revolver

A great mystery in the world of classic revolvers is the story of the 1860 Army cartridge conversions. Were they made by Colt’s, or were they merely the creations of gunsmiths addressing a demand from consumers? Read on to find out the story behind these and how you can buy one for yourself.

The Taurus Judge was a controversial handgun when it was presented, and remains so today to a degree. But even the most skeptical nay-sayers raised at least one eyebrow and the notion of a fairly small revolver that could fire .45 Colt and .410 shotshells in whatever order or manner the owner saw fit.

What do you do when you need a gun but “can’t” carry one? You know, when the bulk and size of a CCW firearm is just not practical for your situation? No solution? Then you clearly have not considered North American Arms and its line of radically downsized revolvers that weigh mere ounces. These things are truly tiny, and the Sidewinder is no exception.

Prior to Samuel Colt’s 1835-1836 patents for the revolver, American handguns were, for the most part, variations of European-style single shot pistols, first of the flintlock type and later the new cap-and-ball percussion lock design. There were double barrels, swivel barrels, and even multiple barreled Pepperbox pistols, but the revolver was at best a theoretical design before 1836. This is not to say that revolvers did not exist before Colt’s patent, they just didn’t work. Samuel Colt’s design did. This is the story of how it came to be.

The lore surrounding the brute force of the Smith & Wesson S&W500 is legion. There have been plenty of tales about what this gun is capable of doing, both to the lackadaisical shooter and the intended target. I decided I needed to sort through some and separate fact from fiction and test one for myself.

The world’s oldest existing revolver can be found at the Maihaugen Museum in Lillehammer, Norway. Made in Germany, it dates back to 1597.

Welcome to what I call “Coffee Table Gunsmithing,” as most of the work done on this gun was done right on my coffee table with a simple box of tools.

The Ruger SP101 combines a small frame with a full-power chambering in .357 Magnum, but it is limited to five rounds. The addition of the .327 Federal Magnum chambering bumps that up to six, while still having fight-stopping power.

Sometimes you can’t help but to be drawn to something. As they say, the heart wants what the heart wants. The Kimber K6s revovler is calling to me.