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Old April 15, 2013, 12:43 PM   #1
Venom1956
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Father found some replica BP revolvers.

Hello,

I have a question for you all. Years ago my parents house was partially destroyed by a tornado. So every so often we discover things that have been put somewhere strange from that time. Usually to keep them from water damage since the majority of the house lacked a roof.

Well. My Father apparently had three Replica BP Revolvers that were made in italy that were tossed in a rucksack and sadly forgotten about since then. Pretty amazing since we found them this weekend in the boxes and in shockingly great shape considering. They had most of the packing grease still on them.

From what I can see they were imported by SILE Distributors Inc. out of N.Y.

They are .44 New Model Army, .44 Model 1860 Army, and the last one is similar to the 1860 but the frame is brass and it lacks the smooth edges on the barrel more squared off look. (I'll have to look it up I know I've seen it before but the name escapes me)

So while the blued metal is in pretty much flawless condition the brass has seemed to tarnish over the years much like a penny does. He is interested in cleaning up the brass parts and learning a bit more about them. He doesn't believe they have any collector value so cleaning them up shouldn't be an issue.

If you guys disagree or have any recommendations on what to clean them with please let me know.

I'll get some crappy cell phone pics uploaded when I have a few min to take them.
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Old April 15, 2013, 01:55 PM   #2
mykeal
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I agree with cleaning them up. They have no collector value so there is no issue with cleaning or shooting them.

Any good commercial brass polish will serve.
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Old April 15, 2013, 01:56 PM   #3
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Sile was an importer who handled a pretty high quality product

I have an 1860 (steel) similar to yours and a NMA similar to yours.

On your steel 1860, you will find a DDG arranged in a triangle. This mark will also be found on the bottom flat of the barrel under the loading lever of the NMA. It means the pistols were manufactured by Armi San Paolo which at that time produced some of the best replicas available. Nice finish, very tight fit. Just a good quality weapon.

I don't know anything about the brass frame but I would be intersted in knowing if the DDG emblem is to be found in the same place on that revolver as it is on the steel frame version.

As regards collector value, you will find a slightly elevated value because they are ASP rather than some smaller and less serious manufacturer contemporary to those revolvers. The value might also be slightly higher since they were important by Sile which was not responsible for a great volume of imported replicas, so they are a bit rarer than pistols from ASM etc.

Mine are dated with the code "AE" which means they are made in 1979. They are every bit as good as Pietta revolvers.

I gave 150.00 a piece for them at a gun show about 18 months ago. They are "as new"
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Old April 15, 2013, 01:57 PM   #4
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Oooops!

Yes... What Mykeal said about cleaning them up.
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Old April 15, 2013, 02:53 PM   #5
brazosdave
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the one with the brass frame and the "squared off" looking barrel is a brass frame 1851 Navy style gun. If it is .36 cal, you could say it was a Schneider & Glassick replica, but it most likely is a .44. Cabela's sells ones like it now that they call "Reb Navys" I would use some brasso and elbow grease. They are worth no more or less than similar used replicas fetch on gunbroker, comparing to the condition of the gun. If they still have a good bore, they would prolly make great shooters. If not, they still will be nice as display pieces.
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Old April 15, 2013, 03:05 PM   #6
James K
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Most of those brass frame replicas were sold as "Confederate" but only a few were actually made as copies of brass-frame Civil War revolvers.*

Brass frames and trigger guards clean up well with ordinary brass or silver polish or polishing cloths.

*Some Confederate makers used brass since they did not have the industrial establishments of the northern makers, and brass was easier to make by casting and easier to machine. With black powder, brass (or bronze) is fairly durable and able to stand up to a reasonable amount of shooting.

Jim
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Old April 15, 2013, 03:12 PM   #7
woodnbow
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Is the New Model Army a Remington styled pistol or Colt? Reason I ask is it could be a Belgian Centaure if Colt style. Sile did import some of those in the sixties and they do have substantial collector value.
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Old April 15, 2013, 04:14 PM   #8
Venom1956
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Looks like pictures are in order!
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Old April 15, 2013, 06:39 PM   #9
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I would not polish the brass. You would be removing the patina.But each to his own.
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Old April 15, 2013, 07:05 PM   #10
Venom1956
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Then here are the stamps on the frame

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Old April 16, 2013, 05:12 AM   #11
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Yep....Three good pistols

I'd clean them up.

