Looking at buying another gun agains

[beerftw]

Ok I already committed to buy a american arms co .32 centerfire double action revolver, needing some work to the trigger and missing the grips. It is a boston mass model meaning it was made pre 1893 as 1894-1901 were made in wisconsin. No idea on the barrel but the outside still has full chrome and looks near mint except the missing grips and the trigger failing to return.

Thing is I can barely find anything about this company, they filed bankruptcy numerous times, until 1901 when marlin bought them out, The gun looks identical to a smith and wesson, or an h&r, which might explain bankruptcy with all the patent infringments.

Long story short if the sale goes through I hope to fully restore it, the only thing I could not see was the bore, but worst case as unique and oddball as the gun is if the bore is trash I will finish it up as a wallhanger. Has anyone else heard of guns from american arms co other than them being known as suicide guns because in their day they were so much less than names like colt or smith and wesson that people would buy them for reasons of suicide?

 

[beerftw]

Could not get the revolver the guy was slow to update and it as already sold to someone else, instead I got a different gun from the same seller, and the sale went through just fine and should arrive monday. It is a red jacket number 3 by lee arms company, another nearly non existent company. The guns by lee were made from the early 1870's through 1880, while red jacket models by hopkins and allen sold for a wider period. It is .32 rimfire so ammo is nearly non existen short of using the special made shells that use .22 acorn blanks as primers.

Looking forward to getting such an antique, for being labeled cheap junk for the era and now, almost every example I have seen on the internet is decent to mint condition for a gun that old, so clearly they were made to a better standard than what was claimed them.

 

[RAMOSS]

Could not get the revolver the guy was slow to update and it as already sold to someone else, instead I got a different gun from the same seller, and the sale went through just fine and should arrive monday. It is a red jacket number 3 by lee arms company, another nearly non existent company. The guns by lee were made from the early 1870's through 1880, while red jacket models by hopkins and allen sold for a wider period. It is .32 rimfire so ammo is nearly non existen short of using the special made shells that use .22 acorn blanks as primers.

Looking forward to getting such an antique, for being labeled cheap junk for the era and now, almost every example I have seen on the internet is decent to mint condition for a gun that old, so clearly they were made to a better standard than what was claimed them.

Hum. It could be the reason things like that lasted is , well, people just didn't use them.

 

[beerftw]

Hum. It could be the reason things like that lasted is , well, people just didn't use them.

Granted the biggest buyers of those guns were gamblers, prostitutes, and people needing concealed weapons for defense, given how little shootouts existed then unlike what hollywood tries to portray, it is likely that model and countless like them were bought by nearly everyone who could just in case and they went on never being fired.

 

[beerftw]

There it be, 1870's pocket revolver glory, has some pitting at the breech, and the cylinder is locked slight off from the bore, which is where the bolt locks the cylinder indicating it was made that way rather than going off time.

 

[joko104]

Could not get the revolver the guy was slow to update and it as already sold to someone else, instead I got a different gun from the same seller, and the sale went through just fine and should arrive monday. It is a red jacket number 3 by lee arms company, another nearly non existent company. The guns by lee were made from the early 1870's through 1880, while red jacket models by hopkins and allen sold for a wider period. It is .32 rimfire so ammo is nearly non existen short of using the special made shells that use .22 acorn blanks as primers.

Looking forward to getting such an antique, for being labeled cheap junk for the era and now, almost every example I have seen on the internet is decent to mint condition for a gun that old, so clearly they were made to a better standard than what was claimed them.

I buy lots of late 1800s handguns, preferring pre-1899 double actions -.32 and .38 black powder cartridges. Why would you buy a pistol like that given ammo is basically impossible to get and extremely costly - when it is not a particularly notable handgun? They go for about $200 if in fair, working condition, but not some super exotic engraving done.

Candidly, I won't buy any firearm I can't fire - even if I never do - meaning having ammo for it that isn't super expensive. Otherwise I would buy some of the beautiful pinfire pistols.

 

[beerftw]

I buy lots of late 1800s handguns, preferring pre-1899 double actions -.32 and .38 black powder cartridges. Why would you buy a pistol like that given ammo is basically impossible to get and extremely costly - when it is not a particularly notable handgun? They go for about $200 if in fair, working condition, but not some super exotic engraving done.

Candidly, I won't buy any firearm I can't fire - even if I never do - meaning having ammo for it that isn't super expensive. Otherwise I would buy some of the beautiful pinfire pistols.

I can buy ammo for it, however it is more collectors than anything. These guns were worth nothing 2 decades ago but are getting rare, I also have an iver johnson model 3 double action from the early m1920s that used to be sold at every parn shop for 60-75 bucks, now you are lucky to find one.

The notable gun thing has to do with collectors collecting guns of value, not collecting to collect, the gun I bought had around 3k made and is nearly non existent today, it's rarity makes it a collectors item, even if not values at much, and seeing as I did not pay much literally 135 bucks I see no downside.

