My Latest Addition

UtahHunting · January 17, 2013, 05:46 PM

Good day gentlemen,

I have not added a black powder revolver for a few years now and I ran across this one and could not pass it up. I am not a big brass frame guy but I figured what the heck.

Based on the markings I think it is from 1963 imported by Navy Arms. It is a .36 caliber. I believe the gun is an 1851 Griswold & Gunnison (correct me if I am wrong). I do not think the gun has ever been fired, just a bit dirty from storage. I probably overpaid for it at $125 but it is only money right? and I wanted a .36 to go with the collection.

deerslayer303 · January 17, 2013, 05:53 PM

To my novice eye it looks like a Griswold to me. Nice piece. I love the way the brass is tarnished, looks GREAT! Maybe I'll take the brasser off the wall and let it tarnish up a bit. I guess they get like that from not being polished with anything. Anyway LET THE SHOOSHTING BEGIN

And let us know how it does. We like range reports

Fingers McGee · January 17, 2013, 05:55 PM

Congrats on your find.

You are correct, it's a Griswold & Gunnison. What are the markings on it that might lead us to who made it? Being it's from around 1963, it could be a Gregorelli & Uberti.

Love the big bead front sight. It probably got added at some point.

UtahHunting · January 17, 2013, 06:00 PM

Top of the barrel says Navy Arms Co Ridgefield, NJ ~Italy~
There are markings on the right side of the frame below the cylinder PN XIX (I believe the XIX is a 1963 stamp) There is a very small star above the PN and to the left of that there is a stamp that looks like it might be a crest with 2 swords crossed?

Doc Hoy · January 17, 2013, 06:20 PM

I personally don't think you paid much to much for it.

deerslayer303 · January 17, 2013, 06:22 PM

^^^ Not at all seems it costs that to take SWMBO to dinner and a movie nowdays!!

brazosdave · January 17, 2013, 07:05 PM

I got the same one. It's a Navy arms Griswold. If you look at the back of the cylinder with a magnifying glass, you should be able to see the F.L.II. Pietta diamond with the initials in it. the proof marks for mine was on the front of the cylinder, and the serial # on the side of it. At $125, you did not do bad at all. You actually got it pretty cheap! Great gun, I truly do love mine, it has been my primary shooter of Late.

brazosdave · January 17, 2013, 07:07 PM

here's a pic of mine

UtahHunting · January 17, 2013, 07:18 PM

Thanks for the info Brazosdave. I am looking forward to getting it out to the range. I bought some .375 round balls but they appear to be too small. Going to order some .380 since there are none sold locally.

Fingers McGee · January 17, 2013, 08:43 PM

Be sure to let us know how accurate she is. And, I'll second Doc, you didn't pay too much for it.

UtahHunting · January 17, 2013, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Be sure to let us know how accurate she is. And, I'll second Doc, you didn't pay too much for it.

Will be sure and do that. I ordered 200 .380 round balls today from trackofthewolf. As soon as they get here I am off to the range!

bedbugbilly · January 17, 2013, 11:25 PM

Utah - I had a Navy Arms brasser like yours only mine had a shorter round barrel - more like the "Sheriffs Model" that some mfgs. are peddling today. Mine was also .36 (I love Navy caliber) and it was a nice shooting little gun - never had a problem with it. Like an idiot though, I traded it off on a vintage 38 spl. Colt. I love the Colt but I miss the one I traded off. I think you did well on the price and you got yourself a good shooter. Congrats on your find! Enjoy and have fun!

10851Man · January 18, 2013, 04:07 PM

I absolutely LOVE the looks of a brass frame, and the G&G looks better than a '51 with the round barrel, but I stick with steel because when I go shooting, it's usually several hundred balls in one session....NICE GUN!!!!!

brazosdave · January 18, 2013, 04:13 PM

I shot a full cabella size flask of powder through my Griswold and my Leech & Rigdon today, I only shoot 20 grns Pyrodex P so I don't think I'm causing any undo stress on the brasser. That being said, I wish the darn things wouldn't shoot so high! I'm sure there is a way to do the sights to fix that, but I guess I'm just stuck aiming about 4 inches low and to the right.

