Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of an American Standard Tool Co. .22cal Tip Up vest revolver, based very heavily on the Smith & Wesson Model 1 2nd Issue revolver. This company was originally known as Manhattan Firearms Manufacturing Co, established in 1859, in Norwich, Connecticut. The company would later move to Newark, N.J.. During the Civil War they produced over 150,000 Revolvers running second only to COLT and REMINGTON. During the final years of the war and afterwards they manufactured "copies" of the Smith & Wesson .22 Model 1 and .32 Model 1 1/2 Revolvers. This continued after their name change in 1868 to American Standard Tool.

This very nice example of a .22cal Model 1 clone features a 3 1/8" barrel and serial number 34775, which is found on the bottom of the barrel, rear of the cylinder, and left side of the frame under the grips. That makes this a great "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out over the years! Top of the barrel still has a clear manufacturer marking:

The revolver was most likely originally made with a blued or case hardened barrel and cylinder, with a nickel plated brass frame. Most of the original finish is gone, with the steel and iron portions showing a worn polished steel color, with just a bit of bluing at the end of the barrel, and the brass having faded to a lovely "mustard" color. There is engraving on the sides of the cylinder, which in this case is actually fairly well retained. It features a "spur" trigger and flat bottom grips made of a very fine Walnut finished with "Piano Varnish". This is well retained on both grip scales, which show some wear on the corners the bottom.

This has a tip up barrel revealing a SEVEN shot .22 caliber cylinder. There is a central ejector rod under the barrel that serves to knock out any stubborn empty cartridge shells, just as with the Smith & Wesson. The revolver functions very well, with a crisp action, accurate indexing, and a solid cylinder lockup. There is just a bit of wobble at full cock, and the action opens correctly for reloading, with the frame hinge solid. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. The three groove rifling is still crisp, and there is just a bit of past fouling and oxidation, now cleaned away.

In very nice condition with a lovely aged patina, this lovely vest revolver is ready to display!

Specifications:

Years of Manufacture: 1868-1873
Caliber: .22 Cal
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 3 1/8 inches
Overall Length: 7 1/4 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 7 Shot Revolver

History of Manhattan Firearms / American Standard Tool Co.:

The Manhattan Fire Arms Manufacturing Co. was founded by a group of New Jersey businessmen in 1856. Their goal was to take advantage of Colt’s patent for revolving firearms that was due to expire in 1857. The founders hired Thomas Bacon to became the Superintendent of Manufacturing.

Manufacturing began in Norwich, Connecticut and in 1859 moved to Newark, New Jersey. Thomas Bacon remained in Norwich and started his own firearms company. During their existence, Manhattan Firearms produced approximately 175,000 pistols. Only Colt, Remington, and Winchester produced more guns during this era in which included the Civil War.

While waiting for Colt’s patent to expire, Manhattan first made copies of American firearms that no longer had patent protection. These included pepperboxes and various single-shot designs. Shortly thereafter, they turned their attention to making Colt-style revolvers in both the .31 caliber Pocket and .36 caliber Navy styles. Manhattan patented an extra set of cylinder safety notches on these models. Manhattans can be easily identified by the many notches on their cylinders.

After the Civil War, Manhattan production primarily consisted of a copy of the Smith & Wesson .22 caliber cartridge revolver and a single-shot boot pistol under the name "HERO". Manhattan changed it's name in 1868 to American Standard Tool Company and began to market industrial tools as well as firearms. American Standard Tool closed during the financial panic of 1873.

Manhattan Firearms also manufactured guns under the trade names “Hero”, “London Pistol Company”, and “American Standard Tool”.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.