 

[joko104]

I can buy ammo for it, however it is more collectors than anything. These guns were worth nothing 2 decades ago but are getting rare, I also have an iver johnson model 3 double action from the early m1920s that used to be sold at every parn shop for 60-75 bucks, now you are lucky to find one.

The notable gun thing has to do with collectors collecting guns of value, not collecting to collect, the gun I bought had around 3k made and is nearly non existent today, it's rarity makes it a collectors item, even if not values at much, and seeing as I did not pay much literally 135 bucks I see no downside.

I understand. Check out gunbrokers. I've bought probably 3 dozen firearms off of gunbrokers and sold a few too. Go to the antique guns section. If an antique (pre-1899) it can be shipped directly to you.

 

[joko104]

For a while I was buying up double action .32 and .38s pre-1899, thus qualifying as antique - center fire. Most are 5 shot flip tops, which are cool. Most are "pocket" revolvers firing center fire black powder cartridges (that can be bought for not too costly, though might be a waiting period). I prefer double action because in my opinion it is minimally viable for a personal carry firearm. I like the feel of a solid steel revolver.

 

[RF667799]

I can buy ammo for it, however it is more collectors than anything. These guns were worth nothing 2 decades ago but are getting rare, I also have an iver johnson model 3 double action from the early m1920s that used to be sold at every parn shop for 60-75 bucks, now you are lucky to find one.

The notable gun thing has to do with collectors collecting guns of value, not collecting to collect, the gun I bought had around 3k made and is nearly non existent today, it's rarity makes it a collectors item, even if not values at much, and seeing as I did not pay much literally 135 bucks I see no downside.

For a while I was buying up double action .32 and .38s pre-1899, thus qualifying as antique - center fire. Most are 5 shot flip tops, which are cool. Most are "pocket" revolvers firing center fire black powder cartridges (that can be bought for not too costly, though might be a waiting period). I prefer double action because in my opinion it is minimally viable for a personal carry firearm. I like the feel of a solid steel revolver.

Ah those old break top .32 "Owl's Head" revolvers. I had one once.

A long long time ago I was a gas pump jockey at a truckstop out on what a couple years later became I-55 but at that time was just a four lane part of Rt 66. One midnight shift the place was pretty much deserted except for the waitresses and cooks over at the café. My little domain overlooking the gas and diesel pumps was a separate building. Probably about 2 or 3 AM an older sedan pulled up right outside the door and the driver came ambling in.

He played about a dozen games on the pinball machine, looked over the "Souvenir of" junk in the display case and we passed a few meaningless comments back and forth.

"Kinda dead around here at night, huh?"
"Yep. Most always."

Stuff like that.

This establishment also had shelves covering a whole wall and devoted to pretty much any brand and type of motor oil known to man. Along with the oil was a lot of what I would call "patent medicine" type concoctions for ailing cars. Things like.. Liquid Tune Up...Transmission Rebuild in a Can. My nighttime visitor bought about half a dozen cans of these remedies and went out to his car. He shortly called me out there to help him find the latch to open the hood. While I was showing him that latch, he was telling me that it was sure a good car and he had owned it a long time. The trunk along with one of its four doors was chained shut.

Now- I was starting to feel a little uneasy in the wisdom of my 16 years and was getting the idea that this was kind of a shady character, so I went on back inside rather than stay out there and help him tune up his motor and rebuild his transmission through the miracle of chemical additives. He followed me in shortly, played a couple more quarters in the pinball, and-after having hung around for over an hour in total- went back out to his car. To almost immediately reappear standing in front of my counter with a gun in his hand.

The conversation then went like this:
"See this gun?"
"Yeah..." (See it? The image is burning my eyeballs.)

"It's loaded."
"Yeah..." (This is it damnit. I knew this midnight shift was a bad idea.)

"Wanna buy it?"
"HELL yeah!" (HELL yeah! Cheap at any price.)

He asked 3 dollars, I believe. Certainly no more than that. Didn't matter anyway because I didn't even have that in my pocket. I took it out of the register.

He told me he had another one in the car just like it, but I didn't care because now I had one too.

He left pretty quick after making the sale and I just as quick took my brand new-to-me .32 revolver out back of the oil change bays where they parked the tow truck and test fired it. Spit some lead out of the cylinder but hey....what do you want for three bucks even back in '75?
Cheap at any price.

 

[beerftw]

Ah those old break top .32 "Owl's Head" revolvers. I had one once.

A long long time ago I was a gas pump jockey at a truckstop out on what a couple years later became I-55 but at that time was just a four lane part of Rt 66. One midnight shift the place was pretty much deserted except for the waitresses and cooks over at the café. My little domain overlooking the gas and diesel pumps was a separate building. Probably about 2 or 3 AM an older sedan pulled up right outside the door and the driver came ambling in.

He played about a dozen games on the pinball machine, looked over the "Souvenir of" junk in the display case and we passed a few meaningless comments back and forth.

"Kinda dead around here at night, huh?"
"Yep. Most always."

Stuff like that.

