Hopkins & Allen Ranger No. 2

About the Hopkins & Allen Ranger No. 2

The Hopkins & Allen Ranger No. 2 is a five-shot, single-action spur-trigger revolver chambered in .32 Short Rimfire, produced by the Hopkins & Allen Manufacturing Company of Norwich, Connecticut, from around 1879 to 1900. One of the inexpensive 'suicide special' pocket revolvers that flooded the American market in the late 19th century, it features a solid frame, a non-fluted cylinder, a bird's-head grip and a short barrel intended for concealed personal protection. Its design closely follows the early Smith & Wesson tip-up rimfire revolvers that were widely imitated after their patents expired.

Cheap solid-frame spur-trigger revolvers like the Ranger No. 2 earned the nickname 'suicide specials' in the 1880s-1890s because they were affordable, widely available pocket guns, often of marginal quality and marketed under a bewildering array of trade names.

Hopkins & Allen Ranger No. 2 specifications

The Ranger series were among the least expensive revolvers Hopkins & Allen produced. As a 'suicide special', it was sold cheaply under numerous brand names; surviving examples typically carry low serial numbers and nickel plating with walnut or rosewood grips.