Call me insane

[Dr.Rob]

But I kind of want to bid on this thing.

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=10349196

Looks like the internals are messy, because the trigger is all the way back and the hammer isn't.

Any of you revolver experts know what might be wrong with it?

(Aside from the fact that its a 32 cal Fitz-ed out pimp gun that looks like a knuckle duster.)

 

[Archie]

Okay, Dr. Rob.

You're insane.



















Could be an interesting historical piece. Buy it and then track down who it was sold to originally. Could be Eliot Ness' ankle rig.

 

[Blueduck]

Shipping, transfer fee, possible new parts to fix action, possible having to pay someone to do the actual work..All for a not too expensive anyway, likely amateur chopped up gun

Even if you got it for $5 I'd think you would still be coming out behind in the end...

 

[Snake Eyes]

Okey Dokey

You ARE insane!

Want A Colt Nik Dick Special?? Why not buy this one: Nik Dick .32

Oooops. Too late. I bought it.

Well then, how about THIS one??? Nik Dick .38

Ooooops. Too late. I bought that one too.

Now you can call ME insane for what I paid, and you won't feel so bad about buying that piece of fecal frisbee.

 

[firestar]

Looks like the seller is legit but that gun shouldn't be started at $100. It should have been a fix it special and he should take what he can get.

 

[Dr.Rob]

See, I already have a Stainless Snubby Colt... in 357.

It's just so odd its cute.

 

[Snake Eyes]

It's just so odd its cute.

You're not only insane, you're weird!

 

[Old Fuff]

Well now ….

While I live in Arizona, I used to reside in Kalamazoo, MI. and I know the gun shop that’s selling the gun. It’s a good outfit and thoroughly reputable too do business with, but I’m going to have to explain too them that they don’t know beans about old Colts.

It isn’t a Detective Special. I can’t be absolutely sure without examining the gun, but I think it’s a “New Police†model or a very early “Police Positive.†It was most likely made during the first decade of the 20th century.

It may be chambered for the .32 S&W Long cartridge, or if it’s a New Police it could be chambered for the .32 Long Colt. If that the case the chamber will be bored straight through rather then have a shoulder in the front. The difference could matter because .32 Long Colt cartridges are very hard to find.

The New Police and Police Positive (especially the latter) are similar to the Detective Special but have a slightly shorter cylinder and frame. Later production Police Positives chambered in .38 S&W (not Special) make good “Fitz Special’s†and they are excellent pocket guns.

I’m not sure about this one. It apparently has some unidentified internal problems, and if parts were needed they might be hard too find. It does seem to be an interesting collectable and conversation piece, and as such it might be worth the currently ask-for 100 bucks.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Looks like an old time pimp gun to me. It's definitely not a D frame, but I couldn't tell you what it actually might be.

 

[Jim March]

You know, to me that little booger DOES look cool.

Something else interesting - I was recently pointed to a page on FBI agent Jelly Bryce:

http://www.gutterfighting.org/jellybryce.html

Now look at how he's holding his gun in this pre-WW2 pic:

Look carefully at the grip panel visible and where his fingers are. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Bryce has to be using a grip surprisingly similar to the little "Fitz Special" Dr. Rob was so intrigued by. Bryce's grip position does NOT match that of a Tyler T-grip adapter, the finger position is way wrong.

It suggests Bryce was using a true customized grip, and the piece Dr. Rob found is both contemporary with Bryce and of a roughly similar type, made for shooting in the low type of "FBI Crouch" hold favored by Bryce (shown in the pic above).

 

[SnWnMe]

Hey, even if the gun is not worth anything, that First Model "skeletonized" Tyler Grip Adapter might be worth a fortune!

 

[stans]

I don't think this revolver has any practical use, it is more of an oddity and collector's piece. The machine work looks nicely done, but the mechanicals obviously have some problems.

 

[Tamara]

That thing is so hideous that it's actually kind of cool.

 

[Jason Demond]

It makes me want to cry!

 

[Mikul]

With the trigger guard removed, this could be a dangerous gun to carry. What he may have had done is to remove the trigger return spring, so that you have to push the trigger out to engage it. It reminds me of the single action revolvers whose triggers drop when you cock the hammer. I would definitely ask what's up with that.

The metal behind the trigger guard is an unusual application of an old solution. Many revolver grips fill that space in to help the shooter get a high grip on the gun.

 

[Dr.Rob]

No intention of carrying it, I have newer Colts for that, just as a"neat" thing.

 

[Old Fuff]

Dr. Rob:

I answered your personal message by E-Mail, but I'm not sure it went out. If you haven't received something get back to me here, and I'll send the information you want again.

 

[Okiecruffler]

If nothing else, I'll bet it has $100 worth of history behind it. If only it could talk...

 

[RustyHammer]

You're insane.

 

[CMcDermott]

Are the grips plastic (look kinda shiny to me), or real ivory? The checkering on the grip adapter is obviously done by hand, and poorly enough that I think they used a standard three-sided file instead of checkering files. Shortened barrel with a ramp front sight, bobbed hammer, cut-off trigger guard, weakened (delibrately or through age) trigger return spring - if it weren't for the poor checkering job on the grip adaptor one might think that Fitzgerald himself worked this gun over.

It sounds really cool to me. Too bad it's probably impossible to trace the history of this gun - I would bet that it's very interesting. Fitz specials were only used by real gunmen - often LEO's who were worried enough to want the instant accessiblity of a pistol carried in your front pants pocket (they were pretty roomy in the thirties) or coat pocket and able to be fired through the garment - and were willing to put up with the obvious danger of not having the front of the trigger guard. These weren't pistols for someone who thought he might need a gun sometime, they were for someone who knew he needed a gun to save his life, and it might be in the next 5 minutes.

 

[Jim March]

Ya, that's what's so cool about it.

That was somebody's warhorse...a pure fighting handgun for bad times.

 

[Byron Quick]

I've got some ivory that's about thirty to forty years older than that gun if it's from around 1910. It's just as yellow and just as shiny. The plastics I've seen from that period don't look like that but I am by no means an expert. On the other hand, if they are ivory it seems the description would mention it.

Ivory headed sword cane from last quarter 19th century: http://www.olegvolk.net/newphotos/scane.jpg

 

[10-Ring]

Hey, if you like it & can afford it, buy it!

Oh yeah, you're insane!

 

[DAL]

Thanks for the permission, but I don't think I'll take you up on it.

If you like it, and I'm assuming you must if you took the time to post about it on THR, why not bid on it? Heck, you're a Dr., you can afford it. Of course, it might cost several times what you pay for it to get it in good working order,
but sometimes new guns today need extra work to perfect them.
DAL

 

[Keith]

I'd throw $100 at a gun like that and never look back. That piece was owned by someone who knew something about gunfighting. It's American history, pure and simple.

Keith