If you like Old S&W........

[reflex264]

How about a 1st model DA .44 Russian. Yep I had to shoot it. Picked it up at an auction several months ago.

[horsesoldier03]

Very Nice!

[Blaine]

Year of manufacture?

[gamekeeper]

Nice find, congratulations... how does it shoot?

[marlinman93]

Great gun, in a great cartridge! Very easy to load for and fun to shoot too! Had a couple in a S&W DA, and an earlier New Model #3 SA also. Always loved that cartridge!

[reflex264]

Nice find, congratulations... how does it shoot?

Not bad. First try about 5" at 25 yards. I am sure if I get more time to fool with it that will shrink. Sure is a mess to clean though.

[reflex264]

Year of manufacture?

I can't remember off the top of my head. Ill have to look it up.

[Ysabel Kid]

That is a fun cartridge. Accurate too!

[crs]

My Dad had an Iver Johnson .38 short that looked just like that!

[44shooter]

I have one with almost all the nickel gone. Never shot it. I notice it will chamber Special and Magnums

[Sixgun]

Does it still lock up decent? You don't need to use black in it...a very mild charge of Unique will suffice...I had one that was like new and I sold it to Kirk D in Canada...(talk about a headache with the legalities!)

Had others in that caliber and moved em all over the years....just kept one, a Colt SAA IN 44 Russian.....originally bought by John W. Hession , the Marine Corp shooter.

I can talk those old guns all day...and night.

By the way, all of those are considered antiques as the frames were all built before 1899 but continued to be put together for about another 10 years.---006



Triplelock Target 44 Spl.



Merwin & Hulbert in 44-40. Built late 80's beer can accurate to 100 yards....note flip down hammer

[M. M. Wright]

Dang Six, that is one fine Colt. Can I have it? I like those Merwins too. You can feel the compression of the base pin into the barrel assembly they are fitted so precisely. I let mine in 44 Winchester go last year and sold 2 SAAs at the last Wanamacher. At my age, 82, I've got to start thinning things down. No better investment though.

[Sixgun]

Dang Six, that is one fine Colt. Can I have it? I like those Merwins too. You can feel the compression of the base pin into the barrel assembly they are fitted so precisely. I let mine in 44 Winchester go last year and sold 2 SAAs at the last Wanamacher. At my age, 82, I've got to start thinning things down. No better investment though.

M.M.,
Ya know, it's only "stuff" that at one time made you elated........there was only 153 single actions made in 44 Russian and this one also has provenance...I lucked out...came out of an old estate along with an unfired one in 45....There's a lot of "old money" around here from the DuPonts and such.

The Merwin is also about a 90-95 percenter...locks up tight and yes, it feels like there is a spring on the cylinder....amazing what they could do so long ago so that's why I get disgusted with today's junk..You and I know what quality is and what can be done if they want to.....but quantity is more important than quality....

So to answer your question, come on over....as one fellow Colt nut to another, you can HAVE it...it means less each day as we are all only temporary custodians of this "stuff"------006

[44shooter]

Mine is in the low four digits. Lockup is decent. A little rotational and fore and aft movement. Seen much worse. Always read they should be shot with black only. I don’t have any Russian brass and my dies are Sp/mag. Like I said it will chamber even a 300 grain magnum jhp. I don’t see why I couldn’t use special cases and a lead bullet

[Sixgun]

Mine is in the low four digits. Lockup is decent. A little rotational and fore and aft movement. Seen much worse. Always read they should be shot with black only. I don’t have any Russian brass and my dies are Sp/mag. Like I said it will chamber even a 300 grain magnum jhp. I don’t see why I couldn’t use special cases and a lead bullet

Using 44 Spl brass might possibly let the bullet protrude out the front of the cylinder.....also, using a larger case with very small amounts of smokeless could possibly be dangerous.....(just read that...don't know for sure).....with a gun made of metal that was not heat treated for smokeless leaves you zero room for a spike in pressures......

Just take your 44 Spl cases and trim them down, use a light for caliber bullet....say 180-200 grains CAST....with 3-4 grains of Unique. Jacketed bullets will build up pressure as there's more resistance between copper and steel......size the cast for the cylinder throats and not above the throats or the groove diameter of the barrel....bottom line, do what you can to keep resistance to a minimum. Use as soft of a bullet you can.....40-1....make sure before pulling the trigger your cylinder is properly indexed......(lined up with the bore)----006

[44shooter]

I thought of getting some of those Speer plastic 44 cases and bullets. Primer power only. I could use them in my vaqueros too even in the shop