I realized right off that a quandary of this magnitude would require a more abstract approach than the usual wild speculation we generally utilize when faced with such imponderables.
Therefore I undertook the bold step of actually contacting TOTW
Egads! What Cunning! What Audacity! What Brilliance! The magnitude! Incredible! You have done that which we could not, as She Who Must Be Obeyed has temporarily put a limit on contact with such vendors, lest an abomination occurr to the budget.
where David explained that, "We re-used an old photo of a .36 revolver, that was essentially identical. Yes, the actual .44 revolver has a small rebate on the cylinder."
Arrrgggg! The Scoundrels! The Dastardly Villians! Seeking to pawn off Old Images as though they were the Real Thing!
We have been duped! Duped I say! Befuddled by the lazy Scoundrel who attempted to foist off a .36 as Something It Is Not.
Our trust is Shattered! Our faith misplaced! No More will TOTW hold the highest esteem in the eyes of the great unwashed.
I am devasted. I rend my Hair, I tear my Garment.
So there ya go...mystery solved!
We thank you sir, you have done a Service to the Community, ending the Incredible Mystery that has had our poor craniums in a state of befuddlement (but at least distracted from the debacle of the Great Primer Shortage of '09 )
I shall now totter off to scour the roadways for more dead snakes to render into snake oil for my loyal customers.
yhs
Prof Marvel