Finest quality percussion revolvers?

[springfield art]

Not for long ,the laws they are a changin NY just did and more to follow! /Ed

PA just elected a Dem Gov, and already the talk is of more 'gun control'; you can't 'control' the hooded, wraith-like urban street-dwellers who already ignore any and all laws; moral, legal, common sense, etc. I can't point to any proof, but based on the sound recording from one shooting that was on the news, I believe there's some use of fully automatic guns in crime in Philly, but news of that is being suppressed by the administration and news press. Again, I have no proof to point to, just my "impression".

 

[poker]

Any legitimate manufacturing co. has lots of fixed costs. Labor, management, lights, insurance, taxes, etc. all need to be paid to survive. It seems to me that unless a company can keep a production line for any certain product going full time, they’re not going to make it. And switching back and forth between products is not real efficient either. If steady production isnt possible, it becomes custom work and really gets pricey to justify it. Theres not much chance of that happening for long anyway. Also, if the sales keep dwindling on the imports, expect availability to tank, and prices to rise.

 

[Jimbob]

And that is the main difference. It's all about knowing WHAT to do to WHAT !! Everybody thinks they're a tuner when they aren't!! Lol!!
If you have some sandpaper and a Dremel, you're Jim Martin!!

Do you have a web site or some other on line presence, if so what is it?

 

[satwel]

If you are looking for high-end BP revolvers, google Hege revolvers. I've seen only one of the Remingtons for sale in the USA. And that was years ago.

https://www.waffen-hege.de/en/458-aopen-top-revolvers

 

[Relic shooter]

If I'm spending that kind of money I'm buying antiques.

Very intelligent statement
If your a gun collector & a shooter not make good sense to spend the same money for a repro when you can get an original that will increase in value.
Plus original original Colts & Remingtons have progressive twist rifling that makes them produce better accuracy.
Several years ago special custom produced repro Remington revolvers were available to serious competitors with progressive twist rifling but they sold for as much as an nice original.
Most of us are avid history buffs, why not enjoy owning & shooting the real deal & I can honestly state that my vintage era flint & percussion rifles & pistols will shoot as accurate or better than any factory or custom built copy.
Relic shooter

 

[Bad Karma]

I doubt if $2000 revolvers will sell enough to make it worthwhile to tool up to make them. We've been spoiled with the Italian repros for so long it would be hard to convince most to drop 2k on one revolver.
Another factor against it is the perception that these are range TOYS. Kinda like airguns in this country. They're looked at as toys, while in Europe they're taken as serious arms.
There's a segment of shooters that take them serious and would spend the money, I just don't know if there's enough. Me, spend 2k on one revolver? Nope. Now, if USFA was still in business, and could sell them for half that, sure, put me down for a 51 Navy and a 60 army, I can justify that.

What if I showed up at your range with a Hamilton Bowen class 1860 and fired a few 1” 25 yard groups from a revolver of that kind of quality? Would your resolve begin to waver?

I Don’t think Standard Manufacturing would even wast their time they already make a shotgun and a 1911 along with the single Action and in todays crumbling financial market they’re having trouble getting buyers now as it is.

Do you know this? I design and sell commercial and ranch irrigation systems. In today’s crumbling financial markets I’m having trouble keeping up with demand. Unless you have seen the financials I wouldn’t be so sure.

 

[Stantheman86]

If you are looking for high-end BP revolvers, google Hege revolvers. I've seen only one of the Remingtons for sale in the USA. And that was years ago.

https://www.waffen-hege.de/en/458-aopen-top-revolvers

If I see one I'm bidding till it hurts

 

[Stantheman86]

Very intelligent statement
If your a gun collector & a shooter not make good sense to spend the same money for a repro when you can get an original that will increase in value.
Plus original original Colts & Remingtons have progressive twist rifling that makes them produce better accuracy.
Several years ago special custom produced repro Remington revolvers were available to serious competitors with progressive twist rifling but they sold for as much as an nice original.
Most of us are avid history buffs, why not enjoy owning & shooting the real deal & I can honestly state that my vintage era flint & percussion rifles & pistols will shoot as accurate or better than any factory or custom built copy.
Relic shooter

