Lets see some percussion revolvers!

[sourdough]

This is my latest acquisition, a Traditions-branded Pietta Dance Bros. revolver.

I have the baby brother to your revolver, a Pietta Dance .36 (BH/1996) that I purchased in December 2019. It is SN C00013, marked "Dance Firearms Company - Angleton Texas" in the barrel. It is only one of 35 produced marked as such in a one-year run. It has a square-back TG and there was a reason for that.

The wedge was driven in too tightly from the factory, and the gun was in dire need of a detail strip, deep cleaning from leftover metal shavings, and some internal deburring. It now works very smoothly and is an accurate shooter. I really like it. Interestingly, even though I bought it last month from Jedediah Starr, the date code is from 2008.

That just proves that Guido the Pietta Gorilla was still hard at work in 2008. The large "tail" grip frame attests that it was produced sometime between BS/2002 and CM/2014

Regards,

Jim

 

[OldRust]

My 3rd Gen Colts 3rd model Dragoon and his baby brother the Pocket Dragoon

Thanks
O.R.

 

[Whitworth]

My Walker and it's little brother.

 

[Omhra]

Colt's starter kit.

 

[jimhallam]

My first "repro" revolver was a Centaure, bought 1962 from Roberts' gunshop in St Martins Lane, London (just down from Trafalgar Square). Extremely well made, almost as good as an original. What "niggles" me is that the perceived knowledge is that Val Forgett started it all, with Italian-made revolvers .. it was (is?) even in Fadala's book. I wish that I stilll had it . Still, I replaced it some time later with an original "Hartford-London" Navy #127 which I still have and use when I give talks comparing American and US revolvers -- the Brit one that I use is the 38-bore (.50cal) M1851 Adams that I have shown on this forum.

 

[Long Johns Wolf]

JH: Thumbs up!.
If it were true that Val Forgett started the production of newly made percussion revolvers ... which I do not believe either ... we must not forget that Val could not have made it without prior guidance and support of the visionary, engineer, historian, writer and collector William B. Edwards with International connections, during the ealry production period in both Belgium and Italy.
In my book Edwards is the one who made it happen ... that we have these Belgian (Fabriques d'Armes Unies de Liège aka F.A.U.L.) and Italian (Gregorelli & Uberti aka G/U which became Uberti SpA ca. 1962/63) made percussion revolvers since 1959 on both sides of the Big Pond and down-under ... and it was the Witloe Co. who jumped on the bandwaggon in 1959 also with their Remington NM 1863 Armies.
But that is another story.
Long Johns Wolf

 

[Bill Rowe]

Hello, haven't been here for a while.
Together with my Texas pard Panhandle Paden we are behind the transatlantic Centaure research project you can read about on the Centaure & FROCS website www.1960nma.org.
I noted the above Centaure pics of Bill Rowe - Centaure Regular New Model Army 1st variation (probably) 2nd sub-variation - and Smoothian with a Centaure Civilian and two RNMAs.
If at all possible I'd like to receive the serial numbers and possible other detailed infos of these rare Colt licensed Belgian made 1860 Army pattern pistols.
The objective here is to do a classification and add the data of these Centaures to the Centaure data base ... which is available to all Centaure students and collectors around the globe.
A contact in confidence through a PM at [email protected] is highly appreciated.
Thanks and regards.
Long Johns Wolf

Sent # to your dot com. Cheers, Bill

 

[Dashing Leper]

Soon as I learned about how Uberti offered a Colt 1851 Navy with a round barrel (sold as the Leech & Rigdon Navy) I got lucky and found one in stock soon as I began searching.

I prefer the busy look of the Colt Old Model barrel assembly over that of the New Model, but I am put off by the 1851 proper because of the octagonal barrel. The Leech & Rigdon model scratches that itch, and it is the perfect aesthetic stablemate for my Old Model Army (aka the Dragoon).

 

[Bad Karma]

 

[sourdough]

Soon as I learned about how Uberti offered a Colt 1851 Navy with a round barrel (sold as the Leech & Rigdon Navy) I got lucky and found one in stock soon as I began searching.

I prefer the busy look of the Colt Old Model barrel assembly over that of the New Model, but I am put off by the 1851 proper because of the octagonal barrel. The Leech & Rigdon model scratches that itch, and it is the perfect aesthetic stablemate for my Old Model Army (aka the Dragoon).

