"Bulldog" revolver

H Wally said:
RCMP letters hold some weight as official documents
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This isn't exactly true since the letters are issued based on the information you provide, and they state that on the letter iirc.

Their sole purpose imo is to keep track of antiques as much as possible so they have a place to start when the confiscations begin...

Either that or I have lost all faith in a system that doesn't work...
 
I finally have pictures, he did not look fr proof marks though, still trying to get those.
Here is what I have, anyone know this gun?
Gun.jpg

Frame.jpg

SerialNumber.jpg


Thanks, any info would be great
 
It really looks to me to be a 1st model Iver Johnson British Bulldog. Since it is 44, it should be either the first or second model, the barrel of the first model in 44 is 2 1/2" and the second in 44 has a barrel of 2 3/4".

Does this make sense?

From the book Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values.

Seems to be 1883-1884
Bulldog2.png
 
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It looks to me to be the No. 845, as seen at the bottom of this brochure, with the name "British Bull Dog" stamped on the top strap.

MeachamAdv.jpg
 
I had one if those Belgian Forehand and Wadsworth donkey's years ago in .32. It was a bit out of register and shaved a bit off the bullet when fired. Decided it was a piece of junk and got rid of it in a trade. Wish I had kept it to have 12-6 on my FL.
 
Um; was it Belgian or a Forewad & Wadsworth?
Because F & H are 'merican, no proof marks eh.
And Belgian are proofed quite well.
Not be nit picky, but they are entirely different breeds FYI
 
tokguy said:
Um; was it Belgian or a Forewad & Wadsworth?
Because F & H are 'merican, no proof marks eh.
And Belgian are proofed quite well.
Not be nit picky, but they are entirely different breeds FYI
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For clarity:

Probably better to hope it is Belgian. At least they have marks that can identify the manufacture as being prior to 1898.

If it is American it may be difficult to prove its date of manufacture to the satisfaction of the techs. In that case it ends up being prohib (sadly) due to barrel length.
 
For this one I think the proof of it being an Iver Johnson is enough, they did not make a "British Bulldog" past 1897, so every single one of them falls into antique status.

I may not even end up with it, looks like another person is interested and I am ending up with the newer Browning, but I mentioned I want first crack if he gets rid of it.
 
Try running that by the techs. If you haven't been down that path before then you might be a bit surprised at how demanding they can be.

On the other hand there is nothing that states you have to get a antique letter. It would seem you have some pretty good evidence but I have no idea how that would hold up in a court of law.

I do know that certain Belgian proof marks make it a slam dunk however.
 
Clotho said:
Try running that by the techs. If you haven't been down that path before then you might be a bit surprised at how demanding they can be.

On the other hand there is nothing that states you have to get a antique letter. It would seem you have some pretty good evidence but I have no idea how that would hold up in a court of law.

I do know that certain Belgian proof marks make it a slam dunk however.
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It is an American gun, tough to get proof marks on it, ha ha.
 
The Bulldog model F & H was done it's manufacturing run well before the 1898 year IIRC, that's not an issue.
The gun itself being pretty much a piece of c**p is the issue IMO
Be wary of 'the lesser models, Keith tells an amusing antecedent about Iver Johnson revolvers blowing up.
Belgian firearms are usually pretty sturdy though I've found.

Edit; not slagging I & J btw, I recall the Keith antecedent to be involving a top break, not the strongest design ever. Oh no here comes the S & W contingent! No winning I suppose ...stay safe
 
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Well first off it is making sure it is legal, I think we have that part. Then it is proving it with books and other evidence, Iver Johnson Handgun book and others. Then after that it is a matter of who is actually ending up with it, I am the only one who is an enthusiast enough to even consider shooting it. If it does end up with me it would end up at a gunsmith to verify a lot of things. After that I would have to make brass, make a casting die, get some soft lead and make bullets. Then load everything up based on the black powder recipes I have found. Only after all of these things is the worry about blowing it up.

A lot of steps that I really do not think I will end up getting through.

Just a heads up, if anyone here has anything like this, make sure you have all your ducks in a row when you go, this estate crap is keeping me up at night, and the death was a year ago.

Thanks again everyone for the info so far.

If anyone has a copy of "Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works Handguns, 1871-1978", might you be able to take a look for me and see if this gun is in it. If so it would be another book I would consider getting, but at $80 for a used one I would rather make sure it is in there before buying.
 
tokguy said:
Estate crap is tedious, I was on the peripheral of one a year or two back. Folks can be petty about things that they have no use for, can't they?
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I am not a direct relative either, but I am the only one who knows anything about the stuff that is there.

You have some people saying to just take it and make use of it, others who want every dime.

I offered to buy from the estate the 4 guns that should be coming my way based on pricing advice from here, if they want them to be taken care of and cherished then I will pay nothing, if they want their money I will be paying market value.

It is interesting how some people go though.

Just remember, don't die without a detailed will.
 
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