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6ShooterSpecialFinal PDF
6ShooterSpecialFinal PDF
58 GUN DIGEST ®
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The quality of Belgian-made British Bulldogs
West. It was a unique big-bore revolver Bulldog became
of excellent quality and was made by a legend in its was often quite good, but a lower grade of
the English gun manufacturer P. Webley own time. metallurgy often caused their internal parts
& Son. It was called the British Bulldog. By 1876, to wear out much more quickly than those
several of the Webley- or U.S.-
THE WEBLEY INFLUENCE European made British Bulldog.
and Ameri-
Upon its introduction in the early can imitators
1870s, Webley’s new British Bulldog jumped on the
had become an immediate sensation in Bulldog bandwagon, mar-
Victorian England since the carrying keting copies of self-cockers
marked “British Bulldog”
plished quite discreetly. Thus the pock- over the topstrap. Many of
the European Webley copies
right into the period of Sherlock Holmes came from Belgium and their
were well known in the United States for noticeably inferior to the genuine
their high degree of workmanship. Even British-made variations. Quite a
George Armstrong Custer owned a pair number of these – both domestic
of Webleys (the Royal Irish Constabulary and foreign – were stamped with
Model) prior to his death in June of 1876 such markings as “Western Bull Dog,”
at the Little Big Horn. Soon after its inva-
“British Lion,” “Boston Bulldog,” etc.,
sion of the United States arms market,
and, not surprisingly, many were indeed
the self-cocking Webley British Bulldog
well made. The 1880 Homer Fisher
was being sold through American gun
catalog listed several of these for sale design compared
dealers such as Nathaniel Curry of
in .44 Webley (.44 Bulldog) at $7.50, to the British type
San Francisco and E.C. Meacham of St.
Louis. With population surges in areas each which was far below the $18.00 since it had a saw
west of the Mississippi growing by the price tag of a Colt or Smith & Wesson. handle-style grip, plus a
day, many were glad to see a compact, Both the Webley British Bull Dog and its larger frame somewhere
inexpensive, double-action revolver with imitations were also being offered in .32 between a medium- and
plenty of wallop to boot. The new Web- full-size revolver. It also had a 2-1/2" full
ley catchphrase “British Bulldog” would round barrel as opposed to the oblong
evolve into one of the most famous listed a “Holster Size Frontier Model” type most common to the British-style
revolver trademarks from the 1870s
up to the turn of the century. The term a 4" barrel and a lanyard on the grip. these revolvers were manufactured by
Iver Johnson Co. of Worcester, Mas-
sachusetts, for the Meacham company,
This Belgian British Bulldog has most of its nickel worn away, but to be sold under the American Bulldog
the proofmark “R” and the Bulldog logo are partially visible on the trade name. It should be mentioned
frame behind the barrel. that the Iver Johnson Co. independently
marketed their own series of Bulldog
revolvers, some of which were marked
Boston Bulldog, British Bulldog, and
oddly enough, American Bulldog as well.
Though the Meacham American
Bulldog is not marked Iver Johnson,
the giveaway is one of the company’s
trademarks – an American eagle
– on the stocks. Removing the grips
however, does show a serial number on
the frame in two places. With its reddish
gutta percha grips, these 44-caliber
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 59
Bulldogs were made exclusively in .38 American or British Bulldog markings. whereas most U.S. and European copies
caliber, with the British Bulldog with Unquestionably, the U.S.-made
bird’s-head grips being made only in copies are generally better from a however, have been observed on
.44 caliber. Additionally, the Meacham quality standpoint than their Belgian several Liege-made Belgian copies.
catalog also listed an “American” British counterparts. The Meacham Arms Colt didn’t introduce a self-cocker
Bulldog complete with bird’s-head American Bulldog sold for $3.31 in until 1877 (the Model 1877 “Lightning”
grips and in both calibers, too. 1881 and was quite the bargain when and “Thunderer” models), and it
Another very interesting British compared to a full-size Colt. It could seemed the Bulldog owned the market
Bulldog is the illustration on the same also be had with extras such as pearl for the double-action class of big-bore
page beneath the aforementioned or ivory stocks, and engraved frames. pocket revolvers. In truth, the Bulldogs’
“American” Bulldog in the 1884 catalog. It is curiously amusing to note that in
This particular revolver is advertised as the Meacham advertisement, for 31 in spreading the popularity of the
a “new design” English British Bulldog cents less, one could have the same double-action revolver as a whole.
and has a remarkable resemblance revolver marked “British Bulldog”! Mechanically, the British and American
to the later Webley series of military The design of the American Bulldog Bulldogs were quite sturdy and simple;
break-open revolvers. Together with from Meacham Arms differed from
the majority of British Bulldogs in that ics of these Bulldogs were still not up to
a “Smith & Wesson handle”), the text par with those of a Smith & Wesson or
states that when chambered for the latch to retain the cylinder pin. The a Colt. A light strain on the wallet was
.38 S&W, they are marked “American typical British Bulldog used a pull-out, their obvious strongpoint. Though the
Bulldog.” A footnote goes on to say that rotating extractor pin which, when later Colt Lightning/Thunderer series
the revolver “. . .is made to compete with pulled upward and turned right, allowed of double actions would be the stiffest
Colt’s and resembles them in model and removal of the hollow cylinder pin as competition, the Colt’s lockwork proved
well. A short, oblong-shaped 2-1/2" complicated and prone to breakage
an octagonal 2-1/2" barrel, the arm is barrel was standard on most Bulldogs under hard use. They nevertheless
something of a hybrid between a Webley regardless of origin. However, some became immensely popular.
of the future and a Colt double-action are listed with 2-1/4" and 2-3/4" tubes The British Bulldog, however, was not
in certain advertisements. Depending without its own mechanical problems.
en or more Belgian-made Bulldog copies Too-vigorous operation of the double-
with bird’s-head grips have been seen seven-shooters! Noteworthy is that the action trigger would eventually cause
by the author in .38 caliber only, with the lockwork to begin mis-indexing, as
A comparison of
the hammer styles
of some of both the author’s American
Bulldogs was Bulldog and the Forehand & Wads-
their “freewheel- worth British type (right). The two U.S.-
ing” cylinder that manufactured revolvers were America’s
would spin if the hammer wasn’t cocked best “Bulldog” and produced in the same
or the trigger pulled back. Costwise, the them makes
city. Note the flatter, larger contours
most expensive Bulldog was the Webley them substantial bar-
of the American version compared to
Frontier Model, which sold (in 1880) for gains.” In late 1895, Montgomery Ward
$17.50 when the cheapest Webley was the rounded lines of the British style, Company advertised; “big bargains,
$9.50. In 1884, the E.C. Meacham catalog which has a shorter spur. Mechanically, American Bulldog [author’s note: pos-
still had the lowest price of $3.00 for a the American version has a smoother sibly unsold, smaller-caliber versions of
Bulldog, “an unbeatable price,” as they action; the Forehand & Wadsworth has a the earlier Meacham product sold back
noted. With the Colt double action at rebounding hammer feature. to Iver Johnson, who re-sold them to
$13 to $17.50 each, it was without doubt Montgomery Ward] revolver, sold in .32
and .38 caliber. . . .” The ad further stat-
leanest budget of the average individual. few pictures of them in the holsters ed “these guns are not toys, but good,
Some ads for the Bulldog boasted it of Westerners? The answer is quite big guns.” Top prices now were $1.89
likely that Bulldogs were out of sight, each. Montgomery Ward also advertised
Promoters of the well-made Forehand hidden in the pockets of their users. a “Frontier Bulldog 6-shot, in 44 WCF for
& Wadsworth British Bulldog stated In due time, people began wondering $3.85” but judging from the illustration
why no Bulldog-style revolvers were be- of this revolver, it appears to be an
and .44 caliber, the .32 S&W version ing made by any of the major American inferior-quality Belgian-made mass-pro-
had a seven-round cylinder. The manufacturers. A testimony to this was duced copy of a Webley Frontier Model.
Forehand & Wadsworth Bulldog, a letter in 1876 written by a Californian
introduced in 1880, began cutting to Smith & Wesson, in which he asked, THE BULLDOG OUT WEST
into sales of the Webley product.
Nathaniel Curry noted the Forehand & Other notable gun dealers who
Wadsworth Bulldog was “. . .decidedly regularly offered Bulldogs of all types
the best and cheapest of the low-grade included Liddle & Kaeding and Shreve &
American self-cocking revolvers. . . .” Wolfman, both located in San Francisco.
In the beginning, few consumers were One of Liddle & Kaeding’s advertise-
aware that the Bulldog had a competi- ments in the publication Pacific Life in
tive edge on the products of the large
U.S. gunmakers. The British Bulldog The Forehand & Wadsworth British
soon took a back seat, however, Bulldogs are serial-numbered on the
because these bigger companies grip of the frame and on the rear of the
had been in existence for many cylinder. It is estimated no more 90,000
years and enjoyed well-established F & W Bulldogs were manufactured;
reputations. Bulldogs were in far however, the serial numbers drastically
more widespread use than most will overlap with other F&W revolvers, as
realize, but many may ask, if so many
seen on this specimen in the 85,000 range.
were in circulation, why are there so
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 61
under his wing. Tunstall’s diary noted, “I
never went anywhere without my Bull-
dog.” After Tunstall’s murder by the Mur-
phy-Dolan faction, Billy became hostile
to those elements and played a violent
role in the Lincoln County War. At the
time of his death, it is rumored that Billy
was in possession of a .41 Colt Thunder-
er with the backstrap engraved “Billy.”
This has never been authenticated, but
it was known he had a self-cocker on his
person when he was shot at the Maxwell
ranch. There is a distinct possibility
that Billy could have had a double-ac-
tion Bulldog on his person – perhaps
even Tunstall’s own revolver, obtained
after his mentor had been killed.