Noz · January 18, 2013, 05:14 PM

I landed on the 1860s and have never had any interest in the 51s or their copies.
Does the fact that it has a round barrel make it a G & G?

BerdanSS · January 18, 2013, 06:56 PM

No, it's the brass frame. All of these are pretty similar and have a dragoon style barrel. Note the brass frame only on the griswold. The leech and Rigdon and Ansley are very similar to each other even more, but note mass of bolt stop positions on the Ansley over the Leech.

Leech.

Dance Bros.

Griswold&Gunnison

Ansley

brazosdave · January 18, 2013, 07:01 PM

brass frame, round barrel, plain cylinder.

Fingers McGee · January 18, 2013, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noz

Does the fact that it has a round barrel make it a G & G?

No, it's the brass frame AND Dragoon (round) barrel that makes it a G&G. Schneider & Glassick had a brass frame and Octagonal barrel.

UtahHunting · January 18, 2013, 09:30 PM

Wow....neat pictures. I would like one of each please.

BerdanSS · January 18, 2013, 09:46 PM

Utah, did your pistol come with a brown holster by chance?

UtahHunting · January 18, 2013, 10:08 PM

Berdann.....it did not come with a holster. Just the gun only.

January 17, 2013, 05:46 PM	#1
UtahHunting Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 419	My Latest Addition Good day gentlemen, I have not added a black powder revolver for a few years now and I ran across this one and could not pass it up. I am not a big brass frame guy but I figured what the heck. Based on the markings I think it is from 1963 imported by Navy Arms. It is a .36 caliber. I believe the gun is an 1851 Griswold & Gunnison (correct me if I am wrong). I do not think the gun has ever been fired, just a bit dirty from storage. I probably overpaid for it at $125 but it is only money right? and I wanted a .36 to go with the collection.

January 17, 2013, 05:53 PM	#2
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: McMinnville TN Posts: 1,116	To my novice eye it looks like a Griswold to me. Nice piece. I love the way the brass is tarnished, looks GREAT! Maybe I'll take the brasser off the wall and let it tarnish up a bit. I guess they get like that from not being polished with anything. Anyway LET THE SHOOSHTING BEGIN And let us know how it does. We like range reports __________________ "You're so drunk you cant hit nothin, In fact you're probably seeing double"...."I have TWO GUNS one for each of ya"

January 17, 2013, 05:55 PM	#3
Fingers McGee Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,714	Congrats on your find. You are correct, it's a Griswold & Gunnison. What are the markings on it that might lead us to who made it? Being it's from around 1963, it could be a Gregorelli & Uberti. Love the big bead front sight. It probably got added at some point. __________________ Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee - AKA Man of Many Colts - Alter ego of Diabolical Ken; SASS Regulator 28564-L-TG; Rangemaster and stage writer extraordinaire; Frontiersman, Pistoleer, NRA Endowment Life, NMLRA, SAF, CCRKBA, STORM 327, SV115; Charter member, Central Ozarks Western Shooters Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision see things as they are, not as they should be. Ambrose Bierce

January 17, 2013, 06:20 PM	#5
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 3,340	Good find... I personally don't think you paid much to much for it. __________________ Doc My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. Thomas Jefferson

January 17, 2013, 06:22 PM	#6
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: McMinnville TN Posts: 1,116	^^^ Not at all seems it costs that to take SWMBO to dinner and a movie nowdays!! __________________ "You're so drunk you cant hit nothin, In fact you're probably seeing double"...."I have TWO GUNS one for each of ya"

January 17, 2013, 06:00 PM	#4
UtahHunting Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 419	Top of the barrel says Navy Arms Co Ridgefield, NJ ~Italy~ There are markings on the right side of the frame below the cylinder PN XIX (I believe the XIX is a 1963 stamp) There is a very small star above the PN and to the left of that there is a stamp that looks like it might be a crest with 2 swords crossed?

