In amongst the stuff handed down to me from previous generations is a little Smith & Wesson Model 1 .22 revolver. Brass frame, lots of pitting, everything is loose. It's a tip-up barrel for loading, and the cylinder and latch sort of fall off when you do that . Serial number makes it a second issue, one of 110,000 made in the 1860s. So, not valuable. It looks like the side plate is brand new solid brass (the rest of the frame is brass plated (?)) replacement, which I suspect my father of machining himself. So, even less valuable with a hand-made replacement part. And you'd have to be crazy to try to fire it, the parts are so loose. I figure I'll try to find it a new home with someone who actually cares about collecting antiques. I found an antique gun dealer not too far from me, who I'll visit when I get a week off. To that end, I thought I'd give it a cleaning. I've never fired it, and I've never seen it fired in my lifetime, but what the hell, at least clean the dust off. The barrel was clogged almost solid with powder residue ! I had to hammer the cleaning rod thru the first time . So the damn thing not only hasn't been fired in 100 years, it hasn't be cleaned in 100 years either! I had to wire-wheel the shit off the inside of the frame! Dad used to lecture me about keeping my guns clean and in working order, and I inherit a glob of powder from him. Then again, I don't know if he ever fired it either. It may even be his grandfather who forgot to clean it last. I don't expect to get much for it (or possibly anything), but it's doing nobody any good in an old tin box in my safe...