This establishment also had shelves covering a whole wall and devoted to pretty much any brand and type of motor oil known to man. Along with the oil was a lot of what I would call "patent medicine" type concoctions for ailing cars. Things like.. Liquid Tune Up...Transmission Rebuild in a Can. My nighttime visitor bought about half a dozen cans of these remedies and went out to his car. He shortly called me out there to help him find the latch to open the hood. While I was showing him that latch, he was telling me that it was sure a good car and he had owned it a long time. The trunk along with one of its four doors was chained shut.

Now- I was starting to feel a little uneasy in the wisdom of my 16 years and was getting the idea that this was kind of a shady character, so I went on back inside rather than stay out there and help him tune up his motor and rebuild his transmission through the miracle of chemical additives. He followed me in shortly, played a couple more quarters in the pinball, and-after having hung around for over an hour in total- went back out to his car. To almost immediately reappear standing in front of my counter with a gun in his hand.

The conversation then went like this:
"See this gun?"
"Yeah..." (See it? The image is burning my eyeballs.)

"It's loaded."
"Yeah..." (This is it damnit. I knew this midnight shift was a bad idea.)

"Wanna buy it?"
"HELL yeah!" (HELL yeah! Cheap at any price.)

He asked 3 dollars, I believe. Certainly no more than that. Didn't matter anyway because I didn't even have that in my pocket. I took it out of the register.

He told me he had another one in the car just like it, but I didn't care because now I had one too.

He left pretty quick after making the sale and I just as quick took my brand new-to-me .32 revolver out back of the oil change bays where they parked the tow truck and test fired it. Spit some lead out of the cylinder but hey....what do you want for three bucks even back in '75?
Cheap at any price.

Those old owl heads actually shot good, but many abused them because they were so cheap and widely produced. 3 bucks then would have been on par, now they are getting scarce. It is amazing what is throw away junk yesterday is worth something today, my great grandfather bought a civil war musket in the 20's because they were in such abundance then combined with muzzleloaders being obsolete that they were dirt cheap, he kept it until the side of the barrel blew out and had he passed it down and not blown out the barrel and scrapped it, that same rifle he got for a few bucks would be worth a nice chunk of money today.

 

[beerftw]

I understand. Check out gunbrokers. I've bought probably 3 dozen firearms off of gunbrokers and sold a few too. Go to the antique guns section. If an antique (pre-1899) it can be shipped directly to you.

I actually went through gunsamerica, and the seller specializes in ore 1899 firearms, some of them look awesome while some nothing more than collectors pieces, but he does price accordingly, meaning a rusted out flintlock he would sell cheap but one in excellent condition he wants big bucks for.

 

[RF667799]

Those old owl heads actually shot good, but many abused them because they were so cheap and widely produced. 3 bucks then would have been on par, now they are getting scarce. It is amazing what is throw away junk yesterday is worth something today, my great grandfather bought a civil war musket in the 20's because they were in such abundance then combined with muzzleloaders being obsolete that they were dirt cheap, he kept it until the side of the barrel blew out and had he passed it down and not blown out the barrel and scrapped it, that same rifle he got for a few bucks would be worth a nice chunk of money today.

Would be nice to be able to see into the future. When I was getting ready to leave Germany, the wall had just come down and new surplus CZ-75s were hitting the Rod and Gun Clubs for a little over a hundred bucks. Would have been worth it to bring a couple home.

And on a somewhat related topic, back in 1977 I sold my '67 RS/SS Camaro for about 200 dollars because I had just bought a new '77 Camaro and what the heck-it was just a 10 year old high maintenance jalopy-right?

 

[beerftw]

Ok my retarded self already just getting another gun now wants to buy a conversion cylinder for my colt model 1860 made by asm who has been long out of business. I contacted the conversion cylinder maker and they said the 45 long colt and schofield versions worked with mine by taking a pietta version and shaving it down, and the .22lr conversion works with no modification.

Now I would be limited on the type of 22lr and .45 I can use in the firearm, but I am having trouble deciding, The 22lr is no modification, and is deemed safe for certain loads in this specific gun even though originally blackpowder, which is done with a cylinder designed for moder powder, and an instert into the barrel with by tself is designed to handle modern loads with smokeless, but the .45 is more old westy, but I need to file part of the frame to allow the loading gate to work, and am much more limited to blackpowder rounds or specific cowboy actions rounds designed to function identical to blackpowder rounds, essentially underpowered vs smokeless powder .45 lc.

 

[beerftw]

Alright I decided, instead of the colt I got a gated conversion for my 1858 remington since vastly less modification is needed, and the 1860 colt army is too darn sexy to modify. Decided on .45 long colt have the cylinder shipped so when it shows up and is installed I may post a pic of it, mind you it is the same remington that is in my signature.

Akso bought some .45 lc cowboy smokeless loads designed to work with this setup, but plan to buy the reloading dies and load them with blackpowder, since the blackpowder load is more powerful than the weakened cowboy load designed to function in this gun and the full powered smokeless is beyond the frame and barrels capacity and rating. Oh and also the flames and smoke, no point in having a 45 lc revolver without the blackpowder magic.