Medusa revolver

[1shooter]

Hi-
I just bought a Phillips & Rogers model 47 Medusa revolver that can shoot about any .355-.357 cartridge (357mag, 38spec, 38 super, 9mm, 380 acp, ect.)
I'm wondering if anybody has any info on how many of these were actually produced, or if they are in any reference books other than the Blue book.
I'm not finding a whole lot of info on the web - pretty much the same info repeated over and over.
Anybody else have one of these?
Thanks

[Stumper]

I'm no help but I am jealous.

[elrod]

It is listed in the 2008 Standard Catalog of Firearms, 18th ed.

Medusa Model 47
Introduced in 1996 this unique multi-caliber revolver is designed to chamber, fire, and extract almost any cartridge using 9mm, .357 or .38 cartridges-----a total of about 25 different calibers. The barrel lengths are 2.5", 3", 4", 5", or6". Rubber grips and interchangeable front sights. Finish is matte Blue. Rarely if ever encountered. (emphasis mine) Disccontinued.(sic)

NIB---$900
Exc---$700
V.G.--$550
Good-$450


Hope that helps.....AL

[Ruthless4christ]

could sombody explain please explain how exactly this works? i have never heard of this and love it already. Are wee talking interchangable barrels and sylinders or what?

[45_Shooter]

Thats pretty cool - wonder which bore its really set up for though - .355 or .357? That would make a perfect 'end of the world' gun, as nearly anything you find works!

[DWFan]

If you like the Medusa, Ruthless4Christ, take a look at this...scroll down the page for the multi-caliber JTL-S setup...

http://www.jtl.de/english/revolver/revolver_e.htm

You have a very rare and unique weapon, 1shooter. Congrats. BTW, the Phillips and Rogers e-mail addy doesn't work.

[1shooter]

It is a .357 bore that has regular cylinders for rimmed cartridges. The center extractor has little spring steel "fingers" that hold and extract a rimless cartridge. The finger is just pushed to the side when you insert a rimmed 357mag, 38spec, 38s&w, etc.
It was looked at by the US military (but rejected) as a "survival" gun because it can shoot so many different cartridges.
The best write-up I have found is at:
http://airbornecombatengineer.typepa..._revolver.html

[KyJim]

Very interesting. I would probably buy one if priced for this planet.

[mwm1331]

Wow, awesome find. I am saving up to get one myself, if I can find one.

[kristop64089]

Cool gun, nice find!
something else for me to obssess over

[blonde7734]

1Shooter,
What are the particulars? Where did you find it? How much? Any story from the seller about how, when , where, from who did he buy it? Tell us the story of your purchase. Any pics?

[James K]

I am sure that if all the present enthusiasts had bought the guns when they were being made, they would have been successful. In fact, they are a solution to a non-problem. Be honest. How many times have you needed to fire a gun and not had the "proper" ammo?

At one time, some European countries mandated revolvers for police but police wanted to use cheap 9mm military ammo, hence the "requirement" for 9mm revolvers. It turned out to be easier to change the law.

Jim

[smee78]

How accurate is the medusa with different ammo sizes?

[darkgael]

Yeah. How does it shoot?
Pete

[Evyl Robot]

That one belongs with the other weird but cool revolvers like the Matebas and the Nagant. I wouldn't mind having a "house of horrors" section in my safe one day...

--Michael

[jwphillips2]

What do you want to know about the Medusa? The villain in The DaVinci Code is showing off the little 5-shot Medusa. I'll try putting up the pics online.
~Jonathan

[Crosshair]

Be honest. How many times have you needed to fire a gun and not had the "proper" ammo?

Have you been to a gun store in the last year?

In a SHTF situation such a weapon could be very useful.

Wow, awesome find. I am saving up to get one myself, if I can find one.

That's a big "IF".

