What is your favorite antique revolver to shoot?

[762mm]

Nice!

Without any doubt to me it is the French 1892 8mm Lebel ordnance revolver

I'd be lying if I said that this one hasn't caught my eye in the EE forums... but I'm sort of short on cash right now and the soonest I could possibly start thinking about this price tag is in about two months (when my credit card is paid off, lol - I bought over 4k worth of guns after I got my RPAL in January). By the way, I also believe I've seen it on gun broker, right?... If you don't sell it and tell me what to use to reload this beast, we may actually talk some business at some point... never know.

I do not have as much experience as most of the folks here but I like the 41 long colt model 1892.

Dies and molds are scarce. But after a few months of searching you will have a pretty modern antique. It can even use 38 special K frame speedloaders.

Wow, that one's a beauty... Looks like a modern piece too with that nicely curved grip. Me like!!! Thanks for the info!


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[GrantR]

Absolutely no question that my favorite antique handgun is my .455/.450 Webley WG Target revolver - in fact it is the most accurate handgun I own, and the nicest to shoot .....

I just had to save this target from my very first range session with this revolver - I got to the range with two different .455 revolvers to shoot, and three different loads to try - but only one target! So I was taping the holes with some masking tape I had along with me - and I wasn't being particularly careful - shooting offhand, and so on - all at 25 yards from inside a pistol shed. However, once I sensed what this revolver was capable of, I steadied down and shot 30 rounds with a two-handed hold and the heels of my hands resting on the bench - the red line circles the group those 30 shots produced - (I can't remember why I pulled all the tape off the other holes ....)

 

[dingus]

Well if were posting pics

Remington 1875 with Elk grips

Colt 1878 in 455 has british Proof marks and pall Mall barrel address
Theses DA colts are great when working 100% like this one does.

My Antique Sambar staged COLT SAA 1873

 

[BrotherRockeye]

ol Dingus gots nice iron!
here's one of his culls...
my 1861 Remington Army in 44Russian.

she ain't purty but she shoots factory Remington 44spl rounds like a modern iron.It took a bit of work,but this iron is like a Swiss watch now.

that gawd awful front sight is history now too

 

[GrantR]

Yep .... Dingus purely loves those "purty" antiques ....

That's one reason I have this and he doesn't .... perhaps the "homeliest" antique among what a friend calls my "British ugly guns" - 1884-dated .476 Mark II Enfield revolver, the serial number documented as issued to the NWMP -

Almost attractive by comparison is my .450 Adams MarkIII -

And the .455 Webley RIC Model is quite a businesslike-looking piece, if not exactly "beautiful" -

Mind you, I rather like "shiny and pretty" too ...... However, my Canadian-issue (1885 North West Rebellion) Model 1878 Colt Double Action isn't "antique" .... despite having been manufactured in 1883 ..... because of course it is chambered for .45 Colt-

 

[Colin]

Not a true antique but i love my Enfield Mk VI in .455

 

[762mm]

Wow guys... these things look better than most of the current production revolvers I've seen!

Now I'm really jealous... Damn you all!


(If you have any more suggestions, please don't hesitate to add... this thread is gold! Thanks!)

 

[Unsub]

I pried a sweet one out of Dingus using a real WW2 second pattern FS Dagger to sweeten the deal a bit.
Mine is a S&W model3 first model DA in .44 Russian(S&W seems to try and confuse you with their designations). It comes with that all important RCMP letter and even better is one of the very rare long cylinder models. Towards the end of the manufacture of this model they had a bunch of 44-40 and other Winchester length cylinders to use up so my .44 Russian will chamber and fire modern .44spl shells just fine. I could probably even get away using off the shelf .44spl but I think I will play it safe and use milder reloaded
shells. Being able to use .44spl brass is a lifesaver. It is essentially the holy grail of antiques ,a decent double action that can use off the shelf modern cartridge.

I can't say enough good things about Dingus and the help he gave me. I knew very little about antiques and would probably had bought and sold a bunch of crappy ones until I learned more about them. Instead thanks to him my first purchase was exactly right. Now my only problem is whether to refinish it and if so how?

Right now it has about 15% of it's nickel left but is in perfect working order.
Part of me wants to leave it well enough alone but another part keeps thinking of this similar but refinished one.

I might pick a Webley as a pure shooter though as their version of this break open design is much stronger. I bought mine more as an excuse to buy a matching custom bowie ,an ivory handled texas toothpick folder(on it's way through customs hopefully) and a bunch of leather gear to carry it all.

As much as I like the idea of having a gun the "Man" can't take away, the real joy of antiques are the guns themselves the skill and craftsmanship and beauty that goes into them and the history they have.

 

[dingus]

Unsub thats a sweet looking Engraveing Job!
I still have one gun the Exact same as the one you bought off of me its a 4 inch gun long Cylinder model in 44 S&W Cartridge (44 Russian).
They really are great guns the S&Ws DA
I also have a very Rare S&W NM # 3 Target model in 455 with a 7.5 inch barrel, its got british Proofs and is awaiting a jinks letter.