I'm not putting 1000s of rounds through an historical artifact. An original couldn't hold up to how much I shoot

Not everyone pops off 12 rounds a month then heads to Denny's for lunch

I sold most of my military surplus bolt action rifles because I was shooting the throats out in some of them , and rebarreling a Gew88 isn't going to happen. I sold everything and started buying firearms I can actually shoot as much as I want , such as Ruger Vaqueros

 

[Notchy Bob]

I looked up US Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company (USFA) and found they were incorporated in 1993, which was earlier than I thought, and the company was officially dissolved in 2017, which was later than I realized, although they apparently stopped making Colt-style single-action clones in 2011. I would still maintain that they just lost their focus. If in doubt, look up their "USFA ZiP .22" firearm. They should have stuck with single actions...

If anybody is interested, this is the USFA percussion revolver manual I mentioned in post #35:



It is a small, pocket-sized manual, four inches by six and one-half inches, and 44 pages long.



Somebody put a lot of thought into writing this. Most of the directions are written in a very authentic 19th century prose, with loading, cleaning, and maintenance instructions, and the illustrations look "period":



I guess the significance of this would be that USFA must have been seriously intending to produce percussion revolvers at one time. As noted previously, this publication was in the box with a Colt-style .38 Special revolver I got from them. It was certainly put in the box with that gun by mistake, but it is actually a dandy little booklet, and I'm glad to have it.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Pukatea Bay Boy]

Theres a bit of Gold

 

[Stantheman86]

I looked up US Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company (USFA) and found they were incorporated in 1993, which was earlier than I thought, and the company was officially dissolved in 2017, which was later than I realized, although they apparently stopped making Colt-style single-action clones in 2011. I would still maintain that they just lost their focus. If in doubt, look up their "USFA ZiP .22" firearm. They should have stuck with single actions...

If anybody is interested, this is the USFA percussion revolver manual I mentioned in post #35:

View attachment 207127

It is a small, pocket-sized manual, four inches by six and one-half inches, and 44 pages long.

View attachment 207128

Somebody put a lot of thought into writing this. Most of the directions are written in a very authentic 19th century prose, with loading, cleaning, and maintenance instructions, and the illustrations look "period":

View attachment 207132

I guess the significance of this would be that USFA must have been seriously intending to produce percussion revolvers at one time. As noted previously, this publication was in the box with a Colt-style .38 Special revolver I got from them. It was certainly put in the box with that gun by mistake, but it is actually a dandy little booklet, and I'm glad to have it.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

They apparently planned to use Uberti raw parts , but that may have just been for the initial offering. Those still would have been very nice revolvers.

USFA may well have intended on a 100% in house production Colt Percussion lineup but that's all a History's Mystery now

I wonder if anyone ever got a 1910 or 1911 out of them. I have never , not once heard of anyone owning one but they were listed as available. Because I had wanted a 1910 back in 2006 or so.

 

[Pete453]

GYJ, those are beauties, I never get tired of looking at them

 

[Pete453]

What if I showed up at your range with a Hamilton Bowen class 1860 and fired a few 1” 25 yard groups from a revolver of that kind of quality? Would your resolve begin to waver?

You got me there! Please don't, I'm weak in that respect!
As I said earlier, if USFA had produced some I wouldn't have been able to resist. I handled a couple of their revolvers, they were top shelf. Sure wish they were still around...

 

[Widows Son]

If you have ever handled a Pedersoli revolver, you would have had in your hands the “finest quality percussion revolver “.

They do indeed put the care and attention into fit and finish, and they are machined to close tolerances.

That’s why they are so expensive.

 

[GYJ]

Very intelligent statement
If your a gun collector & a shooter not make good sense to spend the same money for a repro when you can get an original that will increase in value.
Plus original original Colts & Remingtons have progressive twist rifling that makes them produce better accuracy.
Several years ago special custom produced repro Remington revolvers were available to serious competitors with progressive twist rifling but they sold for as much as an nice original.
Most of us are avid history buffs, why not enjoy owning & shooting the real deal & I can honestly state that my vintage era flint & percussion rifles & pistols will shoot as accurate or better than any factory or custom built copy.
Relic shooter

That's a lot of personal bias talking. I can pretty much buy whatever I want. I own zero 1st generation Colt SAA's but several high end replicas. Why? Because they're simply better guns and I'm paying for quality, not a collector-induced premium. No way would I pay $4000 for a blackpowder relic when I could have a brand new USFA or Standard for less.