Nothing substantiates this, however.
A place where the British Bulldog was
always reported in detail was in Bodie,
California. It seems the newspapers of
62 GUN DIGEST ®
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Another example of a variation in the British Bulldog logo
is the .32 S&W Forehand & Wadsworth (top). The words
“Bull-Dog” are apart and hyphenated, as well. Shown
below is the placement of the manufacturer’s markings
on the upper flat of the revolver’s oblong barrel.
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they are, for the most, all of pre-1898
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What were the most popular law enforce-
ment handguns of the twentieth century?
The answer might surprise you.
S&W
Military
&Police Two Boston PD officers
wearing early bulletproof vests. They are
armed with Colt O.P. revolvers. (Courtesy
Boston PD Records Center & Archives)
Smith & Wesson’s .38 Hand Ejector Military & Police revolver
underwent a number of styling changes. This is a 1940
production gun, one of the last commercial grade revolvers
to leave the factory before they switched over to wartime
production. It is a “five screw” frame gun with the “skinny” barrel
and a lanyard ring.
standard hand-
share of the U.S.
gun, the Colt .32 New
police market.
Police revolver – and
The year 1899
insisted they receive
saw S&W’s intro-
marksmanship train-
duction of the
ing. This also signi-
.38 Hand Ejector
Military & Police
technological change
revolver. This medium
as the New Police
frame (K-frame), swing-out cylinder
was a swing-out cyl-
revolver was their attempt to garner a
inder revolver. Even
military contract. And while the govern-
then the NYPD was a
ment purchased several thousand, Colt’s
trendsetting agency
.38-caliber New Model Army & Navy re-
and many depart-
volvers remained the standard military
ments followed suit
sidearm.
and adopted the new
The next big step occurred during the
Colt.
That same year
case today, American police tended to
S&W introduced
ape the army when it came to sidearms,
and the military’s acceptance of the .38
cylinder revolver,
Colt revolver convinced many that an
the .32 Hand Ejec-
upgrading of equipment was called for.
tor Model of 1896,
While the .32 revolver’s popularity with
which was taken
police would continue for a few more
into service by the
decades, the writing was on the wall
Philadelphia PD,
among others. The for all to see: the .38 revolver would be
race was now on, as THE next American police handgun of
these two titans of choice. The timing was opportune as
the American hand- the army was getting ready to ditch the
gun industry began .38 wheelgun in favor of one of the new
a non-stop, no holds fangled semi-auto pistols. With military
A page from a 1940 Colt catalog extolling the virtues of their barred competition sales drying up, Colt began to court
Official Police Revolver. Note that they refer to its cartridge as to see who could police departments and their rivals from
the “.38 Colt Special.” capture the lion’s
the market.
its predecessors.
THE S&W M&P rated velocity of approximately 850 fps. Lockup was via a pin contained in the
recoil plate that entered a recess in the
The S&W .38 Hand Ejector – let’s just center of a rotating ratchet at the rear of
the army’s .38 Long Colt and within a
call it the M&P – utilized a swing-out the cylinder, locking it securely in place.
cylinder that was locked into the frame To unload the O.P., a latch on the left of
the medium-caliber revolver market to
by means of a spring loaded center pin
the point where even Colt was
passing through the ejector rod and
chambering revolvers for it.
projecting out of the rear of the cylinder.
1908 saw Colt attempt
When the cylinder is closed, the end
of the center pin snaps into
a recess in the recoil plate,
locking the cylinder in place.
To open, a thumb latch on the
left side of the frame is pushed
forward, forcing the center pin
out of the locking recess and
allowing the cylinder to be
swung out to the left. Push-
ing back on the ejector rod
forces out a star-shaped
extractor, ejecting all the
spent cartridge cases
simultaneously.
In 1902 the locking system
was strengthened by the addi-
tion of a underlug on the barrel with
a spring-loaded pin that locked into the
front end of ejector rod. This system has
proven so practical that it has been used To load or unload both the
on all subsequent S&W revolvers down
M&P and O.P., the cylinders
to the present day.
were swung out to the left
cant was the new cartridge introduced side. Both were traditional
with the M&P. Known as the .38 S&W “six shooters.”
Special it consisted of a straight-walled,
rimmed case 1.14" in length loaded with
a 158-gr. lead round-nosed bullet with a
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 83
the frame was pulled to the rear (exactly This entrepreneurial bat-
the opposite of the M&P), allowing the tle royale began with Colt
cylinder to be be swung out on a crane – who traditionally received
to the left. As with the S&W, pushing on “better press” – having a
the ejector rod activated a star-shaped distinct advantage. Within
extractor, extracting the spent cartridge a few years, the O.P. was the
cases simultaneously. Both the O.P. and standard issue sidearm of (among In 1940 Great Britain
M&P swing out cylinders permitted others) the NYPD, LAPD, Chicago, San placed large orders for S&W
fast, fumble-free reloading, although it Francisco, Kansas City, St. Louis, and revolvers to supplement their standard
would be many more decades before the Portland police departments. The high-
perfection of the revolver speedloader way patrols of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, chambered the M&P for the standard
really speeded things up. Delaware, Maryland and Connecticut (to British .380" Mark I cartridge, which
The O.P. weighed approximately 11 say nothing of the FBI) soon followed, was nothing more then the old .38 S&W
oz. more then the Police Positive and and sales of the O.P. on the police and loaded with a 200-gr. lead bullet (later a
so, depending on what size revolver the civilian markets boomed. 178-gr. FMJ bullet). Deliveries continued
customer wanted, Colt had the water- While the O.P. usually out- until late 1945,
front covered. In regard to weight, the sold the M&P, the S&W was
M&P split the difference between the without a doubt the #2 prod-
two Colts. uct on the North American po-
lice market. Among the more
notable agencies adopting it
were the police departments
of San Antonio, New Orleans,
Atlanta, Omaha, Dallas, Phil-
adelphia, and Charleston.
Larger agencies included
the Michigan and Virginia
State Police and the Pro-
vincial Police of British
Columbia, Quebec and
Ontario. Over the years,
Toth revolvers function identically – except many agencies approved
to unlatch the S&W’s cylinder, the thumb the use of both revolvers
latch on the left side of the frame is and it was possible to
pushed forward....
service concurrently.
Unlike the O.P., the
M&P underwent a
number of changes and
improvements during
its production life, the
most notable being:
1902: the addition
of a underlug
on the barrel with
a spring loaded
pin that locked
...while that of the Colt is pulled to the rear.
into the front of
the ejector rod.
1904: an option-
al square butt
grip frame and
larger grips.
1907: the trig-
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 87
4
.4
The
Special
BEGINS ITS
SECOND
CENTURY
THE ROAD TO THE .44 SPECIAL In the early 1980s S&W resurrected the
I
.44 Special Model 24 for a limited run.
n 1857, two entrepreneurs, Horace This matched pair of 4" sixguns wear
Smith and Daniel Wesson, produced
carved ivory stocks by Bob Leskovec
and are carried in floral carved Tom
revolver, the Smith & Wesson #1. This
little seven-shot, tip-up revolver was Threepersons holsters from El Paso
chambered for what would become the Saddlery.
most popular cartridge of all time, the
little pocket guns, which were quite
popular as hideout weapons during
1, 1-1/2, and 2, and they had plans to the 1860s, but they did not forget their
bring out a big-bore version, but those plans to build a .44-caliber version.
plans were pushed to the back burner Sam Colt died in 1862, but his ideas
with the coming of the Civil War in 1861. persisted and percussion revolvers re-
Meanwhile, over at the Colt factory, mained as the number one focus of the
Sam Colt had decided cartridge cases Colt Company. Then it happened! I can
would never catch on and shooters let my imagination run loose and see
would always want to load their own the executives of Colt sitting around the
using powder, ball, and cap. When boardroom in late 1869 when the mes-
Colt received a very lucrative senger arrives. He talks to the president,
contract to build 1860 Army Richard Jarvis, who immediately scowls.
Model .44s for the Northern He shares the information with the rest
Army not, only was the of the group. That other gun company,
company’s immediate future that Smith & Wesson group, had just
announced a large-frame, break-top,
was no further thought of
The new Smith & Wesson was known
revolvers. Smith & Wes- as the American and was chambered in
son kept producing their
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was changed with a hump at the top to
prevent the grip’s shifting in the hand
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 151
of the most popular revolvers of the
twentieth century. It was chambered in
.38 Special, but the engineers at Smith
& Wesson were looking at something
a bit bigger. In 1907, the Military &
Police was enlarged to what we now
a time when one dollar was a lot of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Generation 7-1/2" .44
money, but because of an attempt to Special Colt SAAs with leather by Circle
save $2 on its price, the Triple Lock Bar T.
died. True! It was replaced by the .44
Hand Ejector 2nd Model, which lacked housing. Except for the missing third
the third lock, a shortcut that allowed lock, these revolvers were every bit as
it to retail for $2 less than the Triple good as the 1st Models and were eagerly
Lock. To add insult to injury, the Triple accepted by shooters and especially
The most popular bullet for the .44 Lock’s shrouded ejector rod housing
Special is the Keith design; this version was also dropped. The result was sighted, double-action .44 Special Smith
is from RCBS. simply a larger Military & Police. & Wesson was just about the perfect
More 2nd Models were built than defensive sixgun in the 1920s, and there
Wesson then drew back. The longer car- 1st Models, about 2,000 more, but it is some doubt that it has ever been
tridge in a stronger sixgun was loaded to would take 35 years to accomplish.
duplicate the .44 Russian! The Russian Both the Triple Lock and the 2nd Model
carried a bullet of approximately 250 are rarely, very rarely, found in other
grains at a muzzle velocity of about 750 chamberings such as .45 Colt, .44-40,
fps. They should have at least duplicated
the .45 Colt round and bumped the .44 and foremost .44 Specials. As soon
Special up to 850-900 fps – and 1,000 fps as the Triple Lock was replaced by
would have been even better. It would the 2nd Model, sixgun connoisseurs
remain the task of experimenters in the began calling for a return to the Triple
1920s through the 1940s to discover Lock. As so often happens with gun
the real potential of the .44 Special. companies, the pleas for the return to
what a double-action sixgun should be
fell on deaf ears, at least until 1926.
