Serial #1 Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works Safety Hammerless Automatic 38 S&W

Serial #1, .38 S&W, 4 inch round ribbed barrel with a very good to near excellent bright bore with some minor pitting just forward of the breech and near the muzzle with strong rifling.  This is a Safety Hammerless Automatic Revolver, Second Model, Eleventh Variation. The Serial #1 top break revolver incorporates most of the identifying characteristics of the Eleventh Model which was produced from 1907-1908 including serial number locations on the bottom of the top strap, bottom of the trigger guard, and left side of grip strap under the grips.  Interestingly it does not conform to other characteristics of identified variations and seemingly has an incorrect patent date on the bottom of the butt strap “PAT'D.JUNE 16.96.AUG.25.96 / SEPT.16.04.PAT'S.PENDING”  with should read Sept.4 and not Sept.16.  There are no letter codes for the serial number.  The top barrel rib markings match those of the tenth and earlier variations “-IVER JOHNSON ARMS & CYCLE WORKS / FITCHBURG MASS.U.S.A. -”  The springs remain the leaf type and have not been changed to the coil springs of the later models changed over for the smokeless ammunition.  In very good plus condition it retains about 60-65% of the original blue finish which tones to plum-brown with some minor roughness at the muzzle.  It is equipped with the trigger safety insert and locks up tight and functions properly.  The oversize Iver Johnson branded grips have a large chip missing in the upper left and are from a later third model revolver with Owl facing at you indicating use on the smokeless variation and are scratch-numbered to a different gun.  An interesting transition Safety Hammerless worthy of further research and one of the rare Serial #1 guns.  FFL or C&R