Old Man Whos a Trash Picker has found 2 Very Old Non Working Revolvers, What To Do ?

[sniperrr]

Old Man Whos a Trash Picker has found 2 Very Old Non Working Revolvers, What To Do Now ?

They both are made by Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works, one is in a .22 caliber, and the other is thirty something since he's not sure and it does not say, but they both seem to have a serial number as far as he said, underside if I am not mistaken.

By their overall appearance & condition as well as their name, he believes that they are both surely at least one hundred or more years old, and both do not even seem to work properly or at all, they also are possibly the black powder type and not your basic standard ammo type.

He asked me what to do in this case and do they even need to be registered, as I have not seen them yet, but do want to give him very careful & exact advice, so that he does not get into any possible trouble or break the law since he is a very nice older gentleman.

And now honestly I too am very curious to know, since I have never been confronted with anything such as this before, or the actual PA laws on these very old pistols, as far as registration goes, be they functioning or not, and if they take a modern or some type of an old ammo, as well as their true & exact year of make and age.

Is there a way to find out their exact age to know for sure ?

And do they hold any value ?

Also, what exactly should he do with both of them as he just simply wants to clean & oil them, and hang them on his wall if its all fully legal ?


Any Help would be very much appreciated as well as your time...


Thank you so much in advance.

[dgaff]

There is no required firearm registry in Pennsylvania, as long as the old man is not a convicted felon or anything he should be fine to hold on to them. I would tell him to take them to his local gun smith/store or antique expert and see if they can fix them up or just know the history about them (along with a value quote). As long as the pistols were not used in some violent crime I think he should be fine. Good luck!

[plaid37]

My dad owns a .32 Iver Johnson revolver, handed down from his grandfather. From my understanding, these guns were "given" away in the early 1900's. (For example, I have read that banks gave them to new customers)

I have seen these revolvers sell from anywhere between $50 to $300 depending on the condition.

Taken from Wikipedia, searched "Iver Johnson"

This may give you an idea to the model, etc. based on the descriptions they give:

Iver Johnson firearm models
Iver Johnson nomenclature refers to its top-break revolvers as Safety Automatics. These are revolvers, not semi-automatic pistols. The term “Safety Automatic” refers to Iver Johnson’s transfer bar safety system (“safety”) and the automatic ejection of cartridges upon breaking open the revolvers (“automatic”).

Safety automatic
Standard models with external hammer:

First Model (1894–1895), single post latch system
Second Model (1896–1908), double post latch system
Third Model (1909–1941), double post latch system

Safety automatic hammerless
First Model (1895–1896), single post latch
Second Model (1897–1908), safety lever added to face of trigger
Third Model a.k.a. New Model (1909–1941), no safety lever on trigger

William McKinley assassination
Presidential assassin Leon Czolgosz shot and wounded U.S. President William McKinley in Buffalo, New York on September 6, 1901 with an Iver Johnson .32 caliber Safety Automatic revolver (serial number 463344). (McKinley later succumbed to these wounds nearly 8 days later, at 2:15 am on the 14th of September). The revolver is currently on display at the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society in Buffalo.

Robert Kennedy assassination
Convicted assassin Sirhan Sirhan shot and killed Presidential candidate United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy in Los Angeles, California on 5 June 1968 with an eight-shot Iver Johnson .22 caliber Cadet 55-A revolver (serial number H-53725, Trial-People's Exhibit #6, misidentified in trial testimony as S/N H-18602).

[OwnTheRide]

"Frequently referred to as "The Suicide Gun" for blowing apart in the hands of the person shooting it."

[theo]

Take them to a local gun buy back program. You can get $100 for each of them. (personally I think these programs are bogus, but it would work in this instance).


.

[MOUNTAINORACLE]

theos got the right idea...

I had a few firearms similar to those Iver Johnson Revolver and they also belonged in the trash. Several years ago I sold mine to the antis in a buy back program [the pieces of junk were out of time and wouldn't shoot].

After they up, I told them thanks, you just bought me a Smith J-Frame.

[NuclearSociety]

Take them to a local gun buy back program. You can get $100 for each of them. (personally I think these programs are bogus, but it would work in this instance).


.

HAH!
I didnt even think of that!

[knight0334]

Take them to a local gun buy back program. You can get $100 for each of them. (personally I think these programs are bogus, but it would work in this instance).


.

Negative. The reusable parts on these guns may be quite valuable to a person trying to fix theirs.

[tommy610]

theos got the right idea...

I had a few firearms similar to those Iver Johnson Revolver and they also belonged in the trash. Several years ago I sold mine to the antis in a buy back program [the pieces of junk were out of time and wouldn't shoot].

After they up, I told them thanks, you just bought me a Smith J-Frame.

You're welcome.

[sniperrr]

Thank you so much for all your replies and input...


But my main questions were not addressed or replied to by any knowledgable source.


Are they now legal to own by him, or do they need to be reporteed and/or registered, and if registered how, since they were found in the trash with no owner as the seller, and are they fully legal to own as is at this point to hang on the wall ?

Also os there a way to actually find out their actual age ?