SMITH & WESSON .44 SPECIALS
What individual shooters could not
do, Wolf and Klar, a gun dealer in Fort
double-action revolver ever produced, Worth, Texas, could do. An order was An excellent choice for a hunting bullet
had a very short life span, lasting only placed with Smith & Wesson for several in the .44 Special is the Speer original
until 1915 with just over 15,000 being thousand revolvers chambered in .44 jacketed bullet with a lead core in a full
manufactured. They sold for $21 at Special with the enclosed ejector rod copper cup.
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became the Model 21 and the Target it to a Target Model with a 1950 Target
version was dubbed the Model 24. barrel cut back to 5" and a S&W adjust-
The Model 21 demands prices in able rear sight installed. One of the
top gunsmiths in the country did the
I purchased a 5" Model 21 for $65 and work and it is a beautiful sixgun, but
since it was not considered rare or a imagine what it would be worth today
collector’s item at that time, I converted if I had left in its original condition!
pushed to second place. This 3rd Model, Second Generation Colt SAA
also known as the Model 1926, would .44 Specials with Galco leather
be produced until the start of World
War II, when all production of civilian
arms ceased, and then resurrected in
1946 for only a short time until the next A pair of ivory-stocked 4" Model 24-3 S&W .44 Specials
model appeared. As great as the Model in El Paso Saddlery Tom Threepersons holsters along
1926 was, it did not replace the 2nd with an original 1950 Target .44 Special.
Model as both were produced simultane-
ously until the eve of World War II.
The Model 1926 is even more rare
than the Triple Lock, with only about
6,500 being produced in the two runs
from 1926 to 1941 and 1946 to 1949.
Just as with the 1st and 2nd Models,
this 3rd Model was offered in both
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 153
Eight years later I actually came upon
a 6-1/2" Model 1950 Target. I had
placed a Winchester 1886 on layaway
at the Gunhaus and when George
called me to tell me about the Smith &
Wesson, I backed off the Winchester
and took the 1950 Target instead.
Then I did it again! I wanted the 6-1/2"
1950 Target, but I also wanted a 4"
version even more and had the barrel
shortened to four inches. Strike Two!
Fortunately, thanks to regular readers of
Guns and American Handgunner, I have
been contacted about .44 Special Smith
& Wesson sixguns for sale and in recent
years have purchased three 4" .44 Spe-
cials, a 1926 Model made the same year
I was, a 1950 Military, and a 1950 Target,
as well as a 6-1/2" Model 1950 Target.
There will be no Strike Three and the
sixguns will be enjoyed exactly as the
beautiful works of art they really are.
Not only was the 1950 Target a magnif-
icent sixgun in its own right, it became
the basic platform for the .44 Magnum.
In 1954 Smith & Wesson began experi-
menting with a new Magnum in a 4" 1950
Target with special heat-treating and the
cylinder re-chambered to the longer .44.
When the .44 Magnum became reality, it
was a 1950 Target with a longer cylinder,
bull barrel, high polish Bright Blue
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sold quickly; in fact the demand for
these resurrected .44 Specials was
greater than the number produced.
Now what? Smith & Wesson had backed
themselves into a corner by promising
only to produce a certain number, and
yet the market was out there for more
.44 Specials. This dilemma was solved
by offering the stainless-steel version,
the Model 624, with the same barrel
lengths from 1985 to 1987. Both the
blued 24-3 and stainless-steel 624 .44
Specials were also specially ordered
and offered as 3" round-butted versions
by Smith and Wesson distributors.
This first-year production .44 Special The Smith & Wesson .44 Special died
in 1966, was resurrected in 1983, and
Triple Lock is carried in a George
died again in 1987. However, the .44
Lawrence #34 Elmer Keith holster.
Special is too good to stay buried for
very long. In 1996, the Smith & Wesson
Patrolman to .44 Special. In those days .44 Special returned as the Model 696,
Smith & Wesson .44 Special barrels were
still available so it was simply a matter a 3" barrel and round butt grip frame.
of re-chambering the .357 cylinder to It was followed by the Model 396Ti, the
same basic revolver with an alloy frame
and titanium cylinder. And then after
1983 Smith & Wesson brought back nearly 20 years we got back to basics
the .44 Special as the Model 24-3. To with a full-sized, six-shot, N-frame .44 The .44 Special sixgun many of us
ensure selling all of these guns they Special: the Model 21-3, a 4" round– have been waiting for since 1955 is
promised to make only so many. They
were offered in both 4" and 6-1/2"
It was in that wonderful year that
versions with a production run of one appeared as the Thunder Ranch Special
year and 7,500 being produced. They and now is a standard catalog item. revolver, the .357 Magnum Blackhawk
Smith & Wesson also produces (known to sixgunners today as the
two 4" .44 Magnums, the Model 29 Flat-Top). It was the same size as the Colt
Two S&W .44 Specials that command Mountain Gun with the tapered bar- Single Action Army but in addition to its
high collector prices now are the five- rel of the 1950 Model and the 26-oz. virtually unbreakable coil spring action,
shot 696 and the Mountain Lite. scandium/titanium 329PD. If the truth
with a Micro adjustable rear sight. Elmer
Keith reported the next step would be
a .44 Special. However, before that hap-
pened the .44 Magnum arrived. Ruger
tried to chamber the .357 Blackhawk in
.44 Magnum, but with further proof-test-
ing the cylinder and frame proved to be
too small and one of their prototypes
blew. The frame and cylinder of the
Blackhawk were subsequently enlarged
to properly house the .44 Magnum and
the .44 Special became a dead issue.
Thanks to Lipsey’s ordering 2,000
.44 Specials built on the original sized
frame, Ruger is now doing what they
intended to do more than 50 years
ago. The .44 Special Flat-Top New
Model Blackhawk is available in an
all-blued steel sixgun with the choice
of 4-5/8" or 5-1/2" barrel length. I have
been shooting one of each and they
have proven to be superb sixguns.
Suggested retail price is $579 from your
local dealer. Don’t miss this one!
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 155
be known, both of these Magnums are
better suited to .44 Special use. Just
this past year S&W introduced, or I
should say re-introduced, the Model
1950 Target as the Model 24-6 Classic
with the same 6-1/2" barrel length as
156 GUN DIGEST ® Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book
had no intention of ever resuming Frontiers were produced and only with
production. Television changed all that! 5-1/2" and 7-1/2" barrels. Most shooters
A whole new generation of shooters hold 2nd Generation .44 Specials in
and would be shooters discovered the much higher esteem than their counter-
Colt Single Action Army through all parts among 3rd Generation examples
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 157
producing single-action sixguns exclu-
sively. In 1954, Great Western began
producing a single action, the Frontier
Six-Shooter, in Los Angeles. Bill Wilson,
president and one of three founders,
had contacted Colt in 1953 and was
assured they had no plans to resurrect
the Colt Single Action Army. The Great
Western looked so much like a Colt
Single Action Army they actually used
real Colts in the early advertising. In
fact, some of the Great Western parts
came from Colt. When Colt resumed
production of the Single Action Army in
1956, Great Western’s demise was only
a matter of time. They lasted until 1964.
No one really knows how many Great
Westerns were produced in eight years,
or if they do they aren’t telling. The
standard caliber was .45 Colt, but the
GW was also offered in .22, .38 Special,
.357 Magnum, .357 Atomic, .44 Magnum,
and .44 Special. The last two are
From top left counterclockwise: First especially rare and, until recently, I had
came the .44 Special Triple Lock of 1908, working load for .44 Special sixguns, only seen one of each in my lifetime and
then the Model 1926, which was used as the 250-gr. Keith bullet over 7.5 gr of purchased both of them. In the past few
the platform for the .38-44 Heavy Duty of Unique in the short barrel of the “Fitz” years, again thanks to readers, I have
1930 which in turn became the building registers 830 fps, or just about the per- come up with two 5-1/2" Great Western
block for the .357 Magnum of 1935. fect equivalent of Fitz’s .45 Colt loads.
plated with factory pearls, and the other
of the barrel and part of the cylinder, OTHER .44 SPECIAL standard blue and case colored with
it was mechanically perfect and the plastic stag grips. The nickel plated
SINGLE ACTIONS
interiors of both barrel and cylinder version required considerable ‘smithing
were like new. Instead of sending it The .44 Special has never been the to put it into shooting condition but all
everyman’s cartridge but rather the have now proven to be excellent sixguns.
found it shot much too well to touch as favorite of true connoisseurs of big-bore Bill Grover started Texas Longhorn
single-action and double-action sixguns. Arms in 1981 building a single-action
standing at 50 feet, in less than 1-1/2". As a result, production numbers are sixgun different than anything ever
usually very low for any company previously offered. It was his belief Sam
ain’t broke, so it remains untouched.
Thanks to a reader I came up with
a Late Model New Service chambered
in .44 Special. It needed some help and
made a perfect candidate for a Fitz Spe-
cial, so off it went to one of the premier
gunsmiths in the country, Andy Horvath.
