Resurection of a Peace Maker
Texas -2017The old man in Texas I talked to on the phone told me it was his grandfather's. Allegedly his grandfather, a town constable back then, had picked it up at the scene of a shooting back around the turn of the century. Back in those days that meant the grandfather now owned it.
There was some haggling over the price. A true negative was the seller had no idea what the caliber was and that all inscriptions that may answer that had worn off long, long ago. His father had told him he and the grandfather had fired off the last of the ammunition they had for the pistol back when the father was a boy. Then it was wrapped in a rag and pretty much forgotten about for the next 40 years.
We finally agreed upon a $200 price for what was essentially a paperweight or just a curio without ammunition and a little paperwork and a mailed money order later UPS delivered a package to my front door.
Oh, it was rough. The rag they wrapped it in had acted like a wick and held moisture against the iron frame.. Oil and fine steel wool. Almost every vestige or writing had literally pitted away. Still there was no denying what it was. A Colt 'Peace Maker' Model 1873 Single Action Army (SAA) revolver, 1st Generation. Hot damn.
What more could be learned about this 'paper weight'? Only vestiges of a serial number remained, but the number appears in 4 places and filling in the missing numbers of one location was thus easily done. A letter to Colt Firearms soliciting information regarding that serial number was soon sent. Later it was learned Colt had shipped the weapon off to a sporting goods store in Colorado in 1881. At that time the caliber was .44-40 and the barrel was 7 1/2" long.
I confirmed the barrel's ID was still 0.42". However, someone had installed a shorter 4 3/4" barrel. This was not uncommon in the bad old days of the Wild Wild West. I tried a .44-40 round, it didn't fit. Too wide. Someone had swapped out the cylinder for a different caliber. I tried a .44 Special (invented in 1904) but that was about 0.2" too long. Research determined the only cartridge in America in the 1880s that would fit was .44 S&W Russian a black powder cartridge. AKA 11.18X24R mm. A very popular cartridge in both the US and Europe and even Asia. From 1889 through 1905 Colt offered barrels, cylinders and complete firearms in this caliber. In 1905 such items were marked as .44 Special/.44 Russian and both cartridges would fit in the post 1905 cylinders. So mine is an early cylinder type.
Like automobiles and PCs, every few years gun makers and ammunition makers introduce a new model and cartridge, then discontinue support for older models. My problem was both S&W and Winchester, America's two top ammo makers, had not made .44 S&W ammunition since the 1960s.
So I visited a public firing range and from the floor there I collected a few dozen used .44 Special and .44 magnum cases. Bringing them home I shortened them and with some black powder and my bullet mould I made new .44 S&W Russian ammunition.
I am pleased to report the old pistol functions like new. The mechanism timing is perfect and with the new ammunition supply the gun speaks with a flash and a roar as it should.
Comments (13)
Ken, I have a 1941 Luger P08, all numbers similar
except pf course the magazine.
It has no collectible value, blue is gone, just shinny as the sun.
But still fire like a brand new.
How Orwellian is that?
That's much more scary and unattainable for so many.
Apparently, Lugers were produced in several calibers, but were initially small caliber handguns. Later, larger caliber Lugers were produced, but didn't function as well as the original Luger. (I wish I still had that magazine; guess I'll have to dig around a little!)
Of the handguns I own, none is more than a few years old. Checking out older productions (like Winchester rifles, for example) is always kinda cool.
Interesting blog!