How often do you shoot your old Revolvers?

[Cornhusker77]

Gotta love those old Break Tops
Here's my old Lemon Squeezer, made around 1896 I think.
It's tight and solid, and I've shot it some but not a lot.
I still have some ammo for it, if the weather straightens out, I may take it out for a few rounds
For a gun that's 120 some years old, it's in pretty decent shape

 

[RickB]

I have a S&W M&P that's 90+ years old, and I don't baby it at all, but shoot it only two or three times a year, maybe 200 rounds total.
My Second Model Hand Ejector hasn't been to the range in ten years, but I put a few hundred rounds through it the ten years prior. I have to load oversized bullets in .45 ACP cases, so it's a bit of a pain.
1st Gen Peacemaker is similar; have put some hundreds of rounds through it, but none recently. This gun gets black powder only, so also something of pain to load for.
Colt M1902 "Philippine Model" had exactly six rounds fired, maybe 25 years ago.
All of them get a wipe-down a couple of times a year, and generally just enjoy their semi-retirement.

 

[5thShock]

Let us imagine for a moment the figure Driftwood cuts as he draws down on those lethal CAS desperados with those two sleek and silver slayers. The silence before those fatal hammers fall is deafening.

 

[Salmoneye]

Albion Enfield (.38 S&W)gets about 100rds/year...

That's my oldest handgun...

 

[Mike Irwin]

Not nearly often enough, unfortunately.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Driftwood...that's a fine looking pair of break tops the Merwin and Smith. Glad you get them out for a little exercise from time to time. Cast your own for them? How bout accuracy with them?

Too, how bout a pic of that gun box or cart they're displayed on. Looks like some pretty fair woodworking there, (the pinned bread-board end to the shelves they're displayed on!).

Rod

Thanks very much for the compliments, but I must tell you, a Merwin Hulbert is not a Top Break. Merwin Hulbert revolvers were known for their distinctive design where the barrel rotated 90 degrees and then pulled forward along with the cylinder to unload them.

I used to cast my own 44 and 45 caliber Big Lube Black Powder bullets, in fact I designed one called the J/P 45-200. It was the first 200 grain 45 caliber bullet in the Big Lube line. You can find out all about Big Lube bullets if you google it. When my supply of cheap lead dried up I gave up casting and buy my BP bullets now.

The Smith & Wesson New Model #3 is chambered for 44 Russian, which was the most popular chambering for that model. The Merwin Hulbert is chambered for 44-40. You can see the caliber marking on the frame of the Merwin in the photos. It says 'CALIBRE WINCHESTER 1873' which is Merwin Hulbertese for 44-40, since that was the most common chambering for the Model 1873 Winchester. I use the same 200 grain .428 bullet in both cartridges, however the 44-40 holds considerably more powder; about 35 grains of FFg vs about 20 grains of FFg, so the Merwin bucks and roars a whole lot more. The bore of the New Model #3 is as pristine as if it just left the factory yesterday, and in the hands of 19th Century shooters that model set some records that have never been equaled today. Needless to say, it is superbly accurate. The bore of the Merwin has lots of pitting, but the rifling is still strong and it still shoots better than I can.



Thanks for the comments about my CAS gun cart. I used to make my living as a woodworker many years ago, so I took some extra effort with my cart. I hope you all will endulge me if I show a couple more photos. I made the cart out of ash, one of my favorite woods to work with. However if I'd known how much it was going to weigh, I might have made it out of pine. I keep promising myself to make a new, lighter one from pine. Or maybe balsa wood. The white pipe is the bottom of an umbrella for rain and hot sun. A friend made up the Driftwood Johnson sign on his miller.

Here I am drawing down on some of those lethal CAS desperados with the Merwin.

 

[Screwball]

Oldest revolver is my 1940 Nagant revolver...

How much I shoot it? Got the gun in hand in April of 2013. Going through my records, I fired 28 rounds out of it in August of 2015 (I know I didn't shoot it any other time, being I started better records sometime in 2014). So, I'll go with not a lot. [emoji6]

Wouldn't call my 629-1 or 642-1 old. But I tend to shoot them more than the Nagant. 642 more so, since it is my backup gun. The 629 is more for fun than anything else.

 

[Sevens]

Mr. Driftwood Johnson, you are one of the brightest characters around these parts! Your posts are always a "must read" and I can only imagine you are as fine an ambassador of our sports whilst dragging that beautiful cart as you are on these pages.

I think TFL forums could use some badges for honored and distinguished members. I would nominate yourself and Aarond as founding members of such a group.