[smee78]

The only thing that stops me from getting one is what if it breaks? You are out of luck in getting new parts. I have never seen a part for one for sale. I have seen a few guns here and there come and go on gunbroker,but other than that it just seems to be a cool collectors piece. If smith would make the conversion cylinders that P&R made as a replacement cylinder for a Smith again I would get one, but that is not going to happen anytime soom.

WoW I just noticed how old this thread is.

[jwphillips2]

"The only thing that stops me from getting one is what if it breaks? You are out of luck in getting new parts. I have never seen a part for one for sale. I have seen a few guns here and there come and go on gunbroker,but other than that it just seems to be a cool collectors piece. If smith would make the conversion cylinders that P&R made as a replacement cylinder for a Smith again I would get one, but that is not going to happen anytime soom."

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. Use a screwdriver long enough to clear the case from the cylinder and small enough to fit inside the shell so as not to scrape the chamber wall. The extractor fingers were the only thing that "broke" during use. Otherwise, even Korth admitted we made the world's strongest revolver. Some of the trigger parts require little or no modification when used from a K-frame Smith or Taurus. The Smith mod for a 19-2 or 5 required trimming the crane, so a gunsmith was required.

[Sport45]

Originally Posted by jwphillips2

The Smith mod for a 19-2 or 5 required trimming the crane, so a gunsmith was required.

Tell us more about this Smith mod? Was Phillips making multi-cartridge cylinders for the 19-5?

Is it just a coincidence that your username is JWPhillips?

Here's a good article I read a while back in Popular Mechanics about the Medusa. It has always interested me, but when they were in production I didn't have money for handguns and such.

Medusa Revolver

[jwphillips2]

To answer them in order... Yes, my first multi conversion was a S&W 19 mod called an Ultra. The crane had to be trimmed as did the cylinder stop (to fully enclose the shell in the chamber) and the timing had to be set so it wasn't a drop-in.

No, it's not a coincidence.

The article doesn't have the pictures anymore, but I think it's time I put up my own website. When Colt reneged on the order to us for the 25,000 5-shots they took orders for at the 1999 SHOT show, that wiped us out. 2001 was our last production run.

Thanks for remembering,
~Jonathan

[jwphillips2]

"It is listed in the 2008 Standard Catalog of Firearms, 18th ed.

Medusa Model 47
Introduced in 1996 this unique multi-caliber revolver is designed to chamber, fire, and extract almost any cartridge using 9mm, .357 or .38 cartridges-----a total of about 25 different calibers. The barrel lengths are 2.5", 3", 4", 5", or6". Rubber grips and interchangeable front sights. Finish is matte Blue. Rarely if ever encountered. (emphasis mine) Disccontinued.(sic)

NIB---$900
Exc---$700
V.G.--$550
Good-$450

Hope that helps.....AL "
-----------------------------------------

Finishes:
Nickel, Parkerized, Blued and Presentation Blue, Stainless, Titanium, Hard Chrome, Poly(any color), Camo, and anything else you wanted...

Front Sights:
Removable front sights included 3 Dot system, Tritium, Orange insert, small blade, medium and target. Changeable by shooter.

Scope mount(your choice)

Rear sight: Windage, elevation blade. Shooter changeable to any K-frame mount.

Grips: Uncle Mike's, Jackie Traush, Hogue, or any K-frame style.

Trigger: User adjustable to 2lbs, Thin, Medium(smooth), and Target. Short action Plate Gun.

Hammer: No spur (DA only), thin, smooth and Target.

Barrel: All listed above plus 8 1/2" and 10"

Built-in comp if ordered.

I know that's not all, but each was a custom.

Production: about 500 with half going out of country.

~Jonathan

[pikid89]

No, it's not a coincidence

so you are the inventor


thats cool, you dont see bill ruger (deceased duh) or gaston glock writing on these forums

[bob.a]

Sounds like just the thing for the ammo shortage. Pity it's not still in production, I can see it would be a good seller at this time.

[smee78]

If it went back in production I would be all over it. Now that I know that k frame and taurus internals would work for some parts in a pinch, the search may pick up again.