Speaking of American Bulldogs

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Bill in Oregon
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Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Scott's interesting quest in search of an American version of the British Bulldog -- a compact revolver in a potent caliber -- reminded me of a relic I inherited from Dad. His father, a surveyor, found this Colt single action in an abandoned miner's cabin in Southern Oregon sometime in the late teens or early 1920s. Whenever I could talk Dad into opening the old trunk in the shop, getting him to let me handle the Colt was foremost in my desire. Then in the late 1950s, Dad loaned it to a college friend who was a pharmacist in Redmond, Oregon. It resided with the friend for several years, when Dad had finally had enough of me pestering him about it and proceeded to stop by the pharmacy and bring it home. Unfortunately, the pharmacist may have known his prescriptions very well, but didn't know much about antique Colts and modern smokeless loads. He blew up the sixgun, which was chambered in .44 WCF -- no doubt the sad fate of many first-generation "blackpowder" Colts. Seeing as how the revolver was virtually useless in this condition, Dad let me become its custodian when I was in junior high in Tacoma, Washington.
I must confess that I did my own part in damaging what remained of the Frontier Six-Shooter, which the serial number dates to 1882. The lock works were still intact and there was a crude brass blade soldered in place as a front sight. Well that front sight was first to go when I decided I wanted to unscrew the barrel and went at the job with a vise and a pipe wrench thinking the sight would give my wrench some good purchase. Gosh that old blade came loose quickly! :shock:
Next to go was the cylinder pin, which I could not budge by conventional means and eventually yanked out with a pair of pliers, mangling it pretty darned well. It's now lost to the years along with the hand and hand/trigger spring. The final insult was when a high school pal and I were comparing notes, and it turned out that he, too, had been given a black-powder Colt SAA to fool with by his father, who thought he had made it unfireable by removing the firing pin from the hammer. I gave Dan the intact hammer from my Colt and he was in business.
Of course, the unknown miner or some other previous owner had begun the deconstruction process by removing the ejector and housing and cutting the barrel to 3 1/2 inches. Somewhere else along the line, somebody carved 13 notches in the walnut stock butt. As a kid and a "Gunsmoke" fiend, I would imagine that each notch represented an actual gunfight, but the notches could very well have stood for packrat or rattlesnake kills. The miner also bobbed the holster and cut holes in it for a retention thong. As the old saying goes, if it only could talk ... IT WOULD PROBABLY SCREAM BLOODY MURDER! :lol: :cry:
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ollogger
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by ollogger »

Bill, very good story!




Brad
Bill in Oregon
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Thanks Brad. Public confession has lifted some of the weight of the sin I committed against that revolver.
M. M. Wright
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by M. M. Wright »

I have a 7 1/2 inch Christy barrel and a hammer if you want to fix it.
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by JimT »

Bill ... I have Christy's .45 Colt cylinder I will send you if you want it. That old gun could be brought back ... I've seen worse that were. Depends if you want to put the money in it or not ... but either way, the cylinder is yours if you want it.
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by M. M. Wright »

JimT wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:49 pm Bill ... I have Christy's .45 Colt cylinder I will send you if you want it. That old gun could be brought back ... I've seen worse that were. Depends if you want to put the money in it or not ... but either way, the cylinder is yours if you want it.
The barrel I was speaking of is a 44 but I think I have a short, 4 3/4 inch, that is a 45. I'll bet we have enough stuff to get it shooting.
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Bill in Oregon
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Thanks fellas, but the top strap is completely fractured at the forward end. Without welding if that is even possible I would not trust it as a .44 WCF or .45 Colt. I once thought about trying to make a .22 out of it.
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by JimT »

Bill in Oregon wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:53 am Thanks fellas, but the top strap is completely fractured at the forward end. Without welding if that is even possible I would not trust it as a .44 WCF or .45 Colt. I once thought about trying to make a .22 out of it.
I had the top strap cut off and rewelded on this Old Model Ruger when I had it converted from .357 to .45 ACP ...a good gunsmith can reweld the top strap and be as strong as before.
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by AmBraCol »

Bill, that's a great story.

I, too, would love to see that old piece up and shooting again. I'd send it to Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gunworks and let him have a go at it. As JimT mentions, the topstrap is not a big problem, it can be rewelded easy enough. The cylinder's a good conversation piece but otherwise worthless. It'd be interesting to letter the pistol and get it setup close to what it was when it left the factory - or convert it to 45, or 44 SPL or even a 32-20. Shucks, it'd be a good candidate for a 480 Achilles! :lol:
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JimT
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by JimT »

AmBraCol wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:23 am I'd send it to Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gunworks and let him have a go at it.
Or .38 Special .... lots of options ... and Bobby does excellent work.
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by 2ndovc »

It would be pretty cool to see it brought back to life.

Great story Bill!

jb 8)
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Bill in Oregon
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Thanks guys. I wonder if the blackpowder frame -- if welded up and with a new cylinder-- would tolerate .38 Special up to Plus P. Probably be OK in .32-20, one of the original calibers.
Have to admit a fondness for the .44 Russian.
Bill in Oregon
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Aww, heck, I just sent an email to Bobby Tyler. Guessing the project will be beyond my budget, but no harm in asking.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

I spoke with Bobby yesterday. He is dealing with a family medical issue, so he may take a bit to get back to you.
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by 3leggedturtle »

JimT wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:32 am
AmBraCol wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:23 am I'd send it to Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gunworks and let him have a go at it.
Or .38 Special .... lots of options ... and Bobby does excellent work.
C'mon, 38S&W or 38 Long Colt.
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Re: Speaking of American Bulldogs

Post by gamekeeper »

Bill in Oregon wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:41 pm Aww, heck, I just sent an email to Bobby Tyler. Guessing the project will be beyond my budget, but no harm in asking.
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