Top break revolvers...
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Dfariswheel
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In NEW top break revolvers, there's virtually nothing available.
The top break has been a "dead letter" in gun manufacturing since the 1930's, with the exception of the British, who stopped production 30 years ago.
There is the Uberti replica and the S&W reproduction of the S&W Model 3 revolvers, but that's about it.
The top break has been a "dead letter" in gun manufacturing since the 1930's, with the exception of the British, who stopped production 30 years ago.
There is the Uberti replica and the S&W reproduction of the S&W Model 3 revolvers, but that's about it.
The reason there are no modern top-breaks is simply that they are not as strong as revolvers with a solid top strap and they will eventually wear at the joint. And please no lectures about the British Webleys and how strong they are (the guns aren't strong - the ammo is weak).
In a modern revolver, the pressure pushes the case back against the breech face; that tends to try to stretch the top strap. The stronger the load, the more strain is put on the top strap. If the revolver is a top break, the joint tries to pull apart and the parts are subjected to some small amount of pounding. With each shot, the gap grows until eventually it becomes large enough that the gun won't close properly and is dangerous.
There is really no way around this. With a lot of hardened steel, wear could be delayed, but it would still occur if the ammo was hot enough. Further, the top latch itself would add complexity and cost to the product.
If anyone wants a top-break revolver, there are plenty around, including the British guns, which are very decent quality within their ammunition limitations. But if you want a top-break revolver firing .44 Magnum or even .357 Magnum, I think you will probably wait a long time.
Jim
In a modern revolver, the pressure pushes the case back against the breech face; that tends to try to stretch the top strap. The stronger the load, the more strain is put on the top strap. If the revolver is a top break, the joint tries to pull apart and the parts are subjected to some small amount of pounding. With each shot, the gap grows until eventually it becomes large enough that the gun won't close properly and is dangerous.
There is really no way around this. With a lot of hardened steel, wear could be delayed, but it would still occur if the ammo was hot enough. Further, the top latch itself would add complexity and cost to the product.
If anyone wants a top-break revolver, there are plenty around, including the British guns, which are very decent quality within their ammunition limitations. But if you want a top-break revolver firing .44 Magnum or even .357 Magnum, I think you will probably wait a long time.
Jim
shoots awe lots
New member
I see Steoger has the american #3 out, it is a top break in 45. Smith did the number 3 but even with today,s machinery it took alot of hand work to complete. I wanted to shoot Scholfields when I cowboy shot but could,nt swing the bucks. I did fire the uberti,s and the work good.
Uberti makes the replica Schofields and Model 3's for everbody... Navy Arms, Stoeger/Beretta, etc. S&W made the some Schofields out of the custom shop a couple of years ago but they were well over a $1000. No longer available new.
http://www.uberti.com/firearms/top-break.tpl
http://www.navyarms.com/
All of the above guns are made in .45 Long Colt or similar low pressure original black powder cartirdges. You will not find magnum chamberings in these guns. The .45 Long Colt guns can also shoot the milder .45 S&W Schofield cartridge that they were originally chambered in.
If you find a Schofield or replica you can get holsters and .45 Schofield ammo here.
http://www.cowboyneeds.com/Holsters_for_SW_Schofield-5.html
http://www.cowboyneeds.com/Holsters_for_SW_Schofield-7.html
http://www.cowboyneeds.com/Ammo_Black_Hills.html
http://www.cowboyneeds.com/Ammo_Ultramax.html
http://www.uberti.com/firearms/top-break.tpl
http://www.navyarms.com/
All of the above guns are made in .45 Long Colt or similar low pressure original black powder cartirdges. You will not find magnum chamberings in these guns. The .45 Long Colt guns can also shoot the milder .45 S&W Schofield cartridge that they were originally chambered in.
If you find a Schofield or replica you can get holsters and .45 Schofield ammo here.
http://www.cowboyneeds.com/Holsters_for_SW_Schofield-5.html
http://www.cowboyneeds.com/Holsters_for_SW_Schofield-7.html
http://www.cowboyneeds.com/Ammo_Black_Hills.html
http://www.cowboyneeds.com/Ammo_Ultramax.html
Most American made top break revolvers in major calibers (anything over .38 S&W) Ceased to be made about 100 years ago. There is no doubt that these were not strong enough for modern, high pressure ammo. However, the steels and manufacturing techniques in use at the time were also inferior to those in use today. I believe that a top-break made with modern steels and perhaps a redesigned lockup system would be strong enough to take at least a .357 Magnum. The Russians have a prototype revolver called the MP412 REX that is a polymer-framed .357 Magnum top break. Also, the reason that Webleys, particularly the .38 caliber versions were not chambered in more powerful loadings had nothing to do with the strength of the gun. One limitation to the top-break system that the Brits couldn't overcome was that due to the lockwork design, the gun could only fully extract relatively short cases such as the .455 Webley and .38/200 (a.k.a. .38 S&W loaded with 200 grn bullets).
S&W re-released the Model 3 Schofield a few years ago and a few other companies are making replica model 3's (both Russian and Schofield). S&W, H&R, Iver Johnson, and countless other lesser known manufacrurers continued to make small pocket pistols on the top break pattern well into the first half of the Twentieth Century. I personally am waiting for someone to make a Replica of the Big Bore Webleys particularly the Mk V.
webleys
Webley 45 revolvers were probibly the best top-breaks ever made. While some of the military marks may seem a little rough the civilian models are very smooth, and beat oll but the better quality S&W from the same era. But of course the average production run for British civilian revolvers was very small when compared to most American made examples so they could spare a little more time for polishing and fiting.
