Need help identifying this odd revolver

J

jrsgunbooks

Inactive
I picked up a box of old grime and cosmoline covered guns from a storage unit this guy was clearing out.

There were thirteen old guns and parts of guns in there mostly old H&R revolvers, owl heads, hopkins and allen and this guy:

IMG_1005.jpg

IMG_1004.jpg
It looks to be .44 Russian or .44 bulldog
It is double action
No markings that I can see
It does function.
Anyone have additional info on this gun?
 
After looking up American bulldog, that is exactly what it is. It is chambered in .44 bull dog.
Now I see the inscription on top of the barrel.
Thank you.
 
It will shoot 44 Bulldog, but it's probably chambered for 44 Webley.
44 Bulldog is really short. 44 Webley is around .750 case length IIRC.
You can make 44 Webley from 44 Special if you get tempted to shoot it.
Bulldog on these old guns refers to a style of gun--not a caliber.
 
Last edited:
I don't believe that's an Iver Johnson. The Iver Johnson American Bulldog revolvers generally had an American Eagle motif embossed on the grips.

I can't see the design well enough to get an idea as to who may have made it.

It could be chambered for one of a number of cartridges:

.44 Bull Dog
.442 RIC/.44 Webley
.450 Adams
.45 Webley

All were chambered in US and European made guns that made their way to the United States.
 
I don't believe that's an Iver Johnson. The Iver Johnson American Bulldog revolvers generally had an American Eagle motif embossed on the grips.
Click to expand...

I've seen a couple of statements that the small and medium (22,32) frame
American Bulldogs did have the Eagle grips, but that the large/extra large
38 and 44 frames used the Dogs head grips?
 
"I've seen a couple of statements that the small and medium (22,32) frame
American Bulldogs did have the Eagle grips, but that the large/extra large
38 and 44 frames used the Dogs head grips?"


OK, that statement got me digging some more and damned if you aren't correct!

The large/extra large frames DID use a bulldog's head on the grips. I had thought that they all had eagle grips.

So, based on the grips and a few other things, yeah, this is an Iver Johnson extra large frame American Bulldog revolver chambered in .44 Bulldog.

Pretty uncommon with the 6" barrel, as well, and that would command something of a premium, from what I'm seeing online.
 
"The trigger does not look the right shape to me.
I vote Spanish copy. A Belgian copy would have proof marks."

Everything about that revolver is correct for an Iver Johnson, including the trigger.

As far as I know the Spanish never copied American designs of this type -- only later Smith & Wesson single and double action revolvers.

European-made Bulldog revolvers pretty much universally used the Chamelot-Delvigne double-action system, which was far superior to anything in production in the United States at that time.
 
As an interesting bit of history, it was supposedly an American Bulldog .44 that Stagger Lee shot Billy with in St Louis, Christmas 1895.

There are a number of versions, but the caliber stayed the same.........

The night was clear
And the moon was yellow
And the leaves came tumbling down

I was standing on the corner
When I heard my bulldog bark
He was barkin' at the two men who were gamblin'
In the dark

It was Stagger Lee and Billy
Two men who gambled late
Stagger Lee threw seven
Billy swore that he threw eight
Stagger Lee told Billy
I can't let you go with that
You have won all my money and my brand new
Stetson hat

Stagger Lee went home
And he got his forty-four
Said, I'm goin' to the barroom just to pay that
Debt I owe

Stagger Lee went to the barroom
And he stood across the barroom door
He said, nobody move and he pulled his
Forty-four

Stagger Lee, cried Billy
Oh, please don't take my life
I've got three little children and a very
Sickly wife

Stagger Lee shot Billy
Oh, he shot that poor boy so bad
'Till the bullet came through Billy and it broke the bar
Tender's glass
 
This gun is possibly a Harrington and Richardson solid frame double action revolver, made 1888 - 1897 and chambered for the .44 Webley. It has a six inch octagon barrel and hard rubber grips with floral pattern. The gun is too old for the target embossed grips common on later H&R revolvers. The double action .44 Webley also has a loading gate on the left recoil shield which shows in the second pic of the OP. There should be a serial number on the bottom of the butt strap or the left of the grip strap under the grips. Some of this info is from Goforth's book, H & R ARMS COMPANY 1871 - 1986, p. 27
 
McShooty said:
The double action .44 Webley also has a loading gate on the left recoil shield which shows in the second pic of the OP.
Click to expand...
The second photo, with the loading gate, is of the right side. The first photo is the left side, and it does not appear to have a loading gate.
 
The US Revolver Company was a wholly owned mark of Iver Johnson, brought out so that IJ could compete with the many competitors that were producing really low cost (and low quality) revolvers.
 
I really think the pictured revolver is an Iver Johnson.

The H&Rs looked similar, but the ejector rod was different as was the hammer shape.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top