I have a Schofield as well, i love S&Ws.
The fact there so fast to load and what i like about the Schofield is the Latch designe!
The latch on a Schofield revolver is as good as any Webleys, its very strong much better than the other S&W top breaks.
the two parts that lock together are case hardened.

Just cause i didnt post a pic of a S&W dont meen they are not at the top of the pile in my Collection as Shooters and lookers.

 

[Sig_1959]

I
I can't say enough good things about Dingus and the help he gave me. I knew very little about antiques and would probably had bought and sold a bunch of crappy ones until I learned more about them. Instead thanks to him my first purchase was exactly right. . I.

Agree 100%. I was in the same story.
Thank you Dingus

 

[jetrefueller]

As long as you have your RPAL you can purchase antique .38s and .22s on line from the States. This I was told by the handgun expert at Canada Customs in Mississauga. The only problem is the barrel length as even an antique .38 with a less than 4.25 barrel now becomes a prohib. I cant decide between my S&W in .44russian or my Colt in .41cal they both funcion well and I handload the cartridges.

 

[GrantR]

As long as you have your RPAL you can purchase antique .38s and .22s on line from the States. This I was told by the handgun expert at Canada Customs in Mississauga.

Are you referring to .22 rimfire handguns, or handguns firing the most common .38 centre-fire cartridges an antique handgun is likely to be chambered for? If so, and that is what the chap said about them, then he's not much of an expert, quite frankly!

Even if "manufactured before 1898", a handgun is not "antique" in Canada if
a) in the case of a rim-fire, it is designed or adapted to discharge "22 Calibre Short, 22 Calibre Long or 22 Calibre Long Rifle cartridges"; and
b) if it is centre-fire, it is designed or adapted to discharge "32 Short Colt, 32 Long Colt, 32 Smith and Wesson, 32 Smith and Wesson Long, 32-20 Winchester, 38 Smith and Wesson; 38 Short Colt, 38 Long Colt, 38-40 Winchester, 44-40 Winchester, or 45 Colt cartridges".

 

[dingus]

Grant, Jetrefuellers is just saying the Ones that arnt PERSCRIBED Antiques by Caliber can still be Brought into Canada but you need a RPAL.

Like the 38 Long Colts and 22 Rim fires.

If you read his post Again you will see.
There still Antique guns Made before 1898 BUT there NOT Perscribed Antiques because of there Calibers.

I think he is Correct in his post.

 

[762mm]

Nice... So I'm getting a pretty good feel of what would be best for my application... a S&W DA 3rd Model in .44 will definitely be a part of my shopping list in about a month or so.

Knowing what is a good choice, now comes the hard part... finding one, lol!

 

[jetrefueller]

Grant I know the regs concerning what are prescribed antique handguns but if you read my thread I said he can still buy a hangun that is an antique in the States but not necessarily up here, but as he has an RPAL he can still import a 100yr plus gun in .38 or .22 and register it and take it to his range and use it. The customs guy is an expert and not as pompous as yourself sir.

 

[GrantR]

My humble apologies - I did indeed miss the point of your post.

(The reason I misread your post was that the original enquiry related to options for handguns which qualify as antique in Canada I believe....)

 

[jetrefueller]

I apologise to you sir I had made an assumption that he would like to have an antique in .38cal or .22cal specifically and as he has an RPAL he can indeed have one. I have read many of your posts Grant and have learned a lot from you and I hope to continue doing so. I have no intention of getting into a stone throwing contest with any of the guys here as I respect you all too much. I guess I'm getting cranky in my old age. The CGN forums are the best form of information I have ever found on the hobby and sport of shooting and I respect the opinion of all the guys here. Please keep the info coming Grant as you are one of the people with a wealth of knowledge on the forums.

 

[Win 38-55]

Here's a photo of my favourite antique six gun to shoot. It is a S&W 2nd Model American Russian Model (44 Russian). It was shipped in 1873 and has a long 8" barrel with pristine bore and chambers. When you haul this out of the holster and look down that long 8" barrel, you can almost smell the Chaparell and the rustle of dry grass in the Old West.

 

[762mm]

Here's a photo of my favourite antique six gun to shoot. It is a S&W 2nd Model American Russian Model (44 Russian). It was shipped in 1873 and has a long 8" barrel with pristine bore and chambers. When you haul this out of the holster and look down that long 8" barrel, you can almost smell the Chaparell and the rustle of dry grass in the Old West.

That is one sweeeeet piece!

If someone was in the market for one of these, how much would it be going for, approximately? Although this is a beautiful gun, I think it'd be somewhat of an overkill as a beginner's antique, lol! Thanks for the eye candy though!

 

[Win 38-55]

If someone was in the market for one of these, how much would it be going for, approximately? Although this is a beautiful gun, I think it'd be somewhat of an overkill as a beginner's antique, lol! Thanks for the eye candy though!

They are hard to find. You'd probably have to look in the US for one. There's one for sale that has been refinished, so its value has been reduced. It is the 5th one down from the top on this website http://www.armchairgunshow.com/otsBA_S_W_Americans.htm

Since it has been refinished, the price is a bit lower at $US 5,850 ($Cdn 7,020 plus GST and PST). As you mentioned, it is probably not the first gun a beginning antique collector would purchase. That is why I only own a grand total of two antique sixguns.