Random antique guns, ammo & improvised homemade pistols

 

It's a new year...

 

...and this is my S&W model#1½ revolver

Antique "Sterling" .38 cal.rimfire restoration project update...

 

It seems that I could have bought an E.L.Dickinson "Parts gun" a couple of weeks ago, but I passed, not realizing a the time, that all the parts inside that ugly looking project gun would work in my Sterling.

It's not so bad, I had yet to learn  that E.L.Dickinson made my Sterling, and of course,  I did acquire the Forehand & Wadsworth "Russian model 32" fix'er up pistol,  the Remington Smoot new model #2 in VG condition and a few other miscellaneous, essential  parts etc...

I have over paid for a couple of parts related  things and then I  got a real deal on others, and some other items are held up for inspection with Canada Customs, but slowly things are coming together.

Now that I have solved my cylinder axis pin problem,  I have to get the hacksaw &  files out and custom fit the steel rod blank I am going to use to fabricate a replacement base pin or cylinder axis pin for this Sterling revolver.

Someone posted the next few  photos at a gun forum, that show how the trigger + cylinder bolt-stop assembly go together, sort of...

Here is an article from "American Gunsmith" that includes disassembly instructions for an Iver Johnson Defender'89 revolver, which is close enough in mechanical design to my Sterling revolver, that it is very helpful!

Remington-Smoot no.2 Repair #1

I bought this revolver knowing that it is missing the ejector retaining ring. This is part: "d" in the Patent drawing, and can be seen at the lower right hand side of the page above.
 

As seen in the Patent drawing above, I have since learned that the ejector retaining ring is attached to the cylinder base pin.

Without a quick & simple way to remove the cylinder, a black powder cartridge revolver would not be popular among the gun buying public.

It is also used as a handle to pull the cylinder base pin out while disassembling this revolver as described in the "directions for use" which is found  on the original box.

Video - Remington-Smoot new model #2 pocket revolver

 

The fellow who sold me this Remington-Smoot new model no.2 revolver had made this brief shooting range video demo of this .32 cal.rim fire revolver, however, I suspect that he is only firing blank rounds.

My Remington-Smoot New model no.2 Revolver!!!

This example of Remington's name & Patent info stamped/engraved on the topside of the barrel is perfect! Too bad it's not a photo of  the one that I just bought, or who know? Perhaps the top of my barrel will be just as nice.

The following two photos were taken by the seller:
 

 

There is one repair needed. The ejector rod retaining ring is missing.

 I should be able to find or make a small steel ring, and then use silver solder and torch, or JB-weld to securely attach it ...

***Update: the Remington-Smoot New model No.2 arrived, and looks great, better than in the sellers photos, it could be 90% of the factory nickel finish remaining, and it's as close to perfect  mechanically as both my Colt and S&W revolvers are!

I have to do some work on cleaning and restoration on some black powder marks around the breach and cylinder, but it doesn't appear to have any rust.

This revolver is definitely a shooter..

New photos will be posted after it's cleaned up.

Handloading for Antique Rimfire Guns: Custom Brass Cases & Heeled Bullets for .32 caliber Rim-fire

Antique Black Powder cartridge firing pistols, revolvers & rifles are brought back to life thanks to a simply elegant idea of reaming out an off-center primer pocket that is sized to seat 6mm blank cartridges for primers! By loading the cartridge so the off-center primer's rim is in line for a hammer to strike it, an old gun chambered for a long obsolete cartridge can be brought back to life.

This is the first post of a series documenting my personal black powder cartridge & muzzleloader gun  reloading process, including my tools, reference books and components.

*The photographs I am using to start this post were taken by the person I have bought the Heeled bullets from. 

I will be replacing these photos with my own, once I have photographed the steps of my reloading process.

 My Reloaded .32 Short and .32 Long Rimfire cartridges will be used with my "safe to shoot" single action spur trigger revolvers, including the  Smith & Wesson no.1½ "New model", Colt "New-Line" 32 and Remington-Smoot "New model" no.2, and maybe the Norwich "Protector".

It has taken me a while to accumulate all the necessary reloading components, and now I  have 25 of the custom machined Brass Cases for  .32 caliber Rimfire Pistols, Revolvers & Rifle's , and ten more slightly larger cases  for .38 calibre Rimfire guns.

Both cases have off-center primer pockets that accept 6mm/.22RF Blanks, and are filled with Pyrodex or Black powder, then the powder is compressed by seating the projectile.

The custom machined reloadable brass cases cost me approximately $10 each after shipping is included, but it's not so expensive considering that they can be reloaded 30 to 50 times, depending on how well they are cleaned and cared for.

In my little reloading components stockpile, I  have several hundred of two different styles of cast bullet, based entirely on the  original .32 caliber Heeled Bullet design , and weigh between 90 to 100 grains....I also have four or five 100 round boxes of Hornady .310" and .315" Lead Roundball, which are a good substitute for the heeled bullets.

