Brass Frame

Hardcase · June 16, 2012, 11:00 PM

(New and improved and posted in the right forum this time!)

I was over at Cabela's today after finally running out of CCI #10 caps and poked my head in the Elmer Keith museum. Somehow I hadn't noticed this revolver before - I guess I forgot to look up.

It's a brass-framed .45-70 that Century Arms made for him. Hold on tight!

Here are a few others that were in the same area:

A Colt's Dragoon

Baby Dragoon

Colt's Navy

Colt's Richards conversion

Love those grips on the last two.

Sorry for the picture quality - all I had was my cell phone.

swopjan · June 17, 2012, 03:02 AM

Thanks for the pics! The Cabela's near my home has a little museum too but I haven't really looked around it, will have to check it out more in depth next time.

buckhorn · June 18, 2012, 01:47 PM

thanks for the photos! I love that 1860 Richard's conversion. My Cabellas in Dundee has a neat gun library, but nothing like Elmer's stuff.

Shotput79 · June 19, 2012, 09:41 PM

Yep!!! Think you for the pics Hardcase. Those are some cool pistols. We don't have any stores like that here. So you brought it to us. I like them all, but that dragoon is my pick.

The Colt 51 don't seem to have much of a front sight on it dose it?

Noz · June 20, 2012, 10:30 AM

If you are ever around the Bass Pro home store in Springfield, Missouri, take a look in their "fine guns" room.
My first time in there they had a double barrel 450 rifle made for Queen Elizabeth's uncle(He never took possession). Beautiful wood and a loading kit all enclosed in a luggage style carrying case.

I don't remember the exact numbers but they were asking some over $400,000.

The walls are lined with extra fine guns.

Good for a drool trip.

Hardcase · June 20, 2012, 11:03 AM

Quote:

The Colt 51 don't seem to have much of a front sight on it dose it?

I think it's just a trick of the light. It's got a regular sight on it, I think.

Hawg Haggen · June 20, 2012, 03:29 PM

Standard 51 Navy brass cone.

buckhorn · June 21, 2012, 01:32 PM

Dumb question. Why did Century Arms make their rifle chambered revolvers with bronze frames? Does it have anything to do with elasticity, meaning so the frame can stretch and return to normal? I noticed Elmer Kieth's century and it brought the question back up to me. I don't believe they were brass, but some kinda bronze designed for extreme pressures. Why not use steel? maybe because steel breaks and bronze stretch's?

Hardcase · June 21, 2012, 03:06 PM

As it turns out, the revolver is indeed bronze, not brass, which makes a lot more sense.

I don't know why bronze over steel. Each gun was made to order, so perhaps it was a machining thing. Or it just could have been made to look different. There's anecdotal evidence from Google searches that the frames stood up pretty well to commercial .45-70 loads, so I guess that strength wasn't an issue.

By the way, although it's hard to tell from that picture, it's a very large handgun.

buckhorn · June 21, 2012, 03:45 PM

Yes sir, I've seen them at stores and gun shows. A lot of used ones. Appears people bought them and then couldn't handle either the recoil or the payments they took out on personal loans 'n' such.

Shotput79 · June 21, 2012, 04:34 PM

Never understood what anyone wanted with a 45-70 handgun. I mean how maney rounds would a person think they could fire out of such a gun? I know today we have ways to controle recoil but such a shell in a short bbl handgun don't make no since to me.

buckhorn · June 23, 2012, 01:42 PM

Yes, I had the same question when I first heard of Century Arms. And most of the rounds were old-timey, like 45-70, .50-70, and rounds similar. I just wonder if they were [are are] trying to carve out a niche in the market.

**4V50 Gary** · June 24, 2012, 12:04 PM

It would make sense to have a shoulder stock on a 45-70 revolver - as well as having it magna ported. That gun will pound a person to pieces but remembering Elmer Keith's articles, he was a glutton for recoil. He must have developed problems like Mel Tappan did. Mel was man enough to admit the follies of his youthful magnum diet.

arcticap · June 24, 2012, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buckhorn

Dumb question. Why did Century Arms make their rifle chambered revolvers with bronze frames?

Being heavier than steel, at least the bronze frame would add some weight which would help to dampen some of the recoil.

buckhorn · June 25, 2012, 05:44 PM

makes sense, now I can file that question away as answered. Thanks.

enyaw · June 27, 2012, 08:27 AM

That Century Arms 45/70 ,if I remember correctly, is some sort of steel alloy.

Hardcase · June 27, 2012, 12:11 PM

The one in the picture is a bronze/manganese frame with a steel barrel and cylinder.

It really piqued my curiosity, so I did a little research. At one point, the waiting list for the Model 100 was on the order of 10 years - they were made by hand, to order, by one gunsmith at Century. 35 years ago, the price was in the neighborhood of $600. They only made 500 or so.

Beagle333 · June 27, 2012, 01:15 PM

I'd sure love to watch somebody else shoot one!