I also like the part round/part octagonal barrel on the 1851 Navy .36, but the Leech & Rigdon that Uberti produces these days is not what Uberti offered when they first came out. The new ones have an engraved cylinder like the Colts, while the first ones had a plain/smooth/non-engraved cylinder. I guess Uberti didn't think folks would notice much.

A few years ago I wanted a Pietta L&R but Pietta never marketed one. I decided to do a bit of parts swapping (thanks to VTI) and procured a smooth cylinder and a part round/part octagon barrel from the Pietta G&G. Pietta CNC 1851 Navy "type" revolvers are almost like Legos insofar they are drop fit between revolvers with very few exceptions.

This is my Pietta L&R "parts gun", using a Pietta 1851 Navy .36 as a donor revolver. I also acquired some better wood for it from a friend.

I also like squareback trigger guards so here a couple of others:

Pietta Dance .36.

Pietta 1851 Navy .36 Belt Dragoon (fantasy revolver).

Regards,

Jim

 

[Dashing Leper]

Yeah, I my mind I don't see my gun as a representation of a Leech & Rigdon, but rather as an 1851 Navy with a factory-option round barrel.

I figured that anyone with a Pietta G&G and a steel 1851 could do a swap and end up with an L&R replica and a brass Navy to play around with.

 

[uilim]

1860 Army by Pietta

 

[jonathan butcher]

Here's one I just re-finished, a Pietta 1860 3" short barrel;

 

[combat32]

1860 Army made by ASM in 1990 and sold by CVA, this is one of the good ASM revolvers, so far

 

[wattlebuster]

Wattlebuster please tell us more about these two charmers.

Sorry bout not responding sooner on your request but I did not see this till today. Both are Pietta brand 1860 44. The one on the right was sent to Goonie's gun works in Georgia to have an action job an the left one was sent to Sergio Salazar in Texas for an action job. Both are smooth as glass an shoot really well an both has been shot alot. The two holsters was made by Mike Johnson out of Colorado IIRC. The watch is a Hampden 18s 17 jewel made in 1886 which I carry every day an it keeps accurate time. The deer legbone knife was made by Joe Schell out of Illinois from a old file an I made the knife sheath

 

[jonathan butcher]

How prolific were brass-framed CSA revolvers during and after the Civil War ? For some reason ( wrongly I'm sure) I assumed that a considerable number of Colt made1860 and 1851 revolvers fell into the hands of Southern officers in the field. Also, were there ever any non-Colt brass-framed 1860 kock-off revolvers during the War ?

 

[sourdough]

Griswold & Gunnison turned out between 3600-3700; Spiller & Burr less than 1500;, and Schneider & Glassick less than 50. All were .36 caliber.

There were quite a few Colt 1851 Navy revolvers in Confederate hands (R. E. Lee carried one) as Colt produced over 215,000 of them. The 1860 Army did not go into production until 1861, so not very many in Confederate hands.

Brass framed Colt 1860 Army revolvers are a product of the 20th century.

Regards,

Jim

 

[springfield art]

I just scored a grossly underpriced 2nd Generation Colt Dragoon. Posted pictures in a previous thread. Lets see what ya'll have!

Just got yesterday at my local gun store, new-in-box but previously owned M1860 Colt Pietta/Cabela's; mfg. 2017, beautiful action, fit & finish w/ "papers" & orig. box. Not cheap at $300 but considering what I'm reading here, these are hard to get right now. I have an older ASM same as well.

 

[springfield art]

.36 pietta, one year old now and never fired. thanks virus!
View attachment 55809

Nice photo! Replaces the defunct Playboy magazine!

 

[jonathan butcher]

Thanks Sourdough, I figured if anyone knew it would be you. Do you or anyone know the origins of the brass frame revolver mythology in those early Italian Westerns ? Why brass ?

Griswold & Gunnison turned out between 3600-3700; Spiller & Burr less than 1500;, and Schneider & Glassick less than 50. All were .36 caliber.

There were quite a few Colt 1851 Navy revolvers in Confederate hands (R. E. Lee carried one) as Colt produced over 215,000 of them. The 1860 Army did not go into production until 1861, so not very many in Confederate hands.

Brass framed Colt 1860 Army revolvers are a product of the 20th century.

Regards,

Jim