Question on the "Man with no name guns"

Fiddler Green · October 24, 2010, 10:59:44 AM

I love shooting my 1851 C&B pistol in CAS and was thinking about getting a pair of "Man with no name" guns to replace my troublesome Taurus Gachos. I've shot some of the other open tops with the rear sight mounted on the barrel and prefer the hammer notch, does any one know if the "MWNN" guns have this feature?

Bruce

Harley Starr · October 24, 2010, 12:46:29 PM

I think the MWNN conversions might have these features.

Abilene · October 24, 2010, 01:59:30 PM

Because the MWNN conversion uses the '72 OT frame, the hammer nose is too low to have a rear sight notch. The first batch of guns from Italy had no rear sight whatsoever (just like the movie gun, which also used an OT frame). People who have that one say it shoots great without the rear sight because you are sighting down the flat top of the barrel. Then the rear barrel-mounted sight was added, which you can see pretty well in that video. It does offer an excellent sight picture, better than the '72 OT, as it is nice and square. But to some it upsets the lines of the pistol, plus the edges of the sight are somewhat sharp and it might be hard on your leather. I imagine the sight could be smoothed up some. If I had one I would probably try to find (or make) a dovetail blank that followed the lines of the barrel and do away with the sight. It would then sight essentially the same as my '51 R-M's, as I sight with the hammer nose even with the top of the barrel which places the front sight up in the clear and is a fast and clear sight picture. I just aim a bit low on the targets.

Coffinmaker · October 25, 2010, 12:15:26 PM

Fiddler,

As Abilene answered, the MWNN guns are built on the Open Top frame and the factory rear sight is dovetailed into the barrel. It is also not a standard 3/8 dovetail so changing it is somewhat of a problem for the home gun plumber. If you want the point ability of the '51 and the hammer notch rear sight, I would suggest a pair of of '51 Navy conversions in .38. Very nice in the hand and point like a ....... well ...... a '51.

Coffinmaker

Fiddler Green · November 01, 2010, 10:27:07 PM

I don't want to spend $500 bucks turning a 1851 C&B pistol into a cartrige gun. I was looking for a replica "conversion" that had the hamer notch rear sight. I though I had seen one before. Sounds like it does not exist so I'm screwed.

Thanks, for all your answers.

Bruce

Abilene · November 01, 2010, 10:48:15 PM

Fiddler, is the reason you don't want a '51 Richards-Mason (with sight on hammer) just that you want the pistol to still have the rammer?

Sir Charles deMouton-Black · November 01, 2010, 10:56:47 PM

The 1851 Richard - Mason is the original .38 Colt conversion of the Colt Navy. It is authentic and historical. I have a pair and they are competitive in CAS/WAS. The MWNN is merely a movie prop.

Fiddler Green · November 01, 2010, 10:58:35 PM

Quote from: Abilene on November 01, 2010, 10:48:15 PM
Fiddler, is the reason you don't want a '51 Richards-Mason (with sight on hammer) just that you want the pistol to still have the rammer?

I'm guessing that you're assuming I'm not intereted in the '51 Richards-Mason. Not sure why you are, but, since were assuming....I get to assume too!

Bruce

Abilene · November 01, 2010, 11:08:53 PM

Okay. Well I was "assuming" because you said: "I was looking for a replica "conversion" that had the hamer notch rear sight. I though I had seen one before. Sounds like it does not exist so I'm screwed." Since the '51 Richards-Mason is a replica conversion with the hammer notch rear sight, which I "assumed" you knew about since Coffinmaker mentioned it above, then I had to also "assume" that you therefore didn't want that one. Is that enough "assuming" ?

Anyways, I love the '51 R-M's, can you tell?

Harley Starr · November 02, 2010, 12:28:40 AM

Charcoal blue with the ivory too!

Major 2 · November 02, 2010, 05:39:07 AM

Quote from: Abilene on November 01, 2010, 11:08:53 PM
Okay. Well I was "assuming" because you said: "I was looking for a replica "conversion" that had the hamer notch rear sight. I though I had seen one before. Sounds like it does not exist so I'm screwed." Since the '51 Richards-Mason is a replica conversion with the hammer notch rear sight, which I "assumed" you knew about since Coffinmaker mentioned it above, then I had to also "assume" that you therefore didn't want that one. Is that enough "assuming" ? Anyways, I love the '51 R-M's, can you tell?

Some fine 51 R&M 's BBQ's , Abilene are those the Cimarron offereing or did you have them done ?

I'm also a major fan if the '51 R-M perhaps second only to my Type 1's $:-\$ that's perhaps !

Coffinmaker · November 02, 2010, 11:19:36 AM

I've been trying to find Abilene's address ever since I first saw his BBQ '51s. Not that I'd slide up the block after dark ......
One set of my '51s have the barrels cut at the ejector rod housing (never met a barrel too short) and man o man do they ever point nice. The balance for me is just perfect. Most of my Open Tops have also been cut at the ejector rod.
I do like short barrels. I did leave my Type II barrels long. So far. That may not last past this winter.

Coffinmaker

Abilene · November 02, 2010, 12:51:30 PM

Major, the fancy ones came charcoal blue from Cimarron but the customizing came later. Kelly Laster did the engraving. Then I sent the frames to Doug Turnbull for case coloring. For a while I had thunderer grips on them: this high-res pic shows the engraving better: Thundere-Mason Conversions Then a couple years ago I got Bar-S Tru-Ivory grips made so went back to the Navy gripframes. They've had a little over 2000 rounds shot through each, about 2/3 of it BP. The charcoal blue mostly blew off the face of the cylinders the first time I shot BP, but other than that the finish is holding up well.