Rogers and Spencer's revolvers

[Ugly Sauce]

Truth and Bannerman bought them for a quarter apiece.

Don't matter, but I believe several of them "walked out" of the warehouse on their own, sometime (soon?) after they were stored. One or two of those may have made it to the "field", but we'll never know, as no one was talking. Maybe one or two made it to the frontier. I see some old mountain man, still trying to eek out a living trapping in Wyoming, with one on his hip. "where did you git that Abe?" "Me cousin works in a warehouse back East, sent it to me."

 

[Roverguy]

Love, love, love my R&S revolvers. Can’t say that I find them ugly. Fully agree on how it feels in the hand and their accuracy, also with the conversion cylinder.

My advice is to be very careful with the rotating retaining nut for the arbor. Replacements are not available and they are a bit fiddly.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

Love, love, love my R&S revolvers. Can’t say that I find them ugly. Fully agree on how it feels in the hand and their accuracy, also with the conversion cylinder.

My advice is to be very careful with the rotating retaining nut for the arbor. Replacements are not available and they are a bit fiddly.
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I've heard the uberti Remington 44 howells conversion fits these guns.

Any truth to that?

 

[Roverguy]

I've heard the uberti Remington 44 howells conversion fits these guns.

Any truth to that?

No idea. I got an R&S Conversion cyl.

 

[hawg]

Don't matter, but I believe several of them "walked out" of the warehouse on their own, sometime (soon?) after they were stored. One or two of those may have made it to the "field", but we'll never know, as no one was talking. Maybe one or two made it to the frontier. I see some old mountain man, still trying to eek out a living trapping in Wyoming, with one on his hip. "where did you git that Abe?" "Me cousin works in a warehouse back East, sent it to me."

R&S sold 800 on the civilian market. Bannerman bought the entire lot of 5000 from the military contract.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

R&S sold 800 on the civilian market. Bannerman bought the entire lot of 5000 from the military contract.

Didn't know that about the 800. Big gun for a civilian to buy, if he's planning to stay in town or on the farm.

 

[hawg]

Didn't know that about the 800. Big gun for a civilian to buy, if he's planning to stay in town or on the farm.

Not really when you consider the price was probably about 5 or 6 bucks from the factory. Bannerman was selling them for 75 cents in 1909.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Not really when you consider the price was probably about 5 or 6 bucks from the factory. Bannerman was selling them for 75 cents in 1909.

But...if that 800 were sold before the Army contract was filled, that would have been before the war ended. Price would be about the same, or in the same ballpark as a Colt or Remington. ?? In 1909 a cap-N-ball would be very obsolete. Yes, some were still in use, but...

 

[hawg]

The contract called for 500 in January of 65 with 500 more each month until the contract was filled. The contract price was 12.00 each. I can't find what they cost on the civilian market but the 800 were sold before they got the contract.

 

[whughett]

In my humble opinion, this is the most sophisticated cap & ball revolver of that era - it has it's drawbacks, yes, like lacking safety notches, or looking (kind of) ugly, but it's an engineering marvel nonetheless.
P.S. Just shoot 'em!

In my humble opinion black powder revolvers are like the ladies, all are pretty just some are prettier.
I have two R&S’s and one conversion cylinder. My first experience with them was around 2011 or so, on a range in Sarasota County Florida. Shooter on the range let me try his. I went home ad found one for sale on
GB. We were winter folk so on returning
my north that spring I found another and purchased it.
Last year we sold out in Florida but I’ve kept both revolvers. The conversion cylinder lets me shoot indoors with 45Colt during our New England winters.
Great revolvers. IMO second only to the Ruger Old Armies, and like those one must be mindful of the cross bolt locking mechanism for the loading lever.