Horvath said of this New Service: “It’s
got a few miles on it and somebody got
158 GUN DIGEST ® Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book
THE FREEDOM ARMS MODEL 97
One exception to the rule of a
full-sized, six-shot .44 Special is the
Freedom Arms Model 97. This little
sixgun, smaller than the Colt SAA, has
a cylinder that is 1.575" in diameter;
however it is an extremely strong
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 159
.357 Magnum Blackhawk. Ruger had Great .44 Special sixguns from the middle part of the twentieth century: Great Western
the full intention of bringing this same SA, 2nd Generation Colt SAA, and a pair of 3rd Generation Colts.
sixgun out in .44 Special, and if we lived
in a perfect world that is exactly what
would have happened; however we
don’t, and it didn’t. The coming of the
.44 Magnum in 1956 changed all that
and instead the Blackhawk frame and
cylinder were enlarged to become the
.44 Magnum Blackhawk. Ruger never
did produce a .44 Special Blackhawk.
What Ruger did not do, custom
sixgunsmiths can do. Earlier mention
was made of Skeeter Skelton’s article
converting the .357 Magnum Highway
Patrolman from Smith & Wesson into
a .44 Special. In that same article
he also covered the conversion of
the Three Screw .357 Magnum Ruger
Blackhawk to .44 Special. The Three
Screw .357 Blackhawks are divided into
two categories: the Flat-Top, which was Three Screw Model. Even Colt two-piece right behind the upper part of the front
produced from 1955 to 1962, and the Old grip frames can be attached to allow leg and, as we found out later, came
Model, from 1963 to 1972. Both of these the use of one-piece grips, or ‘smiths out on the other side right through the
.357 Blackhawks were built on the same can use the new Colt-style, two-piece center of the upper part of the leg on the
size of frame as the Colt Single Action grip frame offered by Power Custom off-side. The bullet gave total penetra-
Army. When the New Model arrived in and sold through Brownells. Some tion in a 500-lb. animal! That was to be
1973, the .357 Magnum-size frame was Ruger .357s came with an extra 9mm the end of it, as far as I was concerned.
dropped and instead the .357 Magnum cylinder which allows two .44 cylinders I intended to take one pig and be on
Blackhawk was built on the same size to be used, one Special and the other in my way. But there were two pigs there,
frame as the .44 Super Blackhawk. .44-40. No matter what route is chosen, and the dead pig’s big buddy would
Converting a New Model to .44 Special nor which of these gentlemen does the have none of that. By now he was up
results in a .44 Magnum-size sixgun. work, the result is an easy-handlin’, on his feet and using his snout to move
To convert a .357 Magnum Blackhawk easy-packin’, easy-shootin’ .44 Special. that 500-pounder. He was not about
to .44 Special, it is only necessary With the coming of the Ruger 50th to leave. So! At the shot he turned
Anniversary .357 Magnum Flat-Top in around, started to run, and I put a
different barrel. That’s the basic idea, 2005, we suddenly had a new platform second shot in him and down he went.
but different sixgunsmiths take over for building Colt SAA-size .44 Specials The smaller, 500-lb. pig had 4" tusks,
from here and exercise their artistic on a Ruger. Both Ben Forkin and John while this 650-pounder had tusks curling
side. Gunsmiths I know of who can Gallagher have converted 50th Anniver-
convert the Three Screw .357s to very sary .357 New Model Blackhawks to .44 out the .44 Special hollowpoint had
special .44 Specials include Bob Baer, Special for me with the former using a gone through the heart of the second
Hamilton Bowen, David Clements, Ben 7-1/2" New Frontier barrel and the latter boar, the second shot was only two
Forkin, John Gallagher, Alan Harton, opting for a custom 4" barrel. I have to
Andy Horvath, Gary Reeder, and Jim say it again: they are beautiful sixguns! bullet was perfectly mushroomed and
Stroh, and I have considerable hands-on lodged under the hide on the far side.
experience with examples built by these In both cases the .44 Special bullets did
different gunsmiths/metal artists. Some HUNTING WITH THE .44 SPECIAL everything a sixgun, load, and bullet
of these men re-bored the existing bar- In these days of heavy-loaded .44 combination are supposed to do.
Magnums and .45 Colts – let alone the In 1966, the .44 Special was pro-
barrels; and others used .44 Magnum .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, and .500 nounced old, antiquated, out of date,
barrels from other Ruger Blackhawks. S&W – is the .44 Special still viable for ready for the bonepile. Skeeter Skelton
Barrel lengths offered include but hunting? I had taken deer-sized game in started the resurrection of sixguns
are not limited to the standard 4-5/8", the 125- to 250-lb. pound class, but what
5-1/2", and 7-1/2", as well as 3-1/2" about bigger game? The most popular twentieth century and I have tried to
and 4" Sheriffs Model styles. Colt 3rd big game animal, second only to deer, is carry the torch since his passing in 1988.
Generation .44 Special or .44-40 New the poor man’s grizzly: wild hogs, feral I’m sure Skeeter is smiling as he sees all
pigs, Russian boars. For a feral hog hunt the .357 Three Screw Blackhawks being
to Three Screw Blackhawk frames. I chose the .44 Special loaded with a hol- turned into .44 Specials, as well as the
Grip frames can be polished bright or lowpoint cast bullet (Lyman’s #429421 new .44 Special sixguns from USFA and
re-anodized; Flat-Top grip frames can be Keith) at 1,200 fps muzzle velocity from Freedom Arms and the revival of
installed on Old Model frames to give the 7-1/2" .44 Special Texas Longhorn S&W’s N-frame .44 Special. The .44
more of a Colt feel, or stainless steel Old Arms West Texas Flat-Top Target. Special is ready for its second cen-
tury of service.
160 GUN DIGEST ® Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book
Smith & Wesson makes several variations
of their Model 500 Magnum. This one
wears a 6.5" ported barrel.
well-finished replica sixguns. Beretta
offers the Stampede with blued, nickel,
or deluxe blued finishes.
The blued models have case-colored
Å Å
HandgunsToday guard, and barrel. The stocks are either
walnut or black plastic, while the Bisley
models have black plastic stocks only. In
addition to the standard barrel lengths,
the Stampede Marshall has a shorter
hose of you who are long-time stocks and finishes in addition to en-
3.5" barrel, a birds-head grip frame and
readers of the Gun Digest graving. AWA also offers an octagon-bar-
walnut stocks. Also, the Stampede and
will recognize this section rel model, which is something that really
Stampede Marshall are offered with
as having been written by sets it apart from the other Single Action
an Old West finish that resembles an
my good friend John Taffin in Army replicas on the market, with a
original aged and worn Colt. The Stam-
years past. Mr. Taffin is alive, well, distinctive, classic look. Of particular
pede series is offered in a choice of .357
and still writing, but with his books, interest is the Lightningbolt, a short,
Magnum or .45 Colt chamberings.
magazines, and other commitments, he pump-action handgun version of the old
has passed the writing of this section of medium-frame Colt Lightning Magazine Bond Arms
Gun Digest on to me, and I am honored Rifle. Offered in three different models
that both he and the editor of this leg- (blued, case-hardened, and the White Bond Arms is a Texas outfit that
endary gun annual have bestowed upon Lightning hard chrome finish) the Light- manufactures what is probably the
me the privilege to try to adequately ningbolt pistol is in production right finest example of the Remington pattern
fill those big boots. I, as much as any of now and should prove to be popular derringers ever built. It is certainly the
you, will miss Mr. Taffin’s writing of this with shooters who want something a bit strongest. The Bond is a stack-barrel
section of the Digest, as many, including different but with an Old West flavor. It derringer that swings open at the hinge
myself, consider him to be the best holds five rounds in a tubular magazine pin for loading and unloading, just as
gunwriter of our time. Anyway, here we under its 12" barrel and is chambered the original Remington Double Derringer
are, and it is at an historic time in our for the .45 Colt cartridge. AWA also has .41 rimfire did. The barrels are fired one
nation. Civilian gun sales in the U.S. are a neat holster rig custom built to carry at a time, and interchangeable barrels
at an all-time high since anyone started this one-of-a-kind handgun. are available to allow for changing the
keeping records on such things. caliber quickly and easily. The most
popular seems to be their .45 Colt/.410
As I type this, there are five different Beretta shotshell version, but other caliber
bills submitted in Congress aimed at
Beretta entered the world of revolv- choices include the .22 Long Rifle, .32
curtailing the ownership of firearms,
ers, and particularly Single Action Army H&R, 9x19mm, .38 Special/.357 Magnum,
and totally eliminating some types of
Colt replicas, a couple of years ago with .357 Maximum, .40 S&W, 10mm, .44
firearms from production. It is indeed
their purchase of Uberti. Uberti has Special, .44 WCF, .45 GAP, .45 ACP,
interesting times for gun owners. Still,
been a well-known maker of fine quality and .45 Colt. There should be enough
2009 has some exciting firearms reach-
ing production, and in this brief review,
I will try to touch on some of the most
interesting sixguns on the market today,
Editor Quinn
along with a couple of other interesting
shooting the
handguns, including one newly-designed
single shot and a lever action handgun Freedom Arms
that has historical roots and nostalgic .500 Wyoming
memories for fans of old Western TV Express.
shows. Let’s get started!
Charter Arms
Charter Arms has been producing reliable, affordable re-
Ruger .44 Special
volvers for decades now. I have owned Charters chambered for
Blackhawk Flattop
the .22 Magnum, .32 H&R, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special,
with Simply Rugged
have always seemed to me no-frills, solid little handguns, and Western Rig.
they have never let me down.
