What is it?

Got this pistol at the Kzoo show, looks like it would make a great belt gun. The barrel is 5 1/2 inches long, with overall length being 11 inches, the barrel unscrews for cleaning. The hammer is in the center of the brass frame,driven by coil spring (does this make it an inline?) Walnut stocks

It's 36 ca. smoothbore, no sights, definately point and shoot. Any info would be appreciated

 

[PaulN/KS]

Looks like one of those screw barrel boot pistols.I think MEC had a thread about one either on this forum or one of the others that he posts at.Looks like it would be a fun gun to shoot.

 

This gun was sold by CVA at one time and marketed as the New Orleans Ace. The kit price was around $39.95. It had mutant cousins called the Duckfoot, the Twister, and Snake Eyes that also sold for less than $50.

DGW still sells tha mutant cousins, though the price has increased and the brand is diferent.

The caliber is listed as .44 but that is the ball size needed, so a .440 with a thin patch (I mean bed sheeting) is just about right. 10 grains of 3f would be a good starting load.

It is not a screw barrel. The threaded frame is just the way it was assembled. Screw barrels have a chamber to contain the ball and charge, this gun does not.

 

[The Kansan]

Thanks Mr. Ghost!

I owned one of them rascals for awhile but couldn't remember the name of the darn thing - Funny thing is I remembered the name of another of it's cousins that you didn't mention: The Elgin Cutlass! ('member the one with the blade under the barrel? Now that one was hoot to fool around with! Just had to be careful of the blade when you were loading it... :nono

...The Kansan...

 

[Stimpy c. cat]

Hi,
here in Germany and Austria this type of gun is called "Weinberg-pistole" or "Terzerol" (means small Pistol). It was used to hold away birds from wine cultures and it was a popular self-defence device also. Oldest original i saw was about 1900. I dont know where its been developed or who it invented.


Stimpy

 

Thanks guys for the info. Ghost is there any info on 36 cal. , cause that's what this one is. could someone have hade an aftermarket barrel for it. There are no markings on the gun at all. Bill

 

[Stumpkiller]

The hammer is in the center of the brass frame,driven by coil spring (does this make it an inline?)

Nope. That make it a center-hammer. If the nipple was in-line with the bore's axis, instead of perpendicular, it would be an in-line (like a Colt percussion revolver . . . but they're not muzzleloaders so they don't count. :

 

Some of them were in .36 and I do not believe it is for the oversized .375 ball like a c&b revolver would use. A light slug intended for a 38 pistol might work (DO NOT USE THE POWDER FROM THE MODERN PISTOL LOAD!!!). Probably the best bet would be trying .355 buckshot!

You might try using a light shot charge.

10 gns powder, marble sized wadding made from newspaper, 1/4 oz shot and wadding on top. Don't try to get too sophisticated on the loads, this is not a target pistol. There are no sights!

When the hammer is in the center and encased by the action like this one it is refered to as a box-lock action.

 

[Slamfire]

And by leavin' the barrel off entirely, you can test any new caps that come on the market and tell us if they are worthwhile. :winking: eace:

 

[Don]

Looks like the New Orleans Ace with a longer barrel and grips. If its .36 cal then a .350 ball with a .010 patch should work. My Ace pistol takes a .433 ball and a .010 patch and 18 grains of Pyrodex P though I have put as much as 20 grains in it with no ill effects. Loud and lethal but not very accurate. At a range of 7 yards I aim several inches low and I can hit the target.

Don

 

[Zonie]

My first thought was the Ace pistol, and that may still be what it is, but it doesn't look like an Ace because of several things.

First, the grip on the Ace is very short. This gun has a much longer grip.
In fact, IMO, this gun looks like something you could actually use.

The Ace has a funky ramrod attached to the side of the barrel. The Ace does not have the "cannon" bulge around the muzzle and as far back as my Dixie Catalogs go, the Ace has always been a .44.

This gun may have been made by Classic Arms (maker of the Ace, Cutlass, Duckfoot, Snake-eyes, Twister and Pepperbox) or it could have been made in Europe.
It could be fairly recient, or very old.

I do believe if Classic Arms did not make it, it was the basis for their guns design. Aside from the above, there are a lot of similarities.

 

[bioprof]

Buffalo Bill's Shooting store sells some kits like the one's that were discussed earlier in this thread. They call them their Classic line.

http://www.buffalobillsshootingstore.com/muzzleloaders3.html