Late 19th Century Suicide Specials,Produced from the 1870’s up to around 1900, “Suicide

Late 19th Century Suicide Specials,Produced from the 1870’s up to around 1900, “Suicide Specials” were a class of pocket revolvers that were popular solely because they were cheap.  Made with low quality from substandard materials, these pistols were unreliable, underpowered, and terribly inaccurate.  The name “suicide special” comes from a saying, “The only way you could kill someone with that pistol is if you shot yourself in the head”.  The only redeeming feature of the suicide special was that it dirt cheap, cheap enough that even the lowliest street beggar could afford.While there were many cheap revolvers available in the late 19th century, suicide specials tend to have these common features.Solid frameSingle actionSheath or spur triggerRimfire only, in one of five calibers: .22, .30, .32, .38, and .41 (.30 is rare)Electroplated with nickel (95%)No break-open frames or swing-out cylindersNo extractors or ejectorsNo hinged loading gatesNo safety featuresNo serial numbers (or serial number hidden under grips)Most carried a trade name, not the actual manufacturer’s name.There were dozens, if not hundreds of producers of these cheap revolvers, however each model was pretty much the same thing. For the most part these revolvers were pocket carried for self defense, hence why most surviving models today are very worn from heavy use.  Their usefulness as a self defense weapon was questionable.  They only had a five round capacity and the small calibers they were available in had little stopping power.  The were terribly inaccurate, and thus only useful for close up confrontations.  Hence, most only have a front sight, some have no sights whatsoever.  Moreover, these revolvers were quite dangerous to the user, having no safety features at all.  Carrying one with the the hammer resting on a loaded chamber ran the risk of accidental discharge, as any jolt or bump against the hammer could set off the round.  Popular manufacturers included Hopkins and Allen, Chicago Firearms Company, Bacon Arms Company, Eastern Arms Company, Harrington and Richardson, and Iver Johnson.  However there were scores and scores of small time makers who also produced their own models.  While back in the day they were sold cheap, today not much has changed.  They are still generally considered cheap and worthless pistols, and the market for them is not very robust.  Generally they sell for around $100 - $150.  Beware, most are not safe to fire with modern smokeless ammunition. -- source link
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