Were you able to find the Armi San Paolo marking on the brass frame revolver?

And

Can you confirm that it is marked from Sile as are the other two revolvers?
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Old April 16, 2013, 05:18 AM   #12
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The brass frame has an AB date code which means it was made in 76. It has a round barrel which would make it a Griswold & Gunnison if it was a .36 but its a .44
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Old April 16, 2013, 05:56 AM   #13
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The G&G looks like an ASM, Armi San Marco. All will be a hoot to shoot, enjoy!
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Old April 16, 2013, 06:58 AM   #14
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yup, I have a Griswold .36 presently tore down for refurb and refinishing. A .44 Griswold would be fun to shoot, not historically accurate, but I just like the extra "oomph" a .44 brings to the table.
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Old April 16, 2013, 10:09 AM   #15
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Flitz works really well for polishing up the brass. It also removes surface rust well too on blued parts. Bluing will polish up with the flitz too. To maintain the polish on the brass parts you can follow up the polish with some Duracoat clear, this will seal it and prevent further tarnishing. Unless you want the antique look.

Last edited by blfuller; April 17, 2013 at 07:41 AM.
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Old April 16, 2013, 10:43 AM   #16
woodnbow
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I'd just clean them,

I wouldn't work at removing the patina from the brass parts unless you were attempting to make them look like new for resale or some such thing. I think patina looks good on those old guns.
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Old April 16, 2013, 10:49 PM   #17
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Nice Find!

First one, 1858 Remington NMA appears to be a Lyman/Army San Paolo by the shape of the loading lever. Second is a four-screw 1860 Army; could be of varying make Again, looks ASP to me. Third one appears to be a "Reb Navy" type, Sile imported a bunch of different manufacturers over the years. This is a Griswold & Gunnison replica in .44; not historically accurate but cool nonetheless.
Flitz will clean the brass in a matter of minutes.
Shoot 'em.
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Old April 16, 2013, 10:53 PM   #18
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Gun in the center is a replica of a Colt and it takes a shoulder stock.
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Old April 17, 2013, 01:55 AM   #19
Doc Hoy
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Venom....

....Were you able to locate the ASP logo on the two steel frame revolvers?

I agree with others that the brass frame revolver looks like an alternate manufacturer from ASP.

I disagree with others (but it is only my opinion) about cleaning up the brass. I think that I would not even try to cycle the brass frame revolver until I had cleaned up the brass pretty well. Maybe it does not need to shine like a ruby in a goat's a __ __ but that green muck needs to be cleaned up. Just my opinion.
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Old April 17, 2013, 05:03 AM   #20
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Quote:
First one, 1858 Remington NMA appears to be a Lyman/Army San Paolo by the shape of the loading lever.
Looks like Pietta's billboard on the barrel.
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Old April 21, 2013, 01:09 PM   #21
Venom1956
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Well they are cleaning up pretty well! I have the New Army mostly apart and removing the tar thats in it. sucks that the action is all gummed up from this stuff but at the same time it kept it looking new all these years...

Can someone post instructions how to take down the other 2?
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E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that.
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Old April 21, 2013, 01:20 PM   #22
red96ta
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Taking them down is pretty easy. I have absolutely NO technical skills whatsoever and still managed it fine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=jBSCPVRNaGg
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Old April 21, 2013, 01:45 PM   #23
Venom1956
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I cant seem to get the wedge out... the grease has turned to a really think sticky tar. So everythings like a huge pain in the butt to move.
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E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that.
I guarantee you will know it if a bicyclist hits your house going 1000 mph. -Smaug
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Old April 21, 2013, 07:03 PM   #24
Doc Hoy
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Don't do it until you get confirmation from someone else who knows better....

...But ain't this where half and half Automatic Transmission Fluid and Acetone comes in handy?
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Old April 21, 2013, 07:12 PM   #25
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Good call Doc...

... that's what I'd do.

Birch
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