Now there is information that an additional non-contract 800 revolvers were made and sold in the 1860s. This constitutes a horse of a different color and one guy even found one that had seen use and was accompanied by letters and notes inside the grips connecting it to a specific and verifiable soldier from Mass. If 800 revolvers got loose during the 19th century, they are of at least as much historic interest as some of the low number confederate revolvers we see replicated.
Pedersoli has target grade R&S revolvers made by a german firm and Euro Arms is making them on the old Armi San Paulo machinery. They are distributed in the US by Dixie gun Works and associates of EuroArms USA:
The Regimental Quartermaster
49 Steinwehr Ave.
Gettysburg, PA 17325
717-338-1864
http://www.regtqm.com/
Euro Arms USA distributor.
S&S Firearms
74-11 Myrtle Ave, Glendale NY 11385
718-497-1100
http://ssfirearms.com/
Euro Arms USA distributor
this one came in to day- the result of a dixie gunworks backorder placed in october. good revolver, fine revolver. It functions perfectly and everything lines up as it should. Chamber mouths are .448 and groove to groove in the barrel are .44" as close as I can read a caliper. This is right in line with Pietta measurements and it workds fine with .451" as well as the larger balls.
The chamber capacity is about the same as the Pietta Lemat and considerably less than Remington and Colt belt revolvers in that 30 grains of goex seems a near maximum load and the same volume of Swiss fffg plus ball is a definate full capacity load. This revolver makes good use of 30 grains of BP and substitute:
Load ............................................velocity................................spread
30 grains goex FFFG .451 ball ..........833.....................................40
same volume Pyrodex P....................982.....................................75
same volume Swiss FFFg...................994.....................................30
30gr/vol swiss FFG .457 Ball..............982.....................................80
Dixie traditional 190 Grain bullet
from scissor Mould 21 gr/vol Swiss 853......................................36
These velocities are very close -virtually indentical to those recorded from our Uberti Remington NMA with similar charges.
The dixie bullet required a great deal of pressure to seat in the .448" chambers really putting too much of a strain on the loading lever. this was not the case with the .457" balls which required firm pressure. buffalo bullets 190 grain conical was too wide to go under the seating ram as were the cast Lee 200 grain bullets. Revolver hit close to point of aim at 25 and 50 yards and, in spite of a heavy trigger pull, was gratifyingly accurate. The trigger weight exceeded my 9lb guage.
I got one six inch group at 50 yards while shooting over the chronograph and using my knees for a rest. the second group did this. It appears to be about 4+ inches.
This revolver has no safety notch or pin between the chambers and is a definate five shooter unless the owner decides to ease the hammer down right next to a capped nipple. This is probably safe but a bit close for comfort.
I shot over sixty rounds with all loads using lubricated felt wads from Eastern Maine Shooters supply through thunder ridge. throughout, it handled caps without any hang ups and never did bog down from fouling.
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Questions, questions,questions........
