Medusa revolver

The Medusa

I just piked up a Phillips & Rogers 47. It does everything it said it will and more. Mr. Phillips, thank you for an incredible firearm. Would you mind answering a few questions? My serial number starts with AAA and is in the 1020's. Does that mean its #20? Something else that caught my attention.

"Sometimes when an expanded case like a .30 carbine or 356 TSW gets jammed in the chamber, it's a natural tendency to gently tap on the extractor rod to eject the reluctant case. DON'T DO THIS."

Does this mean I can fire .30 carbine (7.62x33mm) as well as 7.62x25mm?:eek::eek:

The Medusa didn't come with a manual and I'm extremely curious to know exactly what calibers it can chamber and fire safely.

Any information would be well appreciated!

Here are more pictures for the rest of you. I'll have targets posted soon.

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Well JW I'm convinced...Now i just need to find one

I've seen 2 for sale in online auctions since I've started looking, 1 for around $1000 that was listed as excellent cond. but looked a little on the used side...pass...another which is still (and repeatedly) on auction for between $2500-$3500 because of the "rarity" of its Satin Nickel finish and looks factory fresh.

I would think 1K is a reasonable price for a factory fresh Medusa...I like the way the satin nickel looks but honestly couldnt care less what finish it has...at least not enough to fork out that kind of dough.

If anyone has advice on tracking down a factory cond. Medusa I would greatly appreciate it.

I check the online auctions every other day...have already tried the local gun expo and firearm vendors...it's depressing how many folks who know mountains more about guns than I do give me a blank look when I ask about finding a Medusa....

merry x-mas
 
Unfortunatly for the Scorpian does not seem as reliable as the medusa, at least as far as useing p+ or +p+ ammo...no, the Medusa is tough as guts and thats a big reason why i want one.

From what ive read almost 1\2 of the scorpians produced were returned to the manufactuerer for repairs. With JW's warnings about what to do and what not to do with the medusa i would rather throw my $ in that direction.

Ty for trying though ;)

BTW, i know nothing about the production of firearms...but when Mr. Phillips said that the Medusa's production was 500 with roughly half going out of country, did that mean 500 total or 500 per production run...500 per year say.

I guess what im asking is: How many Medusa's are there out in the world?
 
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Medusa manual

I have a Medusa owners manual. I could (I think) attach the significant pages to an email. Let me know
 
Manual

Glenn, will you please post the manual in its entirety? I would be greatly appreciative! I have a Medusa but no manual. Im interested to learn anything you may know. Thanks.
 
i was work at a place last week and during lunch i found an artical about this gun in a popular mechanics mag. from Nov. 1998 was really interested in it. in the artical it states that the suggested retail price is $599.
 
Medusa Ruger?

Far cheaper than a Medusa would be a Ruger Blackhawk .357/9mm convertible, with a couple of extra cylinders reamed out for the semi-auto calibers, 38 Super, 9mm largo, and, if you could get a partially finished cylinder from Ruger, chambered for the 380 Auto and 38 Auto, and if you confine yourself to lead bullets, you could probably shoot 38 S&W, too. Plus, you could add .357 Sig to the mix.

In double action, you can dish out almost any double action revolver to headspace the rimless cartridges with moon clips and still retain the ability to shoot the rimmed cartridges, 38 Special and .357 Magnum. Think of it, an SP101 (or GP100 or S&W "L" frame) capable of shooting
38 Special/357 Magnum
380 Auto (also known as 9mm Short, or 9x17mm)
9mm Makarov (also known as 9x18mm
38 Auto (also known as 38 ACP)
38 Super (same dimensions as 38 Auto, but 50% higher pressure)

A good gunsmith would look at the rim thicknesses to make sure headspace would be OK (and, if necessary, moon clips with thicknesses appropriate for each cartridge's rim thickness would have to be in your inventory), but that would still be somewhat cheaper than a Medusa, and spare parts would be a lot more available.

You would not be able to mix cartridges in a single cylinder as easily or as widely as you can with the Medusa, but at least revolvers that could be converted are still being made, and at reasonable prices, too.

I recall reading an article back around 1975 about a semi-auto that was capable of shooting about a dozen different cartridges from .30 Luger and up. It required a barrel and magazines (and a selection of recoil springs) for every chambering and a different slide for each different head dimension, but they all ran on the same frame, and everything fit in a reasonable-sized gun case.

Has started me thinking.

How about putting a Dan Wesson barrel system on a Ruger Blackhawk and picking up a couple dozen cylinder blanks and chambering them for:
22 RF
22 Mag
22 Jet
(skipping over the .25" pistol cartridges)
switch barrels to a .308"/.311" capable barrel
30 Luger
30 Mauser
32 Auto
30 Carbine
switch barrels to a .314" barrel
327 Magnum and similarly sized bullets in whatever chambering they come in
switch barrels to a .355"/357" barrel
you get the idea. You could take this all the way up to .451"/.454" diameter, maybe even .475", depending on the frame.

The Medusa is not dead. I'm just waiting for to figure out how I could get Hamilton Bowen interested in a project gun.

Lost Sheep

I just reviewed my post, and I might be guilty of hijacking the thread (or at least detouring it), but you all have gotten me thinking. And that's always a scary thing. Kind of like a disaster happening. You know it's bad, but you can't look away.
 
I have one of these pistols sitting in the closet and I don't use it. If anyone is interested Hit me up. I live in San Antonio. I'm not trying to rape anyone but would like to get my money back (if possible) that I paid for it a well over 7 years ago. It's black and in good but not perfect used condition.
 
Scorpion

I thought that Gary Reeder of Reeder Custom was going to produce a version called the Scorpion, but that some of the legal wrangling never got resolved and he dropped the project.
 
"I thought that Gary Reeder of Reeder Custom was going to produce a version called the Scorpion, but that some of the legal wrangling never got resolved and he dropped the project."

I understand his design was not as strong as mine.

He understands he would have had Patent problems with me.

I'm not aware of other problems.

and

I would be delighted to assist anyone who wants to revive it.
 
I have just purchased my third Medusa! I am thrilled! this one is 2.5" barrel
ported, JW if your still out there, can you tell me did you port these at the factory?
 
I have just purchased my third Medusa! I am thrilled! this one is 2.5" barrel
ported, JW if your still out there, can you tell me did you port these at the factory?
Click to expand...

Since it is your first post, we'll cut you some slack but next time post some pictures so we can properly hate you. :D
Welcome to TFL
 
I am sorry, I am new to this forum thing. It was just such a thrill! It is going to take some time to come down off cloud nine. I am around guns all the time so it takes something special to send me. I have been chasing this one for eight years. Please don't hate me... I was just hoping to hear from JW
 

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