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Grandpas Top-BreaksAmerican Handgunner | American Handgunner

GrandpasTopBreaks
Carryingconcealedisnotarecentidea.All
theBWesternmovieswouldhaveus
believeeveryonewentaroundcarrying
openlythiswasespeciallynottrueincities.
Yes,folkswerearmed,howevertheydidit
discreetly.Thefirstviablecartridgefiring
revolverwastheSmith&WessonTipUp,7
shot,singleactionchamberedin.22Short.
BeforethislittlepistolarrivedbothColtandRemingtonproduced.31single
actionpercussionpistols.Allofthesewerefairlyanemicbytodays
standardsbutwerecertainlywellabovehavingnothing.HenryDeringers
singleshotpercussionpistolbecameinfamouswhenusedbyJohnWilkes
Booth.
ThefirstsuccessfulcenterfirecartridgefiringrevolverwastheSmith&
Wesson#3American,whichwaschamberedin.44Smith&Wessonaswell
as.44RimfiretomateupwiththeHenryrifle.Fromthe1880swellintothe
20thcenturyseveralfirearmscompaniesproducedTopBreakpocketpistols.
Topbreakpistolsarecalledthatbecausetheyarehingedatthebottomfront
oftheframeandunlatchatthebacktopoftheframe,swingingdownfor
loadingandunloading.
NotablenamesincludeIverJohnson,Harrington&Richardsonandmost
assuredlySmith&Wesson.Withtodaysemphasisonsafetytriggers,
internallocksandevenpadlocks,onemightthinkthisisasomewhatrecent
phenomenon.Notso,asthepocketpistolsmygrandfatherhadtochoose
fromwereoftenfittedwithsafetydevices.Myowngrandfatherhada.32Iver
JohnsonTopBreakwhicheventuallycametome.
RoyJinksinhisbookHistoryofSmith&Wessontracesthehistoryofthe
Smith&Wessonearlypocketpistols:WithintheDoubleActiongroupof
revolvers,thereisaseriesofpocketpistolsthatareuniqueinthattheydo
nothaveanexposedhammer.Theyaretrulyjustdoubleactionrevolvers
ratherthanacombinationofsingleanddoubleactionmodelslikethose
previouslydiscussed.
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Shootershadseveralchoiceswhenitcame
totopbreakschamberedin.32S&W.

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Heresafewlessfamiliarmakers:Forehand&Wadsworth,
Harrington&RichardsonandHopkins&Allen.

Development
LegendhasitD.B.WessondevelopedtheSafetyHammerlessmodelina
nightlongsessionafterhearingthatachildhadaccidentallybeenhurtby
cockingandpullingthetriggerononeoftheSmith&WessonDoubleAction
Revolvers.Thislegendcannotbesubstantiated,sincefactoryrecordsshow
amethodicaldevelopmentoftherevolver.D.B.Wessonwasasensitive
personandperhapsafterhearingofthisaccidentwasinspiredtoworkvery
closelywithhissonJoetodeveloparevolverwiththesafetyonthehandle
andastrongtriggerrequiringalongpull,makingitimpracticalforachildto
pullthroughandfire.
Thedevelopmentofthisstylealsostemsfromthelawenforcementofficers
requirementtodrawhisrevolverfromhiscoatpocketwithouttheexterior
hammercatchinginthepocketlining.Thedevelopmentofthehandgunwas
giventoJoeWessonasoneofhisfirstprojectswhileworkingatthedraft
board.JoeWessonhadmuchofhisfathersinventiveness,andonFebruary
15,1882,hecompletedhisfirstdrawingsfora.38Hammerlessrevolver.
Thisrevolverisstrictlyadoubleactionrevolverinwhichthehammerwas
completelyenclosedbyframe.Thedesignalsoincludedafloatingfiringpin
ratherthanafiringpinlocatedonthehammer.
ThatfirstrevolverdesignwasnotacceptedbyD.B.Wessonand
subsequently,in1884,JoeWessondesignedthe.38SafetyHammerless
revolverwhichhadaleveralongthebackofthegripstrap.Unlessthislever
waspressedpositivelybythegrippinghand,thehammerwasblockedfrom
moving.Thisdesignwasfinalizedin1886.
RoyJinkssays:Whentherevolverwasdevelopedin1886,planswere
madetoproduceitinthreecalibers:.32S&W,.38S&Wand.44S&W
Russian.Infact,thefirstadvertisementstatedtherevolverwassoonbe
producedinallofthesecalibers.AfterproducingaprototypeoftheNo.3
Hammerless,asthe.44calibermodelwascalled,allproductionplanswere
stoppedanditwasonlyproducedintheothertwocalibers.
The.38SafetyHammerlesswouldgothroughfivemodelsandover250,000
revolversfrom1886until1940,withmodelsavailableinbarrellengthsfrom
2to6aswellasblueandnickelfinishes.Twoyearsafterthearrivalofthe
.38SafetyHammerless,Smith&Wessonintroducedaslightlysmaller.32
SafetyHammerlessandjustunder250,000wereproducedby1937.
AlloftheserevolversarenotonlyknownastheSafetyHammerlessModel
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butalsoastheNewDeparture.InadditiontotheSafetyHammerless
version,Smith&Wessonalsoproducedover500,000.38DoubleAction
Modelswithanexposedhammer,andnearlyonethirdofamillion.32
DoubleActionModels.AddingupalltheproductionfiguresoftheTopBreak
revolversfromSmith&WessonshowsjusthowprevalentSmith&Wesson
revolversactuallywere.AndrememberthiswasinthedaybeforeCCW
permits,soitsobviousthousandsofpeoplecarriedingrandfatherstime.

