1929 U.S. Revolver Co .32 Revolver

Question
Doug,

I saw you write a little on the subject for someone else and I thought I might
try your hand at this: I have a (supposedly) 1929 U.S. Revolver Co revolver
which I assume to be .32, however, there is no stamped caliber on the
weapon anywhere. I have yet to fire it and I noticed that .22 Long rifle fits in
the 7 shot rotary. Can .22 Long be fired out of it do you think? 34380 is
stamped underneath the trigger guard. Any thoughts?

Answer
Ryan,

There should be some kind of designation on the gun as to its caliber.  US Revolvers were made by Iver Johnson as a kind of 'budget version' of their Iver Johnson revolvers.  They were calibered in .32 S&W and in .22 caliber.  You need to be sure what you have before you shoot it.  If you cannot find a caliber designation, you should take it to a gunsmith.  They will be able to tell you.

A .32 and .22 are NOT interchangeable since the .22 will not align with the forcing cone properly in a .32 caliber gun.  In addition, the .32 is centerfire while the .22 is rimfire.  One will not work with the other in terms of the firing pin.

Since they did make a version in .22 caliber, you might have one of those.  The key would be to see if a .32 S&W cartridge will fit in the cylinder.  If it won't fit, you probably have a .22 caliber version.  Also, you mentioned that it was a 7 shot.  Most of the Iver Johnson made .22 calibers were 8 shot.

The number stamped under the trigger guard is probably the serial number.  It really doesn't tell me anything.

Again, I would not try firing this gun until you have had it examined by a reputable gunsmith to determine the caliber.  

Hope this helps...

Doug