Thank you for the posts you craft on these forums!

 

[LE-28]

my oldest is a 1927 Sportsman that I can't find ammo for right now.
I'm afraid to shoot it with the ammo I have.

I've been wanting to take it out lately for some reason but until I find the right stuff for it I guess it will have to stay put.

 

[rodfac]

Drift...many thanks for the pics and the tutorial on the Merwin...never knew how they worked...thought they were a top break of some sort.

And great wood work on your box and stand. Love the dove-tailing as well as the overall design. As to the ash vs. something lighter...I'd opine that as soon as you made that change on the next cart, some dufus would knock it over and "Bob's your brother" as my Kiwi friends say; you'd have a pile of firewood!

Like the signs too...especially the, "we don't rent pigs" one. Is there a story there as well?

Many thanks for brightening my morning .... Rod

 

[Mike Irwin]

My oldest revolver is a French ordnance revolver Model of 1873 manufactured in 1876.

I shot it a few times when I was working for NRA. It took a LOT of effort to make ammunition for it.

My other old revolvers are a couple of .32 S&Ws, one a double action breaktop that was my Great grandfather's cowboy gun when he was working as a ranch hand in the Dakotas in the late 1800s/early 1900s and a solid frame US Revolver Company (Iver Johnson) that belonged to another Great Grandfather in the early 1900s when he was head of a track gang on the Pennsylvania Railroad.

I've not fired either one of those.

I also have a very nice H&R hammerless breaktop in .38 S&W, but I have no clue how old it is. A friend of mine gave it to me a few years ago.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Like the signs too...especially the, "we don't rent pigs" one. Is there a story there as well?

It's a quote from one of my favorite Westerns, Lonesome Dove. There is a sign on the cattle ranch company about all the services they provide, but at the bottom it says, "We don't rent pigs".

When prodded, Gus McRae explains, "Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop"

 

[rodfac]

Ah Gus...my favorite is the barroom scene when the bar keep gets mouth and ends up eating Gus's Dragoon Colt. Hellofa writer, McMurtry (Sp?)...Rod

 

[Mike Irwin]

Friend of mine called and we're going to the range tomorrow.

Decided that I'm going to take a 9mm (Hi Power, probably) and one of my .32-20s...

Question is, WHICH .32-20?

The Colt or the Smith & Wesson?

Decisions decisions.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Took my S&W K frame .32-20 out to the range yesterday, and let's just say it didn't go swimmingly.

I was shooting my reloads -- 115 gr. lead bullet and 2.3 gr. Trail Boss -- and in the first 12 rounds had two dry cases.

Looks like I'm getting powder bridging in my Lee Auto Disk Pro and it's causing issues.

Fortunately the bullets were fairly easy to remove with a range rod. And they did show that I've got good, strong rifling...

I then switched to a box of Remington factory loads I had. Quite a bit hotter than my powderpuff TB loads.

 

[dgludwig]

Though not nearly as old as some of the revolvers mentioned, I still compete at Bullseye matches with my fifties vintage Colt Officers Model Special and Smith & Wesson Model 14 revolvers (and nothing but irons for these 72 year old eyes, thank you very much).
While I might not expect to realistically win any awards at Camp Perry anymore, I still love the chase.

 

[+1k ammo]

1918 Colt Army .38 special. Was my wife's great grandpa's police revolver in Chicago. Found it in a box of papers when her Mom passed.

Still a fine weapon and mechanically sweet. I only bring it out maybe once a year. Has original classic handles so is not the best to hold on too but is fun!

Also have an Ivre Johnson? from 1930's? that was my Grandpa's that is 38 auto but I have never fired and I don't think my Dad did either - so no on that one.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

to the OP... I like to shoot mine as often as I can... I have 1000 32 S&W cases & 1000 38 S&W cases, & reload 3 load levels for each cartridge... also keep some Super Colibri's around for the old 22's

I collect, so I don't shoot one a lot... I try to rotate through my collection, so I usually have a 32 or 38 S&W on the range withn me... also have 22 Velo-dog, 32 Long, 44 Bulldog, & 45 Autorim guns that fall into the "old" classification...

DRIFTWOOD... those are fine examples the S&W#2 ( longer barrel than normal ) & the Merwin & Hubert...

older pics, but a few of mine... 22's & 32's ( collection has expanded, & I now have the rimfires on a separate rack )

38's & 44's

 

[dgludwig]

Very nice, Magnum Wheel Man.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

Thanks... I think their numbers have near doubled over the years... seem to breed like rabbits