IverJohnsonsHammerTheHammertoutedtherevolverstransferbar
safety.

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Smith&Wessonproducedmillionsofpocketpistols
beginningwithatipup,spurtriggeredversion.

IverJohnson
Smith&Wessonproducedalotoftopbreakrevolvers,asdidIverJohnson.
TheNorwegianbornJohnsoncombinedwithafellowbythenameofByeto
formacompany,howeverJohnsoneventuallyboughthispartneroutandthe
IverJohnsonArms&CycleWorksbasedinMassachusettsproducedboth
bicyclesandfirearms.TheoriginalJohnsondiedin1895shortlyafterthe
arrivaloftherevolverwiththestrangenameofSafetyAutomatic.
Therewasnosafetyanditcertainlywasntasemiauto.Whatitdidhave
wasaninternaltransferbarsafety.Thiswasnearly80yearsbeforeRuger
pioneeredthemoderntransferbar.JustaswiththeRugeroftodaythe
transferbarontheIverJohnsonrodebetweenthehammerandthecartridge
andpreventedthegunfromdischargingunlessthetriggerwasdepressedall
theway,atwhichtimethetransferbarwouldretreat.Ifthetriggerwasnot
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pressedtherewasnowaytheguncouldfire.
IverJohnsonusedthisintheiradvertisingtogreateffect.Largeletters
proclaimedHammertheHammerandtheadvertisingpicturedanIver
Johnsonheldinonehandandacarpentershammerbeingusedintheother
handtosmackthehammersoundly.Icanguaranteeifthisistriedwith
traditionalSingleActions,suchastheoriginalColtorearlyRugers,thegun
willdefinitelyfireifthereisaroundunderthehammer.
BythetimeIverJohnsonbroughtouttheirSafetyAutomaticRevolversmore
thanafewshootershadprobablyshotthemselvesorothersbecausethey
droppedColtSingleActionswhichwerefullyloadedwitharoundunderthe
chamber.ElmerKeithwroteofonecowboywhohitthehammerofhis
holsteredColtSingleActionwithhisstirrupandthegunfired.
IverJohnsonalsoproclaimedtheirSafetyAutomaticRevolverisnota
revolverforyoutomaketemporarilysafebythrowingonoroffsomelever,
butarevolverthatwehavemadepermanentlyandautomaticallysafebythe
patentedexclusiveIverJohnsonconstruction.TheIverJohnsonSafety
Automaticsoldfor$6$7dependinguponthefinish.

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Taffinuses.38swagedbulletsforuseintopbreaks
loadedwithblackpowder.