Back in my younger days while working undercover for a
shooters today are not aware of the fact that had it not been for
the Russian purchase of a large quantity of S&W sixguns, the
company might have folded in the nineteenth century, and the
modern double-action revolver that we know today might have
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 177
ÅÅÅ
Å
never been. Anyway, Cimarron markets SAA that I have examined and fired over best-built machines in the world. Many
replicas of the S&W Number 3 Russian, the past three years show that the Colts still exhibit a great deal of craftsman-
which is both historical and fun to now leaving the factory are as good ship in their design and execution. While
shoot. These Cimarron Smith & Wesson as any that have been produced. The many things that we use everyday are
replicas are offered in .38 Special, .44 Single Action Army is offered in either made to be disposable, from appliances
WCF, .44 Russian, and .45 Colt chamber- blue/casehardened or nickel finishes, in to electronics, guns are still built to last,
ings. Of course, Cimarron still has many several caliber choices. and many are built to a higher standard
varieties of their Model P SAA replicas, than most everything else that we use.
offered in a wide choice of calibers, EAA (European That having been said, there is no
barrel lengths, and finishes. Their Thun- American Armory) finer example of skilled craftsmanship
derer revolvers are not really a copy of in the world than a Freedom Arms re-
EAA Corp in Rockledge, Florida, has
any old gun, but are a dandy example of volver. Built at first to harness the power
a couple of revolver lines. Their Bounty
what a Single Action Army can be with of the .454 Casull cartridge, FA revolvers
Hunter is a Colt SAA replica, which
a modified bird’s head grip. Very handy now are offered chambered for the .17
is offered in .22 LR/Magnum, .38/.357
and easy to shoot, the Thunderer – and HMR, .22 LR/Magnum, .32 H&R, .327 Fed-
Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt in a
its little brother, the Lightning – offer eral, .32 WCF, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum,
choice of blued, nickel, or blued/case-
the grip frame of the double action Colt .44 Magnum, 45 Colt, .454 Casull, and
hardened finishes. The Bounty Hunter
Thunderer with the reliability of the .500 Wyoming Express cartridges. They
uses a transfer bar safety system, but
Single Action Army. are also introducing their own .224-32
retains the traditional feel to the action
The latest sixgun on the market FA cartridge, firing a .22-caliber bullet
and loads/unloads in the half-cock
from Cimarron is their .22 Long Rifle from a necked-down .327 Federal case.
hammer position. The .22 LR/Magnum
Plinkerton. [“Plinkerton”? Yes, Plinkerton. Two different frame sizes are currently
version has an alloy frame, but the
– DMS] This is a no-frills revolver pat- offered: the original Model 83 and the
centerfire guns are made of steel. The
terned after the Colt SAA, but it’s made more compact Model 97.
.22 is also offered in a choice of six or
of a non-ferrous alloy with steel cham- I have fired many different Freedom
eight-shot models.
ber liners and a steel inner barrel. The Arms revolvers, and have found each one
EAA’s double-action revolver is
two that I have fired performed pretty to be an amazing piece of workmanship.
called the Windicator. This small-framed
well. There is also a version with an Holding a Freedom Arms revolver is like
revolver is offered as a steel-framed
extra cylinder for the .22 Magnum car- holding a work of art, but a working work
.357 Magnum or as an alloy-framed .38
tridge. Best of all, this revolver is selling of art! I have never fired one that wasn’t
Special. It has synthetic rubber grips, a
for under 200 bucks in most places. It is accurate. Freedom takes care in the way
matte blued finish, and a choice of either
a really good buy, and a dandy sixgun to that they align the chambers with the
a 2" or 4" barrel. They are good, basic,
start a youngster out shooting. barrel, and it pays off in accuracy. Ca-
reliable revolvers at an affordable price.
pable of taking the largest game on earth
Colt – and they have done so many times
Freedom Arms
Colt is one of the most recognized – Freedom Arms revolvers are built for
names in the world of firearms, steeped Freedom Arms is an All-American those who appreciate fine workmanship
in tradition and history. There has prob- success story. Mr. Wayne Baker started and want to buy the very best.
ably never been a Western movie made the company back about 25 years ago, News flash: Freedom Arms has been
that did not have a Colt or copy thereof having already been successful in the working for a couple of years on a
on the set somewhere. Colt is what we construction and mining businesses. new single-shot pistol. I have had the
picture when we think Western sixgun. Starting with a philosophy dedicated to pleasure of shooting the prototype gun
Most of the shapes, the feel, and the building the finest revolvers every made, at ranges out to 600 yards, and find it to
lines of today’s single action revolvers they achieved that goal and continue to be worthy of the Freedom Arms name. It
can be traced back to the Colt Single hold to that standard today. has interchangeable barrels and extrac-
Action Army and to the Colt revolvers I am often asked why I like firearms tors to easily switch calibers, and the
which preceded it. Today, Colt is still so much, and the answer is a complex one that I spent the most trigger-time
producing the Single Action Army re- one. However, a large part of my love of with was chambered for the 6.5mm JDJ
volver. While quality has varied over the guns is my appreciation for well-crafted cartridge. I found it to be very accurate,
past few decades, the examples of the machines. Firearms are still some of the and easy to shoot well.
Cimarron’s
New Plinkerton
.22 Long Rifle
sixgun.
Taurus
Taurus has so many revolvers on Freedom Arms
the market that I cannot keep up with New single-shot pistol.
them. In the world of revolvers, there
is nothing hotter on the market now
than the Taurus Judge. This .45 Colt/.410
shotshell revolver has proved to be very
popular, and production still has not
caught up with demand after about two
years on the market already.
The Judge is, to me, primarily a .410
shotshell revolver with the .45 Colt
being secondary.Properly loaded with
.410 birdshot or buckshot, it would be
AWA Lightningbolt slide action handgun.
ideal to repel attackers at close range,
and it is a natural for those who walk
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 181
Ruger is now making a
Bisley version of their
New Model Vaquero.
recent years to build quality replicas of
markets in a the Remingtons, but I have yet to see a
big way, but they production gun. Uberti seems to have no
certainly have problem in producing these in quantity,
not neglected their and they are well-made and accurate
single-shot handgun sixguns.
line. Introducing their Encore The 1875 Remington Outlaw and
pistol several years ago as a big Frontier are available in blued/color
brother to their popular Con-
tender pistol, the Encore line the 1890 Police is available in blued/
has expanded with many caliber color case-hardened only. The 1875 is
in the woods offerings, making the Encore a very chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge,
or desert where powerful and versatile pistol. Offered and the 1890 Police also adds the option
poisonous snakes in 17 different calibers, with a choice of the .357 Magnum chambering. The
are a problem. Right of walnut or synthetic rubber stock Cattleman is the bread and butter of the
now, Taurus has material and blued steel or stainless, Uberti sixgun line, and it is a 1873 Colt
about a dozen differ- the Encore is a simple yet thoroughly Single Action Army replica of very good
ent variations of the modern hunting pistol capable of cleanly
Judge, in a variety harvesting small game and vermin, then from matte blue to nickel to the highly
switching barrels and taking the largest polished and charcoal blued Frisco
or lightweight, two barrel lengths, and game on earth. with imitation mother of pearl grips.
with either a 2.5" or 3" chamber. Just While building the Encore line of The Cattleman is available withf 4-3/4",
introduced is an even more compact ver- single shot pistols, T-C did not ignore 5.5", and 7.5" barrels, in addition to the
sion of the Judge, based upon the small their original Contender pistol. Upgrad- shorter-barreled Cattleman Bird’s Head,
Model 85 frame size, called the Public ing the design to the new G2 Contender, which can be had with a 3.5", 4” or 4-3/4"
Defender. It should prove to be wildly they offer this pistol in 13 different barrel. Chamberings include the .357
popular as well. chamberings. While smaller than the Magnum, .44 WCF, and .45 Colt.
While still on the Taurus website, Encore, the G2 can still handle the big Uberti’s Stallion is a slightly smaller
their Colt SAA replica called the Gaucho .45-70 Government cartridge. The Con-
seems to be out of production. That tender is, and always has been, a handy, or .38 Special. It’s offered with either
is a shame. Mine is a very accurate, versatile break-open single shot, and is
good-looking and easy-handling sixgun. still the leader in this type of hunting
Hopefully, it is just not in the production handguns. brass grip frame and trigger guard. The
cycle for now, and will come back soon. Bisley replica is offered in blued/ case-
Of course, Taurus still makes many Uberti hardened only, in either .357 Magnum
double-action revolvers, from compact Aldo Uberti began in 1959 the com- or .45 Colt. The top of the line Cattleman
pocket models to those capable of pany that would become a leader in the is called the “El Patron.“ It is a special
taking large game, and their Models 94 revolver in a choice of stainless steel or
cap-and-ball replicas, then moving on to
guns. In the defensive gun market, small Wolff springs and tuned for a better,
pocket revolvers are very popular, and of the American West. Today, Uberti is smoother action. The El Patron wears
one-piece checkered walnut grips and
They offer both lightweight and all-steel many of which we would not be able to is available in .357 Magnum or .45 Colt
versions of their basic Model 85. Right enjoy and shoot, were it not for replicas. chamberings.
now, Taurus USA catalogs almost four Original examples of some of our Uberti offers an impressive line of
dozen different small-frame revolvers beloved sixguns are either too rare or quality cap-and-ball replica sixguns,
built for concealed carry. They also expensive for most of us to enjoy. but I still prefer their cartridge guns,
manufacture a large variety of double- and one of my favorite Uberti sixguns is
action revolvers that are suitable for using modern steel and technology, their top-break Smith & Wesson replica.
hunting small and large game, as well Offered in blued or nickeled steel, these
as for target competition and casual ways superior to the originals. While are excellent quality replicas of the
plinking. almost everyone in the replica business
replicates the Colt Single Action Army,
Thompson-Center Uberti doesn’t stop there. One of my a 5" or 7" barrel and is chambered in .45
Thompson-Center has been the favorite sixguns is the 1875 Remington. Colt, .38 Special, or .44 WCF. The Russian
leader in single shot handguns for Uberti makes very good replicas of both is offered in .44 Russian or .45 Colt, and
decades now. In the past few years, the 1875 and 1890 Remington revolvers. there is even a hand-engraved version of
T-C has entered the muzzleloading and Other makers have attempted in
182 GUN DIGEST ® Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book
obsolete by many for about the last
will certainly not endear itself to single- 100 years, but the sixgun is far from
action purists, but it should prove to be dead, and is still by far the best
design found to date to easily
This about wraps up my attempt to handle the best and most powerful
cover the revolver scene for 2009, and of the world’s handgun cartridges.
