Medusa Model 47 - Multi-caliber Revolver

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YankeeIronSights

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Hi everyone,

I was reading about this revolver and thought that some forum members may own this interesting multi-caliber revolver. Can you please share your experience with this gun?


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Got to try one out with several different cartridges years ago. It did not always fire with the .380 cartridges, but for the most part worked at least acceptably well. After trying it out, I had no desire to own one. Seemed like a gimmick gun, with a cylinder that accommodated multiple cartridges, but fit none of them well. Just looked on Gun Broker and found one, with a Buy-it-Now price of $9000.00!!! Perhaps these are now super desirable survival revolvers for a potential Zombie apocalypse?;)
 
Don't own one, haven't shot one, once wanted one and changed my mind on them long ago.

While it can shoot a lot of different stuff, the most common ammo you'd be shooting with it is .38, .357, 9mm, .380, .38 Super, and .38 S&W. .38 Super is pointless when you can shoot .357 and .38 S&W is weaker than .38 Special and both are less common than the first four I mentioned, which means more $ to shoot.

If you want to shoot .38/.357 and 9mm, Taurus is coming out with a 7 shot convertible revolver that has a spare 9mm cylinder. Having specific chambers for the different size cartridges improves accuracy and velocity a lot and is a lot better than having one cylinder that has a chamber that has to shoot a variety of different cartridges.
 
I read a hilarious review of this thing a few years back. The author talked about the looks he got while loading each round from a different box of ammo. They're impressively expensive on the secondary market.

I know a single action isn't a double action, but a convertible Blackhawk will get you most of the way there since you probably don't have a box of 9mm Browning Patronen or 9x18 Ultra laying around anyways.

Reportedly, they also have a unique rifling pattern for ballistic fingerprinting purposes.
 
tallball said:
Yeah. I bought a 9mm cylinder for my 357 Blackhawk and I feel like I'm just fine now.
Click to expand...
A much more affordable solution for a multi cartridge revolver. IMO, if the goal is a 9mm revolver, just buy a 9mm revolver. The barrel will not be forced to pull double duty with different bullet diameters, weights, and lengths and the sights will be set for 9mm.

And last I looked, two revolvers is better than one. Yeah, that means buying a second gun and revolvers aren't cheap, but they're a lot cheaper and easier to get than a Medusa.

Not that the Blackhawk 9mm combo isn't a bad choice, just saying.

About the only thing that's left out is .380, but given that .357 is a straight wall case, just like .380, I think if one had a .357 that used moon clips and the clips were modified to work with .380, it'll work and be safe.

People have shot .380 in a 9mm pistol before, but the taper of the 9mm leaves a lot for the .380 case to expand in the chamber, .357's case diameter is only .005" larger than .380 is.

Of course, why would one want to shoot .380 in a .357 is a mystery, but I have a prepper mindset and if all you had for ammo was .380... it beats an empty .357.
 
Medusa Experience

I had a Model 47 exactly like the one in your picture. I also had a S&W 686 with a fitted Medusa cylinder. Both guns were trouble free with the factory P&R Medusa being slightly more accurate with most loads.

One important thing to remember is NOT to use the ejector rod to push out stuck cases (use a pencil or wooden rod). The owner's manual mentions this but I didn't remember the warning and broke off one of the "fingers" that hold in the rimless rounds.

Parts are very difficult to find for this gun and I might not have got mine fixed except for the help that I received from Gary Reeder (thanks again Gary). He gave me a contact number for someone in Texas and they were able to replace my broken ejector. As I remember, the new ejector had to be fitted to my gun so it is not a drop in part.
 
I have one. Interesting as a curiosity and I appreciate the concept, but it's not too fun at the range. Cartridges routinely get stuck in the chambers, and, as mentioned, you need to poke them out with some kind of makeshift tool. I also get failures to fire occasionally for some reason. Accuracy is good enough with 38 specials, but not remarkable. As such, it's not really a gun I bring out to enjoy putting a box or two of ammo through, since my other revolvers give me so much less hassle.

 
Zero experience with this revolver, but it sounds like a Jack of all Trades and a Master of None.


lifesizepotato's photo makes it look like a mean motor scooter.
 
I know years ago I wanted one but the price drove me away. I also would of been happy to get one of the drop in cylinders but that never happened either.
 
A couple of shops will do clip conversion that will allow you to shoot 9x19 thru 9x23 and .38 Super. Pinnacle says .38 or .357 will likely stick, and recommends an extra cylinder. TK says not, but that 9mm +P will and do not include .38 Super or 9x23.
And no claim for .380 by either.
Still lots cheaper than a Medusa.
 
Any cylinder that can hold .380, 9mm, and .38 S&W has to have a lot of slop built into their tolerances. A quick glance at the cartridge specs will show noticeable variations in the brass thickness.
 
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