According to gun data .com they did. I am currently looking for parts for one of these
tip-up .32 cal. revolvers.
Howard Arms was a trade name used by Sears Roebuck on revolvers made by their subsidiary company, Meriden Firearms Co., from about 1905 to 1915. The only "model" designation would be the caliber, .38 or .32.
Howard Arms was a name used by the Meriden Arms company from around 1905 to 1915. There are no records available to give you a better date. Their value is around $100.
HOWARD ARMS CO. Tradename used by Meriden Firearms Company (1905-1918) on revolvers. Meridan was a subsidiary of Sears Roebuck and produced firearms for sale through their catalogs and retail stores.
No published sn data.
Probably.
I suspect your firearm is a .38 S&W, not a .38 Special. The latter is more powerful and too much for an older .38 S&W revolver...so the .38 Special case was lengthened to avoid such a mistake. In the same way, the .38 Special case was lengthened to create the .357 Magnum in 1935. I have a small revolver I believe to be made by Howard Arms and found this site while researching my gun. I know nothing more at this time.
Blue Book of Gun Values
Harmon Howard. Rice has written: 'Concrete-block manufacture, processes and machines' -- subject(s): Concrete
HOWARD ARMS CO. Tradename on shotguns used by Fred Bifflar & Company of Chicago, Illinois, made by Crescent Fire Arms Company. I would expect that the same hardware store would have used the same tradename on handguns which were probably made by the same company. Unfortunately, both are long out of business but Crescent was purchased by Stevens which was purchased by Savage Arms, so someone at savagearms.com may be able to tell you something. A little additional research found an answer on Ron Gabel's site that says Meriden Arms made the Howard Arms revolvers. The only dates I can find for Fred Bifflar are 1870-1890, but it may have started earlier and must have ended later. Crescent was established in 1892 and Meriden Arms didn't exist until 1905 and I find several references connecting these two companies with Bifflar retail business.
Secret Service Special was a trade name used on inexpensive revolvers retailed by the Rohde-Spencer Company of Chicago. The Howard Arms Co name was distributed by H&D Folsom, usually on shotguns made by their subsidiary company, Crescent Firearms, or imported from Belgium. If R-S ordered revolvers from Folsom, they would quite possibly have both names.
Meriden used the Howard name of guns it made for Sears about 1905. They were fairly cheap guns then- and now. Value $25-80, depending on condition.
HOWARD ARMS CO. was a tradename on shotguns used by the hardware store Fred Bifflar & Company of Chicago, Illinois. They were made by Crescent Fire Arms Company which was purchased by Stevens which was purchased by Savage Arms.