is by no means a comprehensive list of
North American Arms “The Earl,” shown everything available to revolver fans.
here with “loading lever” opened. While it looks like the semi-auto pistols
are here to stay, there is still a large
USFA (United States
Fire Arms) who love the simplicity, accuracy, and
convenience of the grand old sixgun,
USFA is celebrating 15 years of pro-
ducing some of the best-built Colt SAA accuracy of a good single shot pistol.
replicas ever produced. Their quality is In this section, I have just hit the high
comparable to any Colt ever built, and spots, and am sure that in the months
in addition to the SAA replica, they also
The USFA Snubnose is the
introduced that will pique the interest
such as the Omni-Potent Six-Shooter, ultimate single-action belly gun.
which is kind of a single-action version arm that holds a half dozen cartridges in
of the old double-action Colt Model a revolving cylinder has been declared
checkered walnut stocks. Like most of The Uberti New Model Russian
the USFA lineup, the caliber choices are is a faithful replica of the Smith &
.32 WCF, .38 Special, .38 WCF, .44 Special, Wesson Russian revolver.
.44 WCF, and .45 Colt. They also offer
a short-barreled version of the Omni-
Potent, called (appropriately enough)
the Snubnose. The Snubnose is available
with a choice of a 2", 3" or 4" barrel. This
Click Here to Order the Gun Digest Book 64TH EDITION, 2010 183
BY PAUL SCARLATA
PHOTOS BY JAMES WALTERS AND BUTCH SIMPSON
rst became interested ogy occurred during this three-decade hinged-frame, top-break variety, and,
rearms (no, I’m not going to tell time span. while popular, they were never viewed
you how long ago that was!) I have rearm was perfected as quite rugged enough or chambered
associated certain periods in history during this era that has garnered little of for powerful enough cartridges to be a
rearms. For example, the attention lavished upon its contem- real threat to Colt’s predominance in the
when I think of the Thirty Years War in poraries: the double action (DA) revolv- American military and civilian markets.
rearm that er. While DA revolvers were nothing new, rst swing-out
comes to mind is the matchlock musket. having been around since the 1850s, in cylinder revolver, the .32 Hand Ejector,
Nor can I discuss the American Revolu- the 1890-1910 period the newly perfected in 1896 followed by the 38-caliber
tion (1775-1781) without mentioning swing-out cylinder unloading/reloading Military & Police revolver in 1899. The
Daniel Morgan’s Virginians and their system was combined with improved .44 Hand Ejector used the same basic
es. When the Napoleonic Wars DA trigger mechanisms to produce the mechanism as these smaller caliber
(1804-1815) are the subject, I envision modern revolver as we know it today. In revolvers. The cylinder was locked by a
red coated infantry marching in forma- rm ground when I rod that passed through the ejector sys-
intlock Brown Bess muskets, state that except for magnum cartridges tem and latched into a recess on the face
while the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the use of high tech metals, there is of the breech while a second lock was
ed little about the modern DA revolver that provided by a spring loaded stud in a lug
eld. nd underneath the barrel that snapped into
And I doubt there is a gun fancier in the remarkable. the forward end of the ejector rod. But
world who does not connect the settling And of all the revolvers developed S&W felt that a stronger system would
of America’s western frontier with the during this time, none of them is more be required with the powerful cartridges
Winchester lever action carbine and Colt interesting than the heavy-caliber, large- they intended to use, so additional lock-
SAA revolver. eld, ing was provided by a bolt housed in
nd rm of Smith & Wesson. the ejector rod shroud that locked into a
the period most interesting to be that rst mortise on the cylinder yoke.
thirty-year stretch between 1884 and large frame (referred to as the N-frame), The .44 Hand Ejector could be ordered
1914. During this time we saw the inven- swing-out cylinder, DA revolver, the with 4-, 5-, 6- or 6.5-inch barrels, with
tion of smokeless gunpowder and small .44 Hand Ejector – also known as the wooden or hard rubber grips and a
e cartridges, the perfection of ‘Triple Lock” or “New Century” – in 1907 nish.
es, semiauto- to compete with Colt’s New Service re- S&W also introduced a new cartridge
matic pistols and fully automatic volver. Up until this time all that was to become as famous, if not
rearms. From the groundbreak- of S&W’s large-caliber more so, than the revolver itself: the .44
ing 8mm Lebel cartridge and revolvers had S&W Special. This was based upon their
e to the been of the popular .44 Russian but used a case 0.2
Colt 1911 pistol and Maxim inch (5mm) longer and loaded a 246-gr.
machine gun, many of the lead bullet moving at 755 fps. In addition
greatest advances in to becoming popular for law enforce-
rearms technol- ment and self defense,
it quickly earned a
reputation for accuracy
and preempted the
.44 Russian as the
dominant target
22 GUN DIGEST ®
THE N-FRAME S&W REVOLVER
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THE N-FRAME S&W REVOLVER
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THE N-FRAME S&W REVOLVER
Highway Patrolman Model 329NG Night Guard Note: I would like to thank the following
Caliber ........................................357 S&W Magnum Caliber ....................................................44 Magnum persons and organizations for supplying
Barrel length .................................................... 4", 6" Barrel length .......................................................2.5" revolvers, ammunition, photos and
Overall length ..............................9.25" (4" barrel) Overall length ...................................................7.75" much needed information used in the
Weight (unloaded) .................................... 41.75 oz. Weight (unloaded) ...................................... 29.7 oz. preparation for this article: Roy Jinks, Ken
Capacity .....................................................................6 Capacity .....................................................................6 Jorgensen, Lois Chase, Vincent Scarlata,
Grips ...........................................checkered walnut Grips ..........................................................Pachmayr Butch Simpson, Bonnie Young, Daniel
Front sight ....................................................... blade Front sight .............. interchangeable brass bead
Hecht, Smith & Wesson, Inc., Fiocchi USA,
Rear sight ....................................... fully adjustable Rear sight ......................................................V notch
PMC and Blount, Inc.
Select Bibliography
red each gun for ac- target at ten yards and we performed
Boothroyd, Geoffrey. The Handgun. New York:
curacy from a rest at 50 feet. the following drills with each revolver.
Bonanza Books, Inc., 1967.
ring large caliber revolvers As we did not have holsters suitable
eld, Bruce. U.S. Infantry Weapons of
from a rest can be a trying process, our (i.e., big enough) for our test guns, each World War II. Lincoln, RI: Andrew Mowbray
quartet of big Smiths proved control- drill began with the shooter holding the Publishers, 1996.
lable and accurate. As luck would have revolver at the low ready position (45 eld, Bruce. U.S. Infantry Weapons of the
it, all four printed more or less to point degree angle to the ground). The test First World War. Lincoln, RI: Andrew Mowbray
xed-sight Triple Lock. protocol was as follows: Publishers, 2000.
Neither of us was surprised when hon- re. Ezell, Edward Clinton. Handguns of the World.
New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1981.
nely made Performance re, double taps.
Hogg, Ian V. and Weeks, John. Pistols of the
Center Model 625, which put six rounds 3. Six rounds as fast as we could World eld, IL: DBI Books, Inc., 1982.
of Speer hardball into a pleasing 1-5/8- ash sight picture. Jinks, Roy G. History of Smith & Wesson. North
inch group. Somewhat surprisingly, the nd that all four Hollywood, CA: Beinfeld, Publishing, Inc., 1977.
runner-up was the heaviest recoiling of of the N-frames performed these tasks Myatt, Major Frederick. Pistols and Revolvers.
our test guns, the Model 29, with a beau- with aplomb. In fact, except for a few London: Salamander Books, Ltd., 1980.
tifully centered 1-3/4-inch group. Even hits in the outer scoring zones caused Neal, Robert J. and Roy G. Jinks. Smith & Wes-
thought it had the shortest barrel, the by the Triple Lock’s rather minuscule son 1857-1945. Livonia, NY: R&R Books, 1975.
Highway Patrolman was no slouch with sights, all four of our targets had nicely Nonte, George. Combat Handguns. Harrisburg,
a half dozen .357s in 2-1/8 inches, while PA: The Stackpole Books, 1980.
centered groups in their respective X
the greybeard of the bunch, the Triple Smith, W.H.B. Book of Pistols and Revolvers.
and 10 rings. Except for the differences
Lock, showed it could still do what was Seacaucus, NJ: Castle Books. 1968.
in felt recoil the performances of these
needed to be done with six Fiocchi .455s Stebbins, Henry H., Albert J. Shay and
revolvers – each of which was produced Oscar R. Hammond. Pistols, A Modern En-
in 2-3/8 inches. red a different car- cyclopedia. Harrisburg, PA: The Stackpole
Butch then set up a series of D-1 tridge and was designed for a different Company, 1961.
BY JEFF QUINN
he past year has certainly been an its own, with many knowledgeable Let’s take a look at some of the better
interesting one for gun owners. We citizens recognizing the advantages of a offerings of revolvers, derringers, and
nest selec- ghting single-shot pistols that are available
rearms available anywhere gun. While revolvers can break, it is a today. With modern revolvers now hav-
in the world, yet we also have politicians rare occurrence. I have never heard of ve to twelve rounds
vowing to rip those guns from our pos- a revolver having a failure to feed or in their cylinders, 2011 is a good year for
session. However, on most fronts, I think having a cartridge case hang up halfway those who choose to purchase and enjoy
we’re winning. through ejection. Another plus is that “Revolvers and Others.”
