Sile, NY importer of Italian replicas. Anyone know anything about them?

[Ginormous]

I found a SS 1860 Colt Army with a roll Stamp on the barrel that reads something to the effect of "Sile, N.Y, N.Y." Unfortunately, I didn't get the date code or manufacturer, as I was REALLY looking at a SS Ruger Old Army, hard at the time. Since then, I've tried to find out something about this importer. Came up totally empty.

Anyone heard of them, or are familiar with the product lines they carry?

Also, Fingers McGee is going to be REALLY miffed when he finds out I let an Allen Fire Arms Uberti SS Colt 1860 get by me. As I recall, he mentioned he collected this pre-Cimarron importers' products.

 

[bprevolver]

Sile

Sile was a distributor/retailer in the 1970's. Armi San Paolo was the supplier of their stainless steel models. The brass frame revolvers usually have the "COM" under the loading lever. The is one of the Manufacturer codes that I have not been able to identify. I would be interested in this revolver if you are not.

 

[Ginormous]

bprevolver, I am not interested in this revolver. I'd be happy to drop by again and take some pics of it for you, or give you the contact info for the seller. Ticket price on this particular replica was $225, but I typically have been able to purchase from this seller for 10 to 15% less than counter price. In one case, considerably less.

 

[BHP FAN]

In the case of one Spiller and Burr revolver,about half price of what they wanted for one out here on the Left Coast...thanks,again!

 

[kBob]

THE CLUNKER IDENTIFIED.......

AT LAST!!!!!!


bprevolver,

Many guys on this board agreed with me that they had no idea who used COM in a rectangle under the loading lever as a mark.

Now does anyone know if ASM 1851 brassers in .44 take odd sized parts and if so where do I get them?

Will also revive "The Clunker Photo" thread in a moment.

-kBob

 

[jcowan]

Sile's was a gun shop in lower Manhattan that closed down about 10 years ago. They were next door to another gun shop called John Jovino's. They both used to make most of their sales to NYPD members but the NYPD began selling service weapons at their own Equipment Section in Police Headquarters. Jovino's is still there and imports replica Henry rifles but does not import blackpowder revolvers. I think the company was called Sile Distributors.

 

[Ginormous]

I really, really appreciate all of the information being shared on this importer.

The more you learn, the more you know!

 

[arcticap]

There was another gun shop in Meriden, CT that was tied in with Sile. The name of the shop was The Trading Post and they closed down about 10 years ago.
They sold a lot of military surplus rifles and some of the re-worked Century Arms guns. The also had a bunch of blackpowder supplies.
I traded in a gun and bought a couple of others from them, and I remember being told about how they also had a Manhatten store and were tied in with Sile. This shop was part of a larger single building that may have actually been the warehouse and/or offices where Sile Distributors conducted business from.

I have an Erma pistol that's marked Sile, NY, NY. which they imported and was sold through another distributor. I believe it's similar to how Ruger is headquartered in Southport, CT but does most of their business out of New Hampshire or Arizona where they have large facilities. Sile also had this CT operation which ceased doing business over time, but which remained simply as "The Trading Post" gunshop until they stopped doing business too and their remaining guns and inventory were sent back to NY.
I think that they stayed in business for as long as they could by having a paintball facility which they rented out to paintball shooters.

 

[mykeal]

ASM's 1851 takes the same parts as most of the other manufacturer's open top Colt replicas; in other words, the parts will come close to, and may actually even, fit on the first try, but will probably need a bit of 'adjusting' with a gentle flat needle file and a good bit of patience.

As for where: VTI Gun Parts ASM

 

[Ginormous]

Not that it really makes any difference, but bprevolver states that Armi San Paolo (ASP) was the manufacturer of these revolvers, as opposed to Armi San Marco (ASM).

Parts interchangeability is likely unaffected by this minor point, however.

 

[kBob]

Ginormous,

My (embarassing) bad. I was just complaining to the wife this morning on a shopping trip about lug nuts that comment without actually reading posts. Guess I just got excited since none of youse guys had recognized the COM marking before.

mykeal,

Thanks for the VTI link.

OP,

I bought a S&W M-19 with what I thought were Sile rubber K frame grips on them while serving in FRG from an NCO that failed to do his form 6A before he had to leave. He said he had bought the grips at Frankonia to make the six inch target featured 19 an easier to handle gun. WHen I took it appart I found the only mark on the grips was "ITALY" Later stateside I compared them to the Sile product and found them the same except for the lack of "Sile" on the inside.

Just to keep it BP oriented:
On that tour I only saw one BP pistol and it a cartridge gun. One of the French 11mm revolvers like in "The Mummy" The German was interested in showing it to me because he believed he could make servicable ammo from .44 Special brass which he knew I had.

-kBob