The Mk6 webley (the last of the big bore military models) handles 45acp pretty well when it is used in "shaved" revolvers, so long as you stick to the standard factory loadings. with over 300,000 made the Mark 6 is your best bet for a serious top break revolver.
My dad has a civilian WG (Webley Green/Government depending on whose talking) in 45LC and I have a spanish made 44-40 S&W copy that needs a hammer. Both will eject fired casings if the action is operated rapidly.
Webley 45 revolvers were probibly the best top-breaks ever made. While some of the military marks may seem a little rough the civilian models are very smooth, and beat oll but the better quality S&W from the same era. But of course the average production run for British civilian revolvers was very small when compared to most American made examples so they could spare a little more time for polishing and fiting.
The Mk6 webley (the last of the big bore military models) handles 45acp pretty well when it is used in "shaved" revolvers, so long as you stick to the standard factory loadings. with over 300,000 made the Mark 6 is your best bet for a serious top break revolver.
My dad has a civilian WG (Webley Green/Government depending on whose talking) in 45LC and I have a spanish made 44-40 S&W copy that needs a hammer. Both will eject fired casings if the action is operated rapidly.
I saw an English made C&R pistol in a pawn shop a few months ago for about $150.
Loked like a Webley but was in 38/200 I think it was something like Albion
I passed because I didn't know that 38/200 was 38 S$W and because a friend told me that they were last ditch made by English washwomen.
Maybe there are still some on the C&R market
There are several makers of topbreak .32s they all seem to be the same gun
Iver Johnso, H&R and a couple of others I can't remeber.
I have three but don't thinkl I have ever sen one in firable condition
Loked like a Webley but was in 38/200 I think it was something like Albion
I passed because I didn't know that 38/200 was 38 S$W and because a friend told me that they were last ditch made by English washwomen.
Maybe there are still some on the C&R market
There are several makers of topbreak .32s they all seem to be the same gun
Iver Johnso, H&R and a couple of others I can't remeber.
I have three but don't thinkl I have ever sen one in firable condition
Hi, saber22,
The Webleys are OK for the rounds they were designed for, but try feeding a Mk VI converted to .45 ACP 5 or 10 thousand rounds of GI ball and watch it fold where a Model 1917 (S&W or Colt) will come up smiling.
When the Webley .455 Auto ammo came out, with about the same ballistics as the .45 ACP, the British services warned the troops not to fire the ammo in the .455 revolver, as that gun was not strong enough. (The .455 Auto ammunition is semi-rimmed, so it would work in a revolver, but it is too hot for the Mk VI.)
Jim
The Webleys are OK for the rounds they were designed for, but try feeding a Mk VI converted to .45 ACP 5 or 10 thousand rounds of GI ball and watch it fold where a Model 1917 (S&W or Colt) will come up smiling.
When the Webley .455 Auto ammo came out, with about the same ballistics as the .45 ACP, the British services warned the troops not to fire the ammo in the .455 revolver, as that gun was not strong enough. (The .455 Auto ammunition is semi-rimmed, so it would work in a revolver, but it is too hot for the Mk VI.)
Jim
Jim, you're talking about guns that went out of production many decades ago.
I don't think it's possible to look at the limitations of 60 year old manufacturing and materials and apply them to today.
Think about trying to convince someone from that era that an aluminum alloy .357Magnum revolver would be a good idea, or that it would be possible to get a 50,000+psi cartridge safely into a double action swing-out cylinder revolver, or trying to explain that a plastic frame service pistol could last for literally 100,000 rounds or that the world's only remaining superpower would arm its soldiers with a rifle made mostly of plastic and aluminum.
There's no denying that the top-break design gives up something in the strength and durability department. But today, we have strength and durability to BURN. We can make ALUMINUM magnums! We can make plastic guns!
I can't imagine that a durable top-break .357Magnum is totally beyond the capability of today's gun makers.
I don't think it's possible to look at the limitations of 60 year old manufacturing and materials and apply them to today.
Think about trying to convince someone from that era that an aluminum alloy .357Magnum revolver would be a good idea, or that it would be possible to get a 50,000+psi cartridge safely into a double action swing-out cylinder revolver, or trying to explain that a plastic frame service pistol could last for literally 100,000 rounds or that the world's only remaining superpower would arm its soldiers with a rifle made mostly of plastic and aluminum.
There's no denying that the top-break design gives up something in the strength and durability department. But today, we have strength and durability to BURN. We can make ALUMINUM magnums! We can make plastic guns!
I can't imagine that a durable top-break .357Magnum is totally beyond the capability of today's gun makers.
I personally have fired over 600 rounds through a single webley Mk6 with no problems, and it was used when I bought it. I have handled half of a dozen converted webleys and I have never noticed a any problems from the 45acp being fired in then. There are quite a few Webleys out there that have fired more 45acp rounds than their original 455 rounds. while I dont like the higher pressure loadings I think that GI ball ammo would be okay, though the rifling in a webley tends to favor lead slugs for the best accuracy.
That said both the Colt and S&W 1917s are certainly stronger, both were also made for higher powered loading to,and I would not have any problems shooting some of the slightly higher pressure loading out of the S&W, (I have seen to many Colt New services with busted cylinders, a wonderful gun though if the reloader is careful), but do to the age of the guns I would still shy away from the full +P loadings in any quanity.
That said both the Colt and S&W 1917s are certainly stronger, both were also made for higher powered loading to,and I would not have any problems shooting some of the slightly higher pressure loading out of the S&W, (I have seen to many Colt New services with busted cylinders, a wonderful gun though if the reloader is careful), but do to the age of the guns I would still shy away from the full +P loadings in any quanity.