Thinking of importing Iver Johnson .44 bulldog, need help *Pic Heavy*

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Tyockell18

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Hello all you Antique lovers,

Well theres a .44 bulldog up for sale, good mechanically. The seller seems to think its chambered .44 russian "which is what I want", but not entirely sure.

Made in 1880's or 1890's. Is it .44 Webley, I doubt it but just checking?.

Are there any other cartridges it could be chambered in that would deny its antique status here?.

I want it as a back up bush defense gun.

Heres a few pics.

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How easy is it to get them here?, Do I need to call customs?, supply them with any paperwork or will they be aware that it falls under antique criteria?.

Thanks.
 
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Yeah deffinatly an IJ because of the grips, just want to know what cartridge it is as the seller is not 100% positive on that.

Before I go and buy it I need to know it wont be seized at the border.
 
Actually, I stand corrected. The grips are pre-Iver Johnson design - they're Johnson and Bye. I have an older version of the FRT, but in it the 44 Webley (only 44 cal listed) chambered American Bulldogs (by Johnson and Bye or Iver Johnson) are all listed as antique. Unless they've changed the FRT entry in the last couple years, you should be OK.
 
SCARCE SELDOM SEEN LARGE CALIBER ANTIQUE 1880s-1890s ERA "AMERICAN BULLDOG" DOUBLE ACTION .44 CF CAL.(.44 S&W ?) REVOLVER. 8.75" LONG, 4.5" BARREL, VERY GOOD BORE. METAL HAS OVER 92% ORIG. NICKLE. GRIPS WITH AMERICAN EAGLE RATE VERY GOOD TO FINE, JUST AS PICTURED & FOUND. ACTION WORKS FINE, CRISP & TIGHT. PROBABLY MADE BY IVER JOHNSON or HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON. SHIPS DIRECT TO BUYER, NO FFL NEEDED. YOUR LOCAL LAWS APPLY. SEE OTHERS ! INTERNATIONAL S&H $40.00. 1-29A-9
[Information added 9/30/2010 7:31:39 PM]
CALIBER IS ANTIQUE & OBSOLETE, POSSIBLY .44 RUSSIAN,.44 S&W AMERICAN or WHATEVER ?
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If the seller does not know what he is selling and you do not know what you are buying IMHO you should have some patience and pass on the gun.

If one of those 4 bids is yours you can retract it IIRC. It may be a great antique at a great price but it might be (for all you or the seller know) a 1900s manufacture. Either way it is a gun of the masses.

If you like bulldog style guns shop for a real webley MP/RIC etc in .450/.455/.476 in exc condition. It will hold it's value and be as good a quality as you can get. budget a thousand so you only have to buy once. Think sherlock Holmes.
 
I have not bidded yet, thanks for the heads up, It does have a nickeld trigger guard though, I read somewhere that that means it was manufactured before 1898. I don't know I'm split on it.

In all honesty I don't like Webleys though, The American Double Actions just appeal to me much more.

I think I'll continue to look for an H&R bulldog, their quality is decent, my .32rf H&R is a very solid little gun, so one in .44 would suit me just fine.
 
I don't think it's chambered for a bottleneck cartridge at all, looks like a straight walled cartridge to me.

My old "Cartridges of the World" book says the .442 revolver and the .44 webley are the same cartridge.

I doubt it would be a .44 Russian. It might be a .44 webley or a .44 Bulldog. .44 Bulldog is what most of the Belgian Bulldogs and British Bulldogs were chambered for. If KK's FRT says .44 webley, that's probably what it is. Hope that helps.
 
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Ok thanks Jet hunter, that about summed it up for me.

I don't want anything to do with .44 bulldog ammo, its ballistics are pure s**t. A .44 caliber round delivering under 80 ft/lbs of energy on target is pathetic so I'm going to steer clear of this one.
 
I don't think it's chambered for a bottleneck cartridge at all, looks like a straight walled cartridge to me.
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I don't think anyone suspected a bottle neck cartridge, I was just wondering if the heeled bullet design of the .442 webley was suppose to have a step in the chamber or if it was suppose to be bored straight through.

Beyond the anemic nature of the 442 the real problem is sourcing and loading the heeled bullets.

OP keep in mind that the 80 footpounds you wish to exceed is not going to happen in these types of cheap pocket guns. The pressure limits are set by the firearms the cartridge was designed to be fired in. Guns meant to disuade thieves and dispatch dogs are not the same as guns designed to thwart charging spear wielders.
 
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