New Project - Hell on Wheels Griswold

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duelist1954

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I like the series "Hell on Wheels". I think it has improved a lot over the three seasons it's been on the air. Somethings they do with guns still drive me nuts, but they have gotten better since the first season.

One of the issues in the first season was the "Griswold" revolver that Anson Mount's character Cullen Bohannon carried. It was supposed to be a confederate Griswold and Gunnison revolver, but really it was a brass-framed 1860 Army revolver, which looks nothing like a real G&G.

From what I've read, they couldn't get a G&G replica for the pilot episode, so hey went with the 1860, and then they were stuck with it.

Anyway, I decided to put together a revolver that could be transformed from the Hell on Wheels Griswold to something that looks more like a real Griswold & Gunnison.

I had to compromise on caliber. Real G&Gs were all .36 caliber, and the Hell on Wheels Griswold is .44 caliber...an obvious problem. I decided to stick with .44 Caliber.

To do the project I picked up a .44 caliber brass-framed Navy:

bhdgT2P.jpg

I had some junk 1860 Army parts in the parts box, and I had a .44 caliber G&G barrel, so here are the results:

Hell on Wheels Giswold:

3sOzCm2.jpg


More correct looking Griswold & Gunnison:

jZ59ArH.jpg
 
That's pretty cool.
I love the series. Some of the things they do are correct. For instance, I like that in one episode Bohanon ran out of ammo and changed cylinders on the move. That would likely be accurate as some would no doubt have carried spare loaded cylinders for their revolvers since loading one wasn't exactly the fastest thing to do.
 
So really, you just need to turn the '51 barrel round.

Cool deal.

45 Dragoon
 
What I never understood is with all the fantasy guns the Italians did the never did a steel frame 1860 with a dragoon style barrel. They did a brass 1860 frame with a dragoon barrel (a 44 G&G), octagon barrel, and round 1860 barrel, a steel frame with an octagon barrel and the correct round 1860 barrel, but not a dragoon barrel so a 44 L&R
 
I see the difference but i dont understand what you did.

Is it just photoshop?

If you turned the barrel down how did you keep the lettering on the side of the 1860 and get it to fit into the 51 barrel frame?
 
It isn't photoshop.

They are real guns. It is ridiculously easy to do, if you have an extensive C&B parts collection...which I do.

I'll probably do a video and a "Guns of the Old West B-P column on it.
 
The nitpicker in me was irritated that Elam's Open Top was a few years too early in its appearance but at the same time, I was elated to see one of my favorite oddball sixguns in a new Western series. :p
 
i want a .36 G&G reproduction really bad, even have some funds, but given that i havent seen #11 caps and .44 roundball much in my travels, i havent seen #10's or .380 at all :(
i need to look more, harder etc :)
Nice revolvers guys
Gene

though i could just buy it and defarb it, age the brass, tinker etc. then its an art project! till i find food for it
 
duelist1954 said:
It isn't photoshop.

They are real guns. It is ridiculously easy to do, if you have an extensive C&B parts collection...which I do.

I'll probably do a video and a "Guns of the Old West B-P column on it.
Click to expand...
ok im sorry, i dont know my guns very well.

Cabelas has some that look kinda like what you have built yours has a different front sight though.

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i must be weird and in the minority but i want the proper navy caliber regardless of whether its a standard '51 or a confederate... even though it'd be easier on me to have it a .44 as thats what my other revolver shoots...
just my 2 cents
Gene
 
I found an old .44 cal Uberti similar to the one duelist worked up on gb now: 385915601 for $250. I now wished I had snagged that one at my lgs before Christmas. They only wanted $95 for it. If a brassie is good enough for the duelist, its good enough for me. I own a couple of brass framed 1858 Remmie buffalos. Despite shooting with heavier loads, I have not yet seen any sign of frame stretch or other damage.
 
elhombreconnonombre said:
I found an old .44 cal Uberti similar to the one duelist worked up on gb now: 385915601 for $250. I now wished I had snagged that one at my lgs before Christmas. They only wanted $95 for it. If a brassie is good enough for the duelist, its good enough for me. I own a couple of brass framed 1858 Remmie buffalos. Despite shooting with heavier loads, I have not yet seen any sign of frame stretch or other damage.
Click to expand...
What about cylinder lockup?

Mind would lock up tight about aevery shot. I polished the frame infront of the cylinder but i didnt get a chance to try it to see if it helped. Traded it off
 
I have one 36 caliber brass frame a Spiller & Burr. Want another one and 2 brass framed G&G's and I'm done with brass
 
I've found I really like shooting the .36s and for that matter .31s. Who knew. But then again if I just want a lot of noise and smoke I can go straight to the Walker - they don't ALL have to have the same characteristics. Nice to have some variety in the way they shoot, not just the way they look.
 
Nice to have some variety in the way they shoot, not just the way they look.
Click to expand...
I agree! I've got six percussion .44's with another on the way but I love shooting the .36 1851 Navy.
 
Bower64
I assume you are referring to powder fouling of the cylinder pin (arbor). I liberally apply lube to that area and clean/relube the pin When swapping cylinders. Periodically I remove the pin, dip in melted beeswax, let it harden, and repeat a couple times. I reinstall the cylinder and seat the pin. Any dry excess beeswax that gets removed When the pin is inserted seems to help in preventing effects of fouling of the pin in that área.
 
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