Need help with this inherited firearm please

[Ahle926]

Greetings all.  I inherited this from my grandfather.  From what I can tell, it's an Italian reproducton of an 1851 Navy.  I can't find the manufacturer though.  Uberti? Pietta?  I'm wanting to get a new cylinder for it so that I can fire it.  Not sure if you can see in the pics, but I guess grandpa loaded it a little too hot and blew a hole in the cylinder.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks y'all.

[Coffinmaker]

It appears to be a really early Pietta.  You didn't say what caliber it is.  That would really help.

BP didn't blow out that Cylinder.  Smokeless powder did.  NEVER . . . EVER . . . use smokeless in ANY percussion gun.

[Drydock]

They could do dumb stuff back then too!  .36 Brass navy, probably, that smokeless load might have stretched the frame or loosened the arbor, have you had it apart? Those were pretty much rough hand finished back then, new stuff might fit, might not.  If everything is still tight, ask some folks you know with Colt pattern .36 BP revolvers if you could try their cylinders just to see how they fit.

Can you get a better picture of the symbol on the base of the grip frame? Might tell us more.  We need Fingers McGee in here.

Me, I'd order a non engraved Pietta cylinder from EMF, put it back together, then put the thing in a shadow box with some other of your Grandpa's stuff, including the blown cylinder.

Lucky you, they're on sale.  Don't mind the picture, it's wrong. https://www.emf-company.com/store/pc/1851-61-Navy-36-Caliber-Cylinder-NOT-ENGRAVED-495p2312.htm

[Drydock]

If that is a double diamond on the barrel, then it might be the company last know as Palmetto de Italia, not sure if still in business, certainly not making 1851s anymore.

https://blackpowdersmoke.com/revolvers/index.php/topic,668.0.html

[Major 2]

The best advise I would give you is  "WALL HANG IT"

It has been blown up from using smokeless powder ( pure guess is someone  cut open a shotgun shell and used that powder )

Wall hang it...and use the money you would have spent on folly in the old brasser , and buy yourself a
new or new to you Steel frame 51 Navy......


You still have Grandads mistake and you'll have a trusty shooter to boot ....

Did I say..."WALL HANG IT"   don't chase a potential "grenade" down a rabbit hole   

[Ahle926]

Thank you for all of the replies.  The barrel says "E13".  I think it's a .36  cal from measuring the bore and seeing as though it's not as big as my Blackhawk .44's.  the bottom of the grip says "Italy", "EIG", and has some other symbol the I really don't know how to describe.  Looks like it will be best as a wall hanger.  That's prety much what I was going to do with it anyway.  I was just hoping to fire it a couple times first.  I've never shot black powder and he left me a rifle as well.  I'm sure I'll be pickin y'alls brains about that too sooner or later. 

[Robert Swartz]

That's an ugly hole in that cylinder. If no one got hurt, that was lucky. I have my Grandpa's old single shot shotgun from 120 years ago. one of my uncles shot a Magnum shell out of it. Put an awful knot in the barrel, destroyed the stock and broke the firing pin. I used a donor gun and pieced it back together as much as I could. Yeah, it's an heirloom wallhanger. Good luck.

[Major 2]

Actually if you look close  your EI3 is in reality a light stamp EIG.
The EIG logo was an importer in Miami, Fl   owned by Saul Eig. in the mid 60's early 70's

I'd agree it might have been made by  Pietta  , ASM , Grassi,Doninelli, and Gazzola  or one of a few other cottage gun shops in Brescia.
I see the Gardone Proof marks and if you look you should find a Roman Numeral date code example: XX  or XXI  XXII etc.

The bent coat hanger symbol  is an early  B  inside  G  for Brescia, Gardone  ( Brescian: Gardù de Altrompia ) ,  home to many Arms makers , including  Beretta , Uberti, Pietta , Benelli , Fabarms and at the time your gun was made dozens of Cabin shops and many fabricators of arms artisans... ( if you find  XXVI = 1970 good chance its a Grassi,Doninelli, and Gazzola manufacture.)

[Major 2]

By all means  mount it on the wall of your Man cave  (note: the one center of this photo in mine  )

But DO get yourself a steel frame 51 Navy ( Pietta or Uberti ) and join us.
Shooting BP is some of the best spent past time you can do with your clothes on 

http://piettausa.com/1851-Navy-Casehardened-Steel-44-75-_p_714.html

https://www.emf-company.com/store/pc/1851-NAVY-CASEHARDENED-STEEL-36-7-1-2-110p1167.htm

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/pietta-model-1851-navy-yank-36-caliber-black-powder-revolver

[Coffinmaker]

  PLUS ONE too Major 2   

Hide and Watch

[Long Johns Wolf]

The makers mark on the butt is GLB for Giacosa Luciano á Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Long Johns Wolf