Just in the last few months, several a revolver does not leave your empty
new concealed-carry guns have hit brass lying on the ground. Many of us AMERICAN WESTERN ARMS
the market, and more are on the way. choose revolvers for personal defense AWA is best known for their line of
I have seen prototypes of some very for these reasons, and while there are 1873 single action revolvers, which are
interesting and useful compact revolvers some good semiautos that are used for some excellent Colt replica sixguns. Of-
that should be available by the time hunting, most handgun hunters choose fered in most popular chamberings and
this Gun Digest goes to press. While either a revolver or a quality single-shot, barrel lengths, the AWA line consists of
many choose a semiauto for concealed for reasons of accuracy, power, and their Classic revolvers, made very much
carry, the compact revolver still holds reliability. like the sixguns of the late nineteenth
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Bond Arms Snake Slayer .45 Colt/.410 shotshell derringer. An extremely well-built derringer of the Remington pattern.
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REVOLVERS AND OTHERS
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REVOLVERS AND OTHERS
leather holsters in which to carry your alloy-frame guns. Made in a variety of The eye-catching Cougar and Panther
derringer. I particularly like the hori- nish has proven to from Charter Arms.
zontal driving holster. It is ideal to wear be extremely popular with women in
while riding in a vehicle or on an ATV or Charter’s Pink Lady variation of their is lightweight and easy to conceal yet
motorcycle, placing the handgun within ve-shot .38. They also have a couple of ve .44 Special cartridges in
reach for a fast and comfortable draw. nish. I refer to the cylinder. Recoil is stiff with heavy
cially as their “Cat” revolv- loads, but not really painful at all. These
CHARTER ARMS ers. The Cougar has a pink mottled stainless revolvers are not much bigger
Charter Arms has built their reputa- nish, and the Panther a medium-dark than a compact .38 Special but pack a
tion upon providing very useful gun nish. I have handled hefty punch. In addition to their popular
designs that are affordable for the and shot both of these, and they are .38 Special and .44 Special revolvers,
common man. I have many times relied indeed good-shooting, lightweight nder
upon a Charter revolver for various revolvers. Both have exposed hammers e and .22 Magnum,
needs, mostly a .38 Special riding in a and black synthetic grips, and they draw along with revolvers chambered for the
boot or pocket for protection, and at a crowd when brought out in public. .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum,
other times packing their handy little nish while others hate and .357 Magnum. Charter also makes
nder as a trail gun while it. No one seems to be neutral on these a true left-handed snubnose revolver
just bumming around in the woods. The nishes from Charter Arms. called the Southpaw. The Southpaw is a
Charter revolvers are available in blued Personally I like them, especially the mirror image of their standard revolver
steel or stainless, and recently they nish. design with the cylinder latch on the
have added alloy frames to the lineup Besides these, Charter still builds right side; the cylinder swings out to the
for those who want to carry the lightest their legendary .44 Special Bulldog re- right as well.
possible package. ll a Also of interest to us here is the
The latest innovation from Charter needed niche in the market as they have Charter Dixie Derringer. The Dixie is a
nishes that they apply to their for the past few decades. The Bulldog e or .22 Magnum
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CIMARRON
For many years now, Mike Harvey
and the gang at Cimarron Firearms in
Fredericksburg, Texas, have been at the
forefront of marketing quality replicas
es and handguns. An awesome snubbie:
Of concern here is their extensive line the Smith & Wesson
of authentically reproduced historic Model 25 .45 ACP
sixguns. Cimarron has not only 1873
Single Action Army replicas, but has
also delved into other lesser-known but
rearms of the nineteenth
century. Cimarron offers replicas of most
of the major players in the cap and ball
sixgun business of that era, such as the
Walker, Dragoon, Army and Navy guns,
as well as the Remington and even the
Leech & Rigdon guns. Cimarron covers
the transition from cap and ball to
cartridge with their conversion revolvers
and the 1872 Colt replica. The company
also offers the Remington 1875 and 1890
cartridge revolvers, as well as a variety
of the Smith & Wesson break-open six-
Chiappa Rhino .357
eld
Magnum revolver.
models.
Besides these authentic single action
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REVOLVERS AND OTHERS
Ruger LCR polymer-framed .38 Special, one of the hottest revolvers on the market.
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revolver design ever produced. Colt .44 Magnums and the .45 Colt. These Blackhawk Ruger eight-shot .327 Federal
still produces the SAA, and the latest sixguns are built with all-steel frames in Magnum Blackhawk with Barranti
sixguns that they have been shipping for a choice of nickeled, blued, or case-hard- Leather rig. The term “six-shooter” is
the past few years are as good as any nishes and have the traditional obviously inadequate to describe it.
that Colt has ever produced. Available half-cock loading feature but include a
in three barrel lengths (4.75, 5.5, and modern transfer bar safety action that repair if dropped hard. The Freedom
7.5 inches), the Single Action Army is permits carrying them fully loaded, with Arms revolver is tough. It is built to very
chambered in a choice of .357 Magnum, a live round under the hammer without close tolerances but can also take a lot
.44 WCF, .45 Colt, .38 Special, .32 WCF ring if accidentally dropped. of abuse. Chambered for such powerful
(.32-20) and .38 WCF (.38-40). The SAA The double-action Windicator revolv- cartridges as the .454 Casull and the .475
is available in blued/case-hardened or ers are chambered for the .38 Special Linebaugh, the Freedom revolvers will
nishes. Through the Colt Custom cartridge with an alloy frame, or the withstand a lot more punishment than
Shop, many options are available such all-steel .357 Magnum version. Both re- most shooters can endure. The Freedom
as non-standard barrel lengths and volvers have a synthetic rubber grip and Arms revolvers are meticulously
hand engraving. nish, with a nished to perfection. The
choice of two- or four-inch barrel. chambers in the cylinder are precisely
EUROPEAN AMERICAN ARMORY aligned with the bore, and every detail
EAA Corp. has a line of Single Action FREEDOM ARMS of these revolvers follows the same
Army replica revolvers called the Freedom Arms of Freedom, Wyoming, precise standard of quality.
Bounty Hunter. These sixguns are ne, sturdy, and The large-frame Model 83 is the
available chambered for the .22 Long super-accurate revolvers. It is often agship of the Freedom Arms line and is
e and .22 Magnum cartridges, with said that a Freedom Arms revolver is chambered for the aforementioned .454
an alloy frame and a choice of six or ne Swiss watch. I disagree. Casull and .475 Linebaugh cartridges,
eight-shot cylinders. The available A Swiss watch has a lot of tiny, delicate in addition to the .357 Magnum and .500
re chamberings are the .357 and parts, and can get screwed up beyond Wyoming Express cartridges and the
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REVOLVERS AND OTHERS
.41 and .44 Magnums. It’s available with es, but they also t into
xed sights or rugged adjustable sights. have made a big splash in the market most any pocket, and are handy enough
The adjustable-sight guns also accept a last year with their Bounty Hunter to always be with you, no matter what
variety of scope mounts. Model 92 lever action pistol. The Bounty the attire or climate. Chambered for the
The Model 97 is Freedom’s compact Hunter resembles a sawed-off Model 92 e, or .22 Magnum
frame single action revolver. Built to the e, but is built from the cartridges, these little jewels are easy to
same tight tolerances as the Model 83 start as a pistol, so it needs no special carry and surprisingly accurate within
revolvers, the Model 97 is a bit handier NFA tax stamp for approval. It can be their intended range. The small sights
to carry all day and is chambered for purchased just like any other pistol, and short sight radius makes hitting
e/Magnum and has become quite popular for its at a distance a challenge with most of
re cartridges, as well as the .327 nostalgic appeal, as well as its reliable them, but there is one model – the Pug
Federal, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, function and accuracy. Legacy also – available with a really good set of
re markets a couple of good holster rigs high-visibility sights, and now LaserLyte
cartridges. In addition to these standard for this “mare’s leg” pistol, made by Bob makes a laser sight just for the NAA
handgun cartridges, the Model 97 is also Mernickle exclusively for Legacy Sports. revolvers, adding to their usefulness and
available in Freedom Arms’ own .224-32 The holster and belt combo is a beauti- versatility.
cartridge, which is a fast-stepping .22 ful rig and makes a necessary addition
re based on the .327 Federal to the Bounty Hunter, completing the ROSSI
cartridge case. nostalgic package. Rossi has been producing reliable and
First introduced to the public last Legacy also has their 1873 Colt replica affordable revolvers for decades. These
year, the Freedom Arms Model 2008 sixgun called the Puma Westerner. double-action sixguns are available
rst single shot These are reliable and well-built sixguns, chambered for the .38 Special and .357
handgun that ever stirred any interest in chambered for the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum cartridges, in either blued steel
me. There have been several very good WCF, and .45 Colt cartridges, with 4.75-, nishes. Rossi was acquired
single shot pistols on the market for 5.5-, or 7.5- inch barrels. They are very by Taurus a few months ago, and all of
years, but the Freedom Arms is the only high-quality Colt SAA replicas. These
one that is built like a Freedom Arms sixguns are offered with a blued and
red a couple of these nish with walnut grips,
chambered in the 6.5x55 and 6.5 JDJ nish with walnut grips, or with
cartridges, as well as one chambered nish and white synthetic
for the .375 Winchester cartridge. ivory grips. The Puma line also includes
Current chamberings offered are the a very affordable single action replica
.223 Remington, 6.5 Swede, 7mm BR, e or .22
7mm-08, .308 Winchester, .357 Magnum, Magnum cartridge that would make a
.357 Maximum, .338 Federal and .375 good trainer for the larger bores, but
Winchester. Standard barrel lengths will be a lot less costly to shoot.
