Have Old Pistols, Looking For Info

[kodiakoutdoors]

A couple of family pistols that have been passed down through the years. One is a Derringer style 22WMR made in Germany. At least that's all I can figure out from the engravings on the pistol.

The other is an Iver Johnson 38. Both originally belonged to a family member that was a San Fransisco police officer.

They are pretty beat up, but I'm not trying to sell them. I just want to find out some history behind the pistols and if they are worth taking to a smith to get cleaned up/restored.

If anybody know anything about these pistols and are willing to share, I'm listening. Thanks!!

[Mr. Beretta]

" I just want to find out some history behind the pistols"


My respectful suggestion would be to contact any family member (starting with the person who gave you the guns) who has any information (however small) about the history of the pistols.

Somebody told you they used to belong to a SFPD officer. I would recontact that person (if possible) and "pick their brain" for any additional information. Somebody has to know more about the pistols. Dig, dig, dig.

The officer's name, rank, time frame of employment, etc. anything ....

Good Luck.

[kodiakoutdoors]

Thanks Beretta! I think I'm coming across wrong. I should've said specs and not history. They were my grandfather's guns and I'm just trying to find out information about the guns themselves like date of manufacture, collectability, etc. to determine if they are worth restoring or if I should just throw them back in a shoebox like my grandmother had them and just keep passing them along. I am not sure I would be comfortable firing either of them.

I've searching the web for hours and can find little. Thanks again!

This is the 22.

[sealocan]

I'm not sure either one of those models would be ever worth "restoring" unless they had lots of sentimental value. (lots &lots of Iver Johnson revolvers were made and the other one, though we don't know the make, looks like something imported and made inexpensively.)

I think your main issue is the somewhat $ = hard to find ammo for both.

revolver as you may know is not 38 special But is instead 38 short, a less powerful round, that is expensive to buy unless you were hand loading.

I think you will have better luck with that .22WMR but it's not going to be as cheap as buying 22LR.

If it was me I would clean & oil them and take them to the range once I had the right ammo.
and then decide whether to keep them and put them in the safe locations in the safe (not in a shoe box.).

if you're looking for prices I would say around the $100 dollar mark plus or minus $50. for either of them.
(if they were in different calibers, like 22 caliber long rifle, I think it would be a little higher.)

good luck and be safe with them.

[sealocan]

Also I believe the make and model of the derringer is..

maker: Wrek

model: Hy Hunter

I found two on a gun auction sites that had sold for around $100.

[kodiakoutdoors]

Sealocan,
Thanks so much for the info. Exactly what I was looking for. Yes, they do have sentimental value, but I will not be putting money into them since they are not worth much. I'll just clean them up, put them in my safe, and my kids can pull them out with their kids and tell them about their great, great, grandfather. Thanks again!!