Part Round/Part Octagon Barrels

[expat_alaska]

I am creating this thread in response to a question from Mr. Here Comes The Sun on another thread.

First, I am a Pietta 1851 Navy .36 "type" collector and parts changer. By that I mean that I try to create Confederate revolvers that Pietta does not market presently (and probably never will do so).

Pietta currently markets a Griswold & Gunnison .36 revolver with the part round/part octagon barrel and smooth/plain/non-engraved cylinder. I bought one in 2015 and my quest to create other Confederate revolvers (that Pietta does not market) started from there.

One can procure such barrels (sometimes in various lengths) from VTI https://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=66&cat=Pietta+1851+Navy

Some are even available in .44, but that is an anathema to me insofar as 1851 Navy "type" revolvers. Just my take upon this subject.

Uberti also markets a Leech & Rigdon revolver (which lately is not historically correct because it has an engraved cylinder) but earlier models had a plain cylinder.

https://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=297&cat=Uberti+1851+Navy

So, just to see what you can accomplish with Pietta .36 revolvers, these are mine.

Leech & Rigdon .36.



J. H. Dance & Brothers .36. [This was a one year offering (1996) by Pietta and there is a huge story behind it.]



Fantasy 1851 2nd Model Navy Dragoon .36 Belt Pistol.



Rigdon & Ansley .36 (I had the 12-stop-slot cylinder cut by my machinist neighbor).

The G&G is the only factory model marketed by Pietta in these photos.



I hope this answers a few of your questions.

Regards,

Jim

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Thank you for the info and pics.
The Leech & Rigdon has the nice bluing on the cylinder, I take it you polished it up ? I notice the originals have very smooth cylinders.
I also like the Rigdon & Ansley.

 

[bannockburn]

Jim

I think my favorite one of them all is the Leech and Rigdon, followed by the Griswold and Gunnison. Would add a Spiller and Burr for my Confederate Revolver Trifecta!

 

[TheOutlawKid]

I had a buddy who made himself what he called a "dance and gunnison" it was a pietta brass bodied 1851 with the partial round barrel, he basically just shaved the sides of the frames recoil sheild to make it like a Dance and brothers revolver. He loved it because he had huge hands and sausage fingers so capping was always an issue even with a capper...but removing the recoil sheild gave him better access to the nipples. It was an interesting fantasy gun.