Same would apply to a USFA-level percussion gun. If made to the same standards as the domestic SAA's, they would be measurably better than any Colt that ever existed, past or present. Their machining and finish work is infinitely better than a 150yr old Colt. If such a replica gun cost $2000, what original gun would that compare to? One that is completely pitted and wore out. No thanks. Not everybody wants to shoot original guns.

 

[Pete453]

The materials in the originals are softer than modern steel, they won't stand up to serious shooting without needing tlc. I would rather spend 2k on a high quality modern gun that's going to shrug off any amount of shooting and give a lifetime of service, as opposed to spending it on an original that may wear out in a couple years and need a visit to Dr. 45D. A serious shooter, like a cowboy shooter, or a high volume weekend shooter is going to leave that original in sorry shape. That wouldn't be cool.

 

[Relic shooter]

The materials in the originals are softer than modern steel, they won't stand up to serious shooting without needing tlc. I would rather spend 2k on a high quality modern gun that's going to shrug off any amount of shooting and give a lifetime of service, as opposed to spending it on an original that may wear out in a couple years and need a visit to Dr. 45D. A serious shooter, like a cowboy shooter, or a high volume weekend shooter is going to leave that original in sorry shape. That wouldn't be cool.

I'm putting my 60+ years of experience of shooting originals to argue the point that CW vintage Remington & Colt revolvers & commercially produced muskets wont hold up to shooting.
Many American blacksmith produced rifles & pistols have questionable forged steel barrels & locks but most English & European firearms of the same era that I shoot still show no wear.
The CW & earlier firearms I continue shooting are still good as new, not many modern firearms can compare with this quality standard..

45 D has come up with some great revolver improvements, too bad he wasn't around 150 years ago
Relic shooter

 

[Stantheman86]

I'm putting my 60+ years of experience of shooting originals to argue the point that CW vintage Remington & Colt revolvers & commercially produced muskets wont hold up to shooting.
Many American blacksmith produced rifles & pistols have questionable forged steel barrels & locks but most English & European firearms of the same era that I shoot still show no wear.
The CW & earlier firearms I continue shooting are still good as new, not many modern firearms can compare with this quality standard..

45 D has come up with some great revolver improvements, too bad he wasn't around 150 years ago
Relic shooter

Yes but what is "regular shooting " to some is a warmup for others

I have an original 1861 Springfield, it is a piece of history. I enjoy owning it but I'm happy to have a Pedersoli repro to put 100s of Minies through and not have to worry about rod wear, metal and wood stress, or breaking a lock part

I was just reading about an original Colt blowing a nipple out. Stress and Fatigue will eventually catch up to these old pieces of history

I take my original stuff out for the occasional few rounds but I beat on my repros with a lot of rounds.

 

[Pete453]

The CW & earlier firearms I continue shooting are still good as new, not many modern firearms can compare with this quality standard..

Fair enough, but I'm talking cowboy shooters, people that burn through 100 rounds every time they shoot, league shooters, SKIRMISHERS. Those people burn through some ammo. Will originals do it? Yes. But they will wear out faster than a modern steel gun. I've seen original CW guns that get shot alot, I hang out with skirmishers, they take damn good care of their equipment, modern and antique. I just think it's asking a lot of old guns to run em that hard.

Don't get me wrong, I believe they were made to use and shouldn't be babied safe queens, but I'm not going to sacrifice a nice, clean, expensive, antique firearm to prove a point, when for a few hundred bucks I can buy a good repop, tune it up, and forget about it.

 

[Bad Karma]

If you have ever handled a Pedersoli revolver, you would have had in your hands the “finest quality percussion revolver “.

They do indeed put the care and attention into fit and finish, and they are machined to close tolerances.

That’s why they are so expensive.

It’s no Pedersoli but it’s not too bad… for a Remington. Also the only revolver I have ever chain fired.