TriggerSafety
JustaswiththeSmith&WessonTopBreaks,theIverJohnsonswere
chamberedin5shotversionsof.32S&Wand.38S&Waswellasa7shot
.22LongRifle.JustaswithHenryDeringerspocketpistol,IverJohnsons
versionbecameinfamouswhenitwasusedbyLeonCzolgoszto
assassinatePresidentWilliamMcKinley,causingTheodoreRooseveltto
becomepresident.
Okay,sothetransferbarisnotanewdesign,havingbeenpioneeredbyIver
Johnsonsolongago.AtleastthesafetytriggerasfirstfoundontheGlockis
new,right?Nope,nonewdesignhereeither.LongbeforeGastonGlockwas
bornoreventhoughtaboutproducingfirearms,IverJohnsonstopbreak
pocketpistolwasbeingproducedwiththatfunnylittlebarinthecenterthe
trigger.Thesewerehammerlessmodelssotherewasnohammerto
hammer,howeverthesafetytriggerprecludeditbeingfiredunlesspositively
pressed.IverJohnsondidnotstopthere.Someoftherevolverswillhave
whatappearstobeatriggerstopbehindthetriggerinthetriggerguard.This
isnotatriggerstopbutratheranothersafetyandtherevolverwillnotfire
unlessthebackofthetriggerpressesthislittlebarpositively.
Smith&WessonandIverJohnsonproducedmillionsofthesesmallpocket
revolverssoyoucanbetalotoffolkswentaroundarmed.However,theyare
nottheonlymanufacturersfillingthepocketsofnumerousgrandpasand
grandmotherspurses.

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Topbreakrevolversstillworkfinewith.38S&Wblackpowderloads.

OtherMakers
Beginningin1880Harrington&Richardsonstartedproducingtopbreak
revolvers.Justaswiththeothermakers,theychamberedtheminthetwo
predominantpocketpistolcartridgesofthetime,the.32S&Wand.38S&W.
Onethingwehaventmentionedishowquicklytopbreakrevolverscanbe
unloadedandreloaded.Whenthelockisopenedandthebarrelturned90
degreesdown,cartridges,whetherfiredarenot,automaticallyeject,andits
veryeasytothenreload.Harrington&Richardsontookadvantageofthisby
callingtheirrevolversPremierAutoEjectingandAutomaticEjecting.
AnothercompanyproducingtopbreakswasForehand&Wadsworth.
DiamondDothasoneinhercollectionoftopbreaksanditseemstobea
qualityrevolverallthewayaround.Acompanythatdidnothaveareputation
forproducingthebestqualitywasHopkins&Allen.Whatismostinteresting
aboutthiscompanyistheywerehiredtoproducetheMerwin&Hulbert
revolvers,whichweresomeofthebestrevolverseverproduced.Hopkins&
AllenalsoproducedmanyoftheForehand&Wadsworthrevolvers.
Alloftheabovementionedtopbreakrevolversareantiques,withsome
beingnearly125yearsold.Theyweremostlychamberedintwolow
pressurecartridgeslikethe.32S&Wand.38S&W.CurrentlyBuffaloBore
producesthesetwocartridges,andveryemphaticallystatesneitheroneof
theseistobeusedinanytopbreakrevolversforseveralsimplereasons.
Thesegunswereoriginallyproducedintheblackpowderera,ofan
inherentlyweakdesign.BuffaloBores.32and.38S&Wcartridgesarefor
useonlyinsolidframeColts,suchastheBankersSpecial,andSmith&
WessonsTerrier.
Topbreak.32and.38S&Wrevolversarecurrentlybeingusedinmanyside
matchesinCowboyActionShooting.Ifyouhappentohaveoneinexcellent
shapeandwishtouseit,pleasehaveagunsmithcheckitfirst.Youmight
alsoconsiderlocatingachartofserialnumberswhichwillshedlighton
whichgunsareblackpowderandwhichareintendedforsmokelesspowder.
Iprettymuchstaysafe,usingblackpowderloadsintheseoldrevolvers.
ByJohnTaffin
ReadMoreTheSixgunnerArticles

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OrderYourPrintedCopyOfAmericanHandgunnerJuly/August2014Issue
Today!
DownloadAPDFOfTheAmericanHandgunnerJuly/August2014Issue
Now!

OnethoughtonGrandpasTopBreaks

TomTopper
November4,2014at10:57am

About40yearsagomyDadcollectedmanyofthetransitiongunsfromBPto
SP.Ifyouuseasmokelessroundinaninferiormetalgunandfirefive
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roundsthruit.Themetalwillheatupandmanytimesbinduptherevolver.If
that18801909gunmetalstayscool,Itmeansthemetalismuchstronger
andcapable.Dadusedtouseblankstotest.Heneverhadamishap.The
trueblackpowdergunswillheatconductlikecrazylookout

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