I think that the .310" Roundball weighs 45 grains and the .315" Roundball weighs 50 grains. They are both about  half the weight of the bullets and should achieve a higher muzzle velocity than the heavier bullets.

I only have one box of 100 Hornady .375" lead Roundball to use for the .38 caliber rimfire cartridges, but it will be a while before my .38 caliber rimfire revolver is restored back to shooting condition, and even then, I think it would be safest to shoot the Roundball, instead of a bullet, with a light load of black powder.

I have put together a compact,  Field Reloading kit, which includes several repurposed vintage and modern  reloading hand tools for depriming & case conditioning, and  small, bench vice for seating the 6mm Blank cartridge and then to seat the projectile and compress the black powder load.

Future "Handloader" posts will look at 12 gauge shotshell blank reloads with 2½"  Magtech Brass shells and my .44Special/Russian reloading kit and with my Lee Hand Press + RCBS 12ga. "Cowboy" reloading Dies 

My winter-time 2021-22 Antique Revolver repair & restoration projects!

Due to the difficulty in finding a regular, reliable & affordable source of obsolete gun parts, I recently  decided to look for antique revolver "project/parts  guns", and after a month and half of browsing & reading, I now have  two rim fire project guns to  repair & restore during the fridgid months ahead  of Canadian winter weather.

From the left to right: the first  project gun in  the  photo is the "Stirling" .38 calibre rimfire spur trigger revolver, which was most likely manufactured by Hopkins & Allen between 1870's and 1890's.

The second project gun, is a Forehand & Wadsworth "Russian model 32" rimfire spur trigger revolver that I recall reading about, was probably  made between 1870's and 1889.

Both revolvers definitely require a few new springs & some simple little parts to be repaired or  replaced completely.

They can be original factory parts bought from stores like Numrich that can be hand fitted to the  gun,   or just  make the part yourself.

I am planning to do a bit of both, and I have begun to keep up a daily routine of browsing through Numrich's  parts inventory, as well as a few other small Parts selling online companies that I have ordered various gun parts from in the past few years.

The Online Firearm Forums that have members only Buy&Sell sections are my favorite place to ask advice, find obscure & obsolete pistol  parts and of course buying or selling Antique guns...

Both sets of antique rubber/plastic saw handle grip panels are well preserved, without damage whatsoever. 

Antique Rifles & Revolvers that I would 💚 to shoot...

 

1869 Remington Rolling Block .50-70 Government  "Sporterized" Rifle 

Smith & Wesson No.1½ Old Model .32RF Revolver!

Iver Johnson American Bulldog .44 Webley (circa.1880's)

Winter 2021-22 home gunsmith project: (Hopkins & Allen?) "Sterling" .38RF Spur Trigger Revolver

"Sterling" .38 Caliber Rimfire Spur Trigger, Single Action Revolver (circa.1880)

This "Sterling" .38RF looks to possibly be made in Norwich, Connecticut. It is definitely a "suicide special", and the Norwich Pistol Co./Norwich Falls Pistol Co. and Hood Firearms Mfg Co. used the same type of cylinder axis pin retention.

According to the book by Donald Webster "Suicide Specials", there was a "Sterling" revolver sold in .22 RF and .32 RF, but no mention of a .38 RF model.

The Canadian RCMP's Firearms database states that the .22RF & .32RF "Sterling" revolvers were manufactured by Hopkins & Allen and E.L.&J. Dickenson.

Who can know for certain, as there are very few production  records left from the 19th century American Firearm manufacturing companies.

I came across this .38 caliber Rimfire revolver the other day  that needs a little work and a good cleaning which was priced accordingly, and so I bit the bullet, and spent money that I can't afford to spend, but I know it will be worth it and I now have a interesting winter project.

According to the fellow who sold this revolver to me, it may need a trigger return spring as well as an adjustment of the  cylinder bolt-stop.

I already have a bag of .38 Special brass, which can be trimmed and easily modified to work with .38 caliber Rimfire guns.

Hornady .375" lead round ball should work as a substitute projectile for the original, outside lubed, heeled bullets.

UPDATE Dec.5: Now that I have had the chance to inspect this single action .38RF revolver, it looks like this will be a bigger job, than the seller had led me to believe.

I will need to with find a replacement cylinder axis pin, or fabricate a new one.

The same goes for the cylinder hand and possibly the cyl.hand spring, and the cylinder bolt locking spring.

That cyl.axis pin is a terrible diy modification of an axis pin from a different revolver.

As I solve these issues, I will update my progress here.

My Antique Arms & Ammunition Photographed

 

The business end  of a .32 caliber rimfire Norwich Pistol Co. "Protector" revolver

.32 caliber rim-fire cartridge reloads with .315" Roundball, Pyrodex RS & 6mm crimp blank primer