Iver Johnson Revolver Serial Number Database Best Link File
In the summer of 1987, a rusty Iver Johnson .38 S&W revolver was found inside a leather satchel in a condemned farmhouse outside of Des Moines, Iowa. The satchel also contained a faded photograph of a young man in a World War I doughboy uniform and a tattered train ticket dated April 12, 1919.
The family who found it had a mystery on their hands. Who was this soldier? Was this gun a war trophy, a service weapon, or something darker—a nightstand defender from the Prohibition era? The local police couldn't tell them. The local gun shop shrugged. "It's an old Iver Johnson," they said. "Parts are impossible to find." Iver Johnson Revolver Serial Number Database BEST
That was before the Database.
| Feature | Details | |---------|---------| | Years of production | 1871–1970s (revolvers primarily 1880s–1940s) | | Number of models | 50+ revolver variants | | Serial location | Bottom of grip frame, rear cylinder face, inside grip panels | | Numbering system | Inconsistent; often restarted at 1 for each model | | Hammer the gun | Hammer the gun → Hammer (internal vs external) | | Top-break vs solid-frame | Top-break serials are better documented | The Forgorian's Ledger: Unlocking the Iver Johnson Serial
⚠️ Important: Iver Johnson reused serial numbers across different models. A serial number alone is useless without knowing the model and patent dates. ⚠️ Important : Iver Johnson reused serial numbers
Without the book, you can identify the general era of an Iver Johnson revolver by looking at the serialization format, particularly for the famous "Safety Automatic" revolvers.
In the summer of 1987, a rusty Iver Johnson .38 S&W revolver was found inside a leather satchel in a condemned farmhouse outside of Des Moines, Iowa. The satchel also contained a faded photograph of a young man in a World War I doughboy uniform and a tattered train ticket dated April 12, 1919.
The family who found it had a mystery on their hands. Who was this soldier? Was this gun a war trophy, a service weapon, or something darker—a nightstand defender from the Prohibition era? The local police couldn't tell them. The local gun shop shrugged. "It's an old Iver Johnson," they said. "Parts are impossible to find."
That was before the Database.
| Feature | Details | |---------|---------| | Years of production | 1871–1970s (revolvers primarily 1880s–1940s) | | Number of models | 50+ revolver variants | | Serial location | Bottom of grip frame, rear cylinder face, inside grip panels | | Numbering system | Inconsistent; often restarted at 1 for each model | | Hammer the gun | Hammer the gun → Hammer (internal vs external) | | Top-break vs solid-frame | Top-break serials are better documented |
⚠️ Important: Iver Johnson reused serial numbers across different models. A serial number alone is useless without knowing the model and patent dates.
Without the book, you can identify the general era of an Iver Johnson revolver by looking at the serialization format, particularly for the famous "Safety Automatic" revolvers.