The dusty shelf in Elias’s shop held many secrets, but none as stubborn as the rusted Iver Johnson Safety Automatic. Its cylinder was locked, its history hidden under decades of oxidation. For Elias, a serial number wasn't just a string of digits; it was a birth certificate.
It has helped:
usually indicates an early black powder model (pre-1909), while a coil mainspring indicates a 3rd Model designed for smokeless powder. Owl Head Grips: If the owl on the grip is facing toward the barrel , it is often an earlier model; facing can indicate later production. Patent Dates: Check the top of the barrel. Dates like "PAT'D NOV. 17.08" Iver Johnson Revolver Serial Number Database BEST
There is no official, complete, publicly searchable online database where you can simply type a serial number and instantly get the full history of an Iver Johnson revolver. Most of the company’s original production records were lost, destroyed, or never systematically digitized. The dusty shelf in Elias’s shop held many
The Butt: The most common location is on the bottom of the grip frame. Iver Johnson 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Model Safety