January 17, 2013, 07:05 PM	#7
brazosdave Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2012 Location: Copperas Cove, TX Posts: 248	I got the same one. It's a Navy arms Griswold. If you look at the back of the cylinder with a magnifying glass, you should be able to see the F.L.II. Pietta diamond with the initials in it. the proof marks for mine was on the front of the cylinder, and the serial # on the side of it. At $125, you did not do bad at all. You actually got it pretty cheap! Great gun, I truly do love mine, it has been my primary shooter of Late. __________________ "I'm your huckleberry, it's just my game"

January 17, 2013, 07:07 PM	#8
brazosdave Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2012 Location: Copperas Cove, TX Posts: 248	here's a pic of mine __________________ "I'm your huckleberry, it's just my game"

January 17, 2013, 07:18 PM	#9
UtahHunting Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 419	Thanks for the info Brazosdave. I am looking forward to getting it out to the range. I bought some .375 round balls but they appear to be too small. Going to order some .380 since there are none sold locally.

January 17, 2013, 08:43 PM	#10
Fingers McGee Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,714	Be sure to let us know how accurate she is. And, I'll second Doc, you didn't pay too much for it. __________________ Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee - AKA Man of Many Colts - Alter ego of Diabolical Ken; SASS Regulator 28564-L-TG; Rangemaster and stage writer extraordinaire; Frontiersman, Pistoleer, NRA Endowment Life, NMLRA, SAF, CCRKBA, STORM 327, SV115; Charter member, Central Ozarks Western Shooters Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision see things as they are, not as they should be. Ambrose Bierce

January 17, 2013, 11:25 PM	#12
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 1,318	Utah - I had a Navy Arms brasser like yours only mine had a shorter round barrel - more like the "Sheriffs Model" that some mfgs. are peddling today. Mine was also .36 (I love Navy caliber) and it was a nice shooting little gun - never had a problem with it. Like an idiot though, I traded it off on a vintage 38 spl. Colt. I love the Colt but I miss the one I traded off. I think you did well on the price and you got yourself a good shooter. Congrats on your find! Enjoy and have fun! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

January 18, 2013, 04:07 PM	#13
10851Man Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: High Desert Mountains CA. Posts: 410	I absolutely LOVE the looks of a brass frame, and the G&G looks better than a '51 with the round barrel, but I stick with steel because when I go shooting, it's usually several hundred balls in one session....NICE GUN!!!!!

January 18, 2013, 04:13 PM	#14
brazosdave Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2012 Location: Copperas Cove, TX Posts: 248	I shot a full cabella size flask of powder through my Griswold and my Leech & Rigdon today, I only shoot 20 grns Pyrodex P so I don't think I'm causing any undo stress on the brasser. That being said, I wish the darn things wouldn't shoot so high! I'm sure there is a way to do the sights to fix that, but I guess I'm just stuck aiming about 4 inches low and to the right. __________________ "I'm your huckleberry, it's just my game"

January 18, 2013, 05:14 PM	#15
Noz Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 585	I landed on the 1860s and have never had any interest in the 51s or their copies. Does the fact that it has a round barrel make it a G & G?

January 18, 2013, 06:56 PM	#16
BerdanSS Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 576	No, it's the brass frame. All of these are pretty similar and have a dragoon style barrel. Note the brass frame only on the griswold. The leech and Rigdon and Ansley are very similar to each other even more, but note mass of bolt stop positions on the Ansley over the Leech. Leech. Dance Bros. Griswold&Gunnison Ansley Last edited by BerdanSS; January 18, 2013 at 07:11 PM.

January 18, 2013, 07:01 PM	#17
brazosdave Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2012 Location: Copperas Cove, TX Posts: 248	brass frame, round barrel, plain cylinder. __________________ "I'm your huckleberry, it's just my game"

January 18, 2013, 09:30 PM	#19
UtahHunting Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 419	Wow....neat pictures. I would like one of each please.

January 18, 2013, 09:46 PM	#20
BerdanSS Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 576	Utah, did your pistol come with a brown holster by chance?

January 18, 2013, 10:08 PM	#21
UtahHunting Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 419	Berdann.....it did not come with a holster. Just the gun only.