However, for the average owner, one question looms larger than all others:
If you are holding a top-break, hammerless, or solid-frame revolver stamped with the iconic "Iver Johnson" name, you are holding a piece of American industrial history. For over 80 years, Iver Johnson’s Arms & Cycle Works of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, produced some of the most popular and affordable firearms in the United States. From "The Owl Head" to the famous "Safety Automatic" models, these revolvers are beloved by collectors, Cowboy Action shooters, and historians. Iver Johnson Revolver Serial Number Database BEST
However, the best database isn't a government website; it is a collective, community-sourced effort built by dedicated historians like and the members of the Iver Johnson Collectors Association . However, for the average owner, one question looms
Whether you’re trying to date a family heirloom, ensure you’re using the correct ammunition, or appraise a find from an estate sale, start with the serial number under the top strap. Then, open your browser to TheFirearmsForum or Proofhouse, and watch history unfold. However, the best database isn't a government website;
Here is the definitive ranking of the available to the public. #1: The Goforth Serial Number Reference (The Gold Standard) If you ask any serious Iver Johnson collector, "Which database is best?" the answer will be unanimous: the research of the late William S. "Bill" Goforth . His book, "Iver Johnson: Arms & Cycle Works 1871-1993" (privately published, now available via digital archives and forums), contains the most exhaustive serial number vs. date tables ever compiled.
Your Iver Johnson revolver isn’t just a gun—it’s a mechanical time capsule. The right database is the key to opening it.