but the patent date is different. The model 3 had the 5in bbl and was also avbl in 38SW.
dB
 
Thanks for the help guys, i just got off the phone with my grandpa. I got him to double check everything on it and the caliber is .38 but unfortunately the barrel is a 3 inch, not 5... Apparently he didn't actually measure it originally and just eyeballed it including the cylinder. To be fair he doesn't know a lot about guns, I'm really the only one in my family that enjoys them (not that i know much compared to most people on here).

So, does anyone know of someone in Calgary that could deactivate it? I hate to do it but id rather keep in in the family than see it destroyed or disappear.
 
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