BP SIDE BY SIDE CORSAIR (41 cal)

[warhammer]

I was given this front stuffer 20 years ago from my grampa. Not a terribly old gun, probably italian. very nice finish. Looks like a tiny dbl barrell shotgun sawed off. says .44 on top (shoots patched .40 cal). with #10 caps and 20-30 gr fff, i can't hit jack. Even if i were INSIDE JACK!

There really arent too many marks on it to find maker. It has dbl set triggers, side hammers (like percussion rifles do). brass trigger guard and butt cap. small brass ended ram rod under barrell.

Any one know who might have made this? Maybe a good load? So far, I only think its a descent snake gun.

Thanks for the time.

 

[Steve499]

If it is really a .44, a .40 ball might be a little on the small side. I generally start out at about .10 under bore size for a patched ball ( .440 for a .45, .310 for a .32, etc.) Also, I wonder if it's a smoothbore. Another factor is I doubt if any effort at all was made by the manufacturer to regulate those two barrels so they shoot anywhere close to the same place. If it has any sights on it, you might just load and shoot one until you figure out where it is hitting, then work on the other one. If it has no sights, I'd load it with double balls in each barrel and call whatever it gave me good.

Steve

 

[ribbonstone]

Remember them as being improted by various places..Hawes was one, believe "Richland Arms" was another, but those are just improters. Never investigated made them back then, but suspect some of the small proof marks or maker's marks would point to the place of assembly... I'm voting for Spain.

 

[warhammer]

found importer

Its interarms. I took it to a gun store I frequenty (closed now) and had the guy help me out since he had all the stuff. He cracked open some 44s and worked down. Believe it or not, that 395 is tighter than a dicks hat band! I have to smack the crap out of it with the starter even. I only use one patch.

As far as two balls, is that safe? or did you mean just shoot both barrels together. I aint much for holding grenades once the pin and spoon are gone.

Thanks to both of you btw for the quick response.

 

[Steve499]

I've fired double patched balls from time to time with no problem. I meant two balls in each barrel for a total of 4. When you think about it, as long as the second ball is seated touching the first one, it's little different than shooting one of the elongated bullets of various styles and weights that are available. If you want to generate a little more spread, you can put a card wad over the powder charge and load the first ball without a patch. The second, patched ball will keep everything seated. In the rifles I've tried two patched balls with, the dispersion has been vertical for the most part but with one ball unpatched it goes whichever way it wants depending on what it's last bounce down the barrel was. They used to shoot a lot of buck and ball out of the muskets and history is replete with stories of ramrods fired by mistake with no ill effects, so a second ball never caused me the least bit of concern. I'm not urging you to try it. If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. I've done it on several occasions just to experiment but never got results worth continuing the practice. With your double barrel pistol which doesn't seem to be accurate, if I owned it, I'd be renewing my experiment.

Steve

 

[Plink]

The Corsair is Italian made. As noted, it was imported by several companies and was seen under several names. It was called the Renegade per my 1968 Shooter's Bible and I've seen reference to it being called an Encore if memory serves. EMF imported them also and since they're still in business, they might be a place to look for further info.

The bore on mine was small too. I haven't shot it in years, but I think I used a .430 ball with a .010 or .015 patch. They also made them in .36. I don't know if the .36 was a smoothbore or not, but the .44 is rifled.

Being thin walled barrels designed for light charges, I wouldn't risk a double ball in them. Mine has enough blowback from the nipples to half cock the hammers and burn the wood at the tang, as it is. I haven't found new nipples to fit, but I will use a thread gauge to see what pitch it is. I didn't try 6mmx1 (CVA) as I didn't have any on hand, but a 6x.75 (Lyman, Investarms) won't fit.

They were a very inexpensive import which is interesting considering the level of fit and finish, good quality, and loaded with hand engraving.

If you can post a pic of the proofmark, I'll look up the date of manufacture for you. Mine was made in 1968. I got it in the mid '70's at a birthday gift when I was about 12-13 or so.

 

[warhammer]

This looks just like mine.

 

[warhammer]

This looks just like mine.

http://www.marplerifleandpistolclub.org.uk/pictures/blckpis3.htm

go here to see pix. cant get them to show. this is a 36 but looks the same.

 

[Plink]

Looks just like mine too. Originally I thought the wood on mine might have been Tiger Myrtle as it is lighter than most of the walnuts and has a bit of marble caking in the grain. It turned out to be just a bit lighter walnut.

They did make later models without the engraving. I'm remembering that from a 70's Shooter's Bible that showed them.

I wouldn't mind picking up another one if I could ever find one. I'd like to make a cased pair. My wood is pretty burned at the tang though.

 

[warhammer]

Want another?

I'd take 50 bucks for this one if you want it. Not sure how to do the deal though.

Mine has very little burning (almost none). Wood is perfect finish (except for the little burn near the nipples . I could get you pix if interested.

 

[Sixgunjeff]

I'lltake it for $50.

 

[Sixgunjeff]

Sorry for jumping in, I just read the last post not the whole thread.

 

[Plink]

Warhammer, if you haven't sold it to Jeff, I'll take it for $50. It's legal to just drop in a box and ship without any hassles, and yes, I'm over 18...way, way, over 18! LOL

PM sent

 

[carpettbaggerr]

Nice! Anyone still importing anything similar?

 

[Plink]

Carpetbagger, sadly, no, nothing like it since. Apparently they weren't big sellers here, as Warhammer is the only other one I've talked to that has one. I frequent one of the large muzzleloader forums and out of their thousands of members, I was the only one who had one or had even fired one. They're a knowledgeable bunch, but nobody even had much in the way of information on them. I can't even find much in the way of reference to them on the internet.