are 10,15, and 16 inches, depending on
caliber, but non-standard lengths are MAGNUM RESEARCH
available as well for a nominal cost. Magnum Research of Minneapolis,
The oddly-named and
What makes this single shot so Minnesota, has been producing their
somewhat angular
comfortable to shoot is the single action quality BFR revolver for many years
Windicator .38 Special.
revolver grip style. Shooting the pistol now. These robust single action revolv-
allows the gun to recoil comfortably, ers are built for hunting the largest,
with no pain at all to the hands as is most dangerous game on the planet. In
encountered with some single shot addition to their venerable .454 Casull
pistols. The barrels are interchangeable, revolvers, the BFR is available in other
tted barrels available from high-performance calibers like the .460
Freedom Arms, allowing the shooter to and .500 Smith & Wesson Magnums,
switch among any of the available barrel the .475 Linebaugh and .480 Ruger
and caliber options all on one frame. revolver cartridges, as well as the .30-30
The Model 2008 weighs in around four e
pounds, depending on barrel length cartridges. The BFR is also available
and caliber. The barrel is drilled for a chambered for the ever-popular .45
Freedom Arms scope mount, and the Colt/.410 shotshell combination, which
scope stays with the barrel, allowing offers a lot of versatility in a handgun.
the interchange of the barrels without
affecting the sight adjustment. These
NORTH AMERICAN ARMS
new single shot pistols have handsome The North American Arms mini-
impregnated wood grips and forends revolvers are well-established in the
and are shipping now. market place, being in production for
a long time now, but they seem more
LEGACY SPORTS ve-shot
Legacy Sports is best known for their miniature revolvers are more often than
not bought as a deep-concealment hand-
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the Rossi revolvers are now produced of stainless steel. These new Flattop itself already, selling in large numbers
by Taurus in Brazil. They are quality, models have proven to be wildly popular since its introduction in 1986. This year
reliable revolvers built for concealed among single action sixgun enthusiasts. Lipsey’s, a large Ruger distributor, has
carry or as a duty/hunting gun. Avail- Ruger has also taken the .327 Federal a special high-polish blued steel GP-100
xed sights cartridge that they introduced a couple that is the best-looking double action
for concealment or longer barrels and of years ago in the SP-101 compact .357 Magnum to ever leave the Ruger
adjustable sights for precision shooting, revolver and chambered it in the Black- factory. Moving up in size a bit is the
the Rossi line still means a quality hawk. This stainless Blackhawk has an Ruger Redhawk, chambered for the .44
product at an affordable price. eight-shot cylinder and is strong enough Magnum and .45 Colt cartridges. The
to exploit the full potential of the .327 Redhawk is bull-strong and as reliable
RUGER Federal cartridge. This little cartridge as an anvil. Though it has been around
Sturm, Ruger builds some of the stron- really performs, offering high velocities for over thirty years, I have never seen a
gest and most reliable revolvers avail- and deep penetration. The Ruger’s worn-out Redhawk. They can withstand
able today. The company’s Single-Six cylinder is long enough to handle the a lifetime of shooting and never miss a
and Blackhawk lines are running strong, long 120- and 135-gr. .327 bullets (which beat. At the top of the heap, at least in
with the welcome addition of the New actually measure from .312 to .313 inch size, is the Super Redhawk, chambered
Model Flattop Blackhawk introduced a diameter). for the .44 Magnum and the .454 Casull.
couple of years ago. Ruger now offers In their double action revolver line, re .45
as a regular catalog item the Flattop .44 Ruger also chambers the relatively new Colt cartridges – as long as the shooter
Special. This is a long-awaited .44 Spe- .327 Federal in their GP-100 revolver. takes care to scrub the chambers clean
cial built on the frame that is sized like This revolver is also built from stainless afterwards – and is a very versatile
that of the original .357 Blackhawk. The steel, wears a four-inch barrel, and has handgun. Built for hunting, the Super
.44 Special Flattop is also available in a a seven-shot cylinder. Of course, Ruger Redhawk comes supplied with scope
n- still has the GP-100 in .357 Magnum. This mounts and is a superb choice for hunt-
ish, and also as a regular Flattop made is one of the strongest, most reliable, ing large game with teeth and claws.
and most durable double action .357 At the other end of the size scale,
Magnum sixguns ever built. Ruger got Ruger introduced their polymer-framed
started in the double action revolver ve-shot .38 Special revolver last
business with their excellent Six series year, and it has been a runaway success.
rst handgun Ruger has sold many thousands of these
was a blued steel four-inch .357 rst year, and
Magnum Ruger Security-Six. I demand is still outpacing supply. Mine
learned to shoot with that superb has proven to be strong, reliable, and
sixgun. It was strong, reliable, and accurate. Look for other additions to
just the right size and balance for the Ruger defensive revolver line this
a .357 Magnum revolver. year. They have some promising new
The Six series has given handguns in the works.
way now to the GP-100
series, and the GP is a wor-
SMITH & WESSON
thy replacement, probably Smith & Wesson has been in the
better in many ways than revolver business for over 150 years. No
my old Security-Six. The longer producing any single action re-
GP-100 has proven volvers, with the one exception of their
Performance Center engraved Model 3
eld, S&W is probably the most pro-
c producer of double action revolvers
e up
through the formidable .500 Smith &
Wesson Magnum, if a revolver cartridge
exists, chances are that S&W has at least
one revolver chambered for it. The small
ve-shot .38 Special revolvers
are some of the most popular self
defense guns ever produced. The Model
642 is probably the best-selling revolver
in the S&W line. It is a compact, reliable
ve-shot revolver with a concealed
hammer and a lightweight frame. It’s
easily slipped into the pocket, where it
rides comfortably, day in and day out,
ready for action when needed. While
ght, I
often carry a lightweight .38 S&W in my
pocket. It can just be placed there and
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offers authentic replicas of the Colt and number range, simulated ivory grips,
Remington cap and ball revolvers. and a quality western holster and belt
rig.
U. S. FIRE ARMS USFA now offers a slightly scaled
USFA of Hartford, Connecticut, builds down version of the SAA frame that
es come some of the best 1873 style Single Action is chambered for the .327 Federal
pre-drilled for Army revolvers that money can buy, cartridge. Called the Sparrowhawk, this
scope mounts to crafted to precisely replicate one of the nish
take full advantage nest sixguns ever designed but built on and a 7-1/2-inch barrel. It has a fully
of their power and ac- tted adjustable rear sight and a post front
curacy potential. by American craftsmen. I own a few of sight. The sights are just like the ones
the USFA revolvers, and each one that on their .357 Magnum Shooting Master
UBERTI red has been very revolver.
Uberti Firearms has been producing tted. USFA offers As I stated at the beginning of this
quality replicas of nineteenth century an extensive choice of calibers and piece, last year was certainly an inter-
rearms for decades now. options, from hand engraving to ivory esting one for gun owners, and this next
es and or fancy walnut stocks. Caliber choices year looks to be exciting as well. Gun
handguns for other companies such e, .32 WCF, manufacturers are reporting all-time
as Beretta (Uberti’s parent company) .38 WCF, .44 WCF, .38 Special and .44 high sales numbers, as well as strong
and Cimarron, Uberti also markets Special. Standard barrel lengths of 4.75, nancial
rearms. The 5.5, and 7.5 inches are available, as well recession. As we cross into this second
Uberti Cattleman series replicates the as non-standard custom shop lengths. decade of this new millennium, revolver
Colt Single Action Army design and Abbreviated barrel lengths are available sales are still very strong. The semiauto
includes the brand-new Callahan Model on some models. fans have tried to put the nail into the
that is chambered for the .44 Magnum One very unique USFA sixgun that n of the antiquated revolver for de-
rst for an SAA I love is their Snubnose model. This cades now, but it refuses to die. No need
clone. This Magnum is offered with origi- ed for such rivalry! While semiauto designs
attop style Thunderer style grip, and is the ultimate are more popular than ever, many
with adjustable target sights. In addition single action big bore belly gun. Offered shooters, hunters, and those who carry
to the Callahan, Uberti offers this 1873 in blue or nickel, it wears a full-size concealed still prefer the reliable, ac-
style sixgun in .45 Colt, .357 Magnum, rounded grip and for a touch of class, it curate, and easy-to-use revolver. At the
and .44 WCF (.44-40) cartridges. Finish has a lanyard loop on the butt. [Editor’s same time, the derringer is still running
options run from a standard blued/case- Note: The USFA Snubnose, as well as strong, providing a compact, simple de-
hardened to nickel and even a bright its big brother the Omnipotent, seem to sign with plenty of power for close-range
nish. be modeled after the Colt Model 1878 performance. The single shot pistol is
The Uberti Stallion is a slightly Double Action but are single action only. still very popular with hunters, offering
scaled-down version of the Single Action -DMS] Another USFA that I love is their e-like accuracy with rugged reliability
Army and is chambered in a choice of John Wayne “Red River D” sixgun. This and simplicity. 2011 is shaping up to
e or .38 Special, gun replicates the Single Action Army be a banner year for gun sales of all
e. There are revolver that John Wayne carried in types, with revolver sales con-
also Bisley and birdshead grip models most of his western movies, and tinuing to be red-hot.
available. Uberti also has fans of the old it has his Red River D cattle
Remington revolvers covered with their brand tastefully applied
Outlaw, Police, and Frontier models, to the gun. The John
replicating the 1875 and 1890 Remington Wayne revolver has
revolvers. Uberti has several variations a special serial
of the S&W top-break revolver, including
the Number 3 Second model, as well as
the Russian, in both nickel and blued
nishes as well as fully hand engraved
models. These are available in .38
Special, .44 Russian, and .45 Colt
chamberings. Uberti has not
forgotten the fans of the
early cap and ball
sixguns and