June 20, 2012, 03:29 PM	#7
Hawg Haggen Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 10,379	Standard 51 Navy brass cone. __________________ http://blackpowdertimes.com/index.php

June 21, 2012, 03:06 PM	#9
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,881	As it turns out, the revolver is indeed bronze, not brass, which makes a lot more sense. I don't know why bronze over steel. Each gun was made to order, so perhaps it was a machining thing. Or it just could have been made to look different. There's anecdotal evidence from Google searches that the frames stood up pretty well to commercial .45-70 loads, so I guess that strength wasn't an issue. By the way, although it's hard to tell from that picture, it's a very large handgun. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

June 24, 2012, 12:04 PM	#13
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 15,549	It would make sense to have a shoulder stock on a 45-70 revolver - as well as having it magna ported. That gun will pound a person to pieces but remembering Elmer Keith's articles, he was a glutton for recoil. He must have developed problems like Mel Tappan did. Mel was man enough to admit the follies of his youthful magnum diet. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

June 27, 2012, 12:11 PM	#17
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,881	The one in the picture is a bronze/manganese frame with a steel barrel and cylinder. It really piqued my curiosity, so I did a little research. At one point, the waiting list for the Model 100 was on the order of 10 years - they were made by hand, to order, by one gunsmith at Century. 35 years ago, the price was in the neighborhood of $600. They only made 500 or so. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

June 16, 2012, 11:00 PM	#1
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,881	Brass Frame (New and improved and posted in the right forum this time!) I was over at Cabela's today after finally running out of CCI #10 caps and poked my head in the Elmer Keith museum. Somehow I hadn't noticed this revolver before - I guess I forgot to look up. It's a brass-framed .45-70 that Century Arms made for him. Hold on tight! Here are a few others that were in the same area: A Colt's Dragoon Baby Dragoon Colt's Navy Colt's Richards conversion Love those grips on the last two. Sorry for the picture quality - all I had was my cell phone. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

June 17, 2012, 03:02 AM	#2
swopjan Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2011 Posts: 150	Thanks for the pics! The Cabela's near my home has a little museum too but I haven't really looked around it, will have to check it out more in depth next time.

June 18, 2012, 01:47 PM	#3
buckhorn Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2012 Location: mid michigan Posts: 193	thanks for the photos! I love that 1860 Richard's conversion. My Cabellas in Dundee has a neat gun library, but nothing like Elmer's stuff.

June 19, 2012, 09:41 PM	#4
Shotput79 Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: NC Posts: 171	Yep!!! Think you for the pics Hardcase. Those are some cool pistols. We don't have any stores like that here. So you brought it to us. I like them all, but that dragoon is my pick. The Colt 51 don't seem to have much of a front sight on it dose it?

June 20, 2012, 10:30 AM	#5
Noz Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 596	If you are ever around the Bass Pro home store in Springfield, Missouri, take a look in their "fine guns" room. My first time in there they had a double barrel 450 rifle made for Queen Elizabeth's uncle(He never took possession). Beautiful wood and a loading kit all enclosed in a luggage style carrying case. I don't remember the exact numbers but they were asking some over $400,000. The walls are lined with extra fine guns. Good for a drool trip.

June 21, 2012, 01:32 PM	#8
buckhorn Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2012 Location: mid michigan Posts: 193	Dumb question. Why did Century Arms make their rifle chambered revolvers with bronze frames? Does it have anything to do with elasticity, meaning so the frame can stretch and return to normal? I noticed Elmer Kieth's century and it brought the question back up to me. I don't believe they were brass, but some kinda bronze designed for extreme pressures. Why not use steel? maybe because steel breaks and bronze stretch's?

June 21, 2012, 03:45 PM	#10
buckhorn Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2012 Location: mid michigan Posts: 193	Yes sir, I've seen them at stores and gun shows. A lot of used ones. Appears people bought them and then couldn't handle either the recoil or the payments they took out on personal loans 'n' such.

June 21, 2012, 04:34 PM	#11
Shotput79 Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: NC Posts: 171	Never understood what anyone wanted with a 45-70 handgun. I mean how maney rounds would a person think they could fire out of such a gun? I know today we have ways to controle recoil but such a shell in a short bbl handgun don't make no since to me.

June 23, 2012, 01:42 PM	#12
buckhorn Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2012 Location: mid michigan Posts: 193	Yes, I had the same question when I first heard of Century Arms. And most of the rounds were old-timey, like 45-70, .50-70, and rounds similar. I just wonder if they were [are are] trying to carve out a niche in the market.

June 25, 2012, 05:44 PM	#15
buckhorn Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2012 Location: mid michigan Posts: 193	makes sense, now I can file that question away as answered. Thanks.

June 27, 2012, 08:27 AM	#16
enyaw Member Join Date: November 28, 2008 Posts: 86	That Century Arms 45/70 ,if I remember correctly, is some sort of steel alloy.

June 27, 2012, 01:15 PM	#18
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Back in the woods a piece Posts: 762	I'd sure love to watch somebody else shoot one!