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Mystery Pistol

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MGG56

32 Cal
Joined
Jul 22, 2022
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Location
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Hello,

I’m new to the forum and I thought someone might be able to help me ID a pistol I have. I need to start off by saying that I kind of inherited this pistol from a friend. He was a long time competitive shooter and garage gunsmith who over the years accumulated a lot of different guns and various related odds and ends. Unfortunately my friend passed away several years ago and I volunteered to help his wife sell his stuff. I’m not trying to sell this pistol, I’m just trying to accurately figure out what it is.

One of the guns he had was a cap and ball pistol in a Colt marked wooden case. Now I’m pretty sure that this is not an original Colt 1800’s pistol, like 99.9% sure. But beyond that I have no idea if this is some kind of Colt produced or contract commentative pistol or just something my friend dressed up to look like an older Colt pistol. I want to mention that I believe my friend had stamps where he could stamp markings on a pistol like this. I further want to mention if he did something like that it would have been for his own entertainment and not to intentionally deceive anyone. He liked to tinker with guns and many of the guns he owned had been modified one way or another to make them shoot better or to look better, although mostly to shoot better.

I’m going to attach some photos to this and if anyone can enlighten me on what this pistol might be I’d appreciate it. I realize that one can cobble together the items in this case, but my knowledge on these items is near zero. Thanks!
 

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Before I started to take a better look at the detail in the pictures, the brass frame stood out. Colt never made a brass framed revolver and certainly not marked US. Brass frame revolvers are almost always made for the CSA. Looking at the stamps, Colt never would have let such over stamping get out. Now when the revolver is turned over, we can see the Italian PN for black powder and the Gardone proof marks with the year stamp XX7 (1972). It's a nice enough gun. You will need to be looking for more stampings under the loading lever.
 
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That is an Italian made copy, .36 cal Navy version. Colt to my knowledge never made a brass framed revolver. Still, it could be a fun shooter. :thumb:
And welcome to the forum.
 
It's actually a copy of a Confederate Schneider & Glassick revolver and not a Colt copy but then the stamps your friend added would not be correct. Notice there is no roll engraved scene on the cylinder. The previous owner may have removed the engraving or it may have been produced without it as there were some actual Schneider & Glassick reproductions produced but that one looks like your friend refinished it.
 
Looks like the Johnny Reb copy of the 1851 Navy, commonly know as a Griswold and Gunninson. Italian reproduction of course. Lacking the steel the CSofA used brass on various revolvers such as the G&G and the Spiller and Burr.
Current production models by Pietta are fine little shooters.
 
Looks like the Johnny Reb copy of the 1851 Navy, commonly know as a Griswold and Gunninson. Italian reproduction of course. Lacking the steel the CSofA used brass on various revolvers such as the G&G and the Spiller and Burr.
Current production models by Pietta are fine little shooters.
Not a copy of the Griswold. Griswold revolvers had a round barrel.

Here is a Italian copy I recent purchased on Gunbroker.

E8416B19-0C71-43C7-9CB3-BD764A459A3F.jpeg
 
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Your right, thought I checked that detail. I’ve had a G&G, purchased one sale from EMF on sale $180 a number of years ago. In fact it’s going to the range tomorrow. 😁
 
It looks like a Copy of a Confederate Schneider & Glassick revolver,

hawkeye2 is right..Schneider & Glassick, although not well known made around 500 revolvers for the Confederate war effort.​

 
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