There's no such thing as an "1858 Remington" Pistol

[Tsalagidave]

I love that topic too Bill.  I discovered the US Army manual for the Colt's Revolving Rifle in a University Archive search and it was completely mislabeled. I'm digitally remastering them to be made into a brochure as they were originally.

For those who haven't already seen it, I did a thread on this.  The whole idea that the M.1855 routinely blew off the fingers of the soldiers using them is a total myth. Much has been written concerning the possibility of it happening but very little was written on it actually happening. The operations manual instructed on proper handling and after firing off the first shot, even the most inept shooter will taste the sting of powder flakes and lead shards hitting their hands and ruining their cuffs. After that, the shooter will correct their posture.

-Dave

[greyhawk]

Noted.  I left the village idiots behind in California for the common sense of Arizona. We'll have plenty to discuss at the next campfire.

-Dave

Where ya gonn a go when they (the village idiots) infest Arizona?
I thought New Zealand but they beat me to it

[Tsalagidave]

Where ya gonn a go when they (the village idiots) infest Arizona?
I thought New Zealand but they beat me to it

Hopefully the 3rd American Revolution will happen before then.

-Dave

[Oregon Bill]

Dave, just saw and read your thread on the Colt Revolving rifle.  Very good information.
I just found Balasz's revised version of his Colt Root Rifle Youtube. Nice that he had access to a very clean original.

[Tsalagidave]

I love this guy. He has a phenomenal video on how to make ammunition for the Dreyse Needle-Fire Rifles. That is a beautiful m1855. The only folks I can think of who could make something like this is  The Rifle Shoppe http://therifleshoppe.com/catalog_pages/us_arms/(705).htm . That said, they only make a few replacement parts. Making the dies to create the frame, barrel, hammer, etc. would cost a mint. (*Note: I'm not going to go there with Palmetto Arms. Their record of poor quality was so awful, that they have become somewhat of a legend in our world.)

That said, I'd love to have one of my own but the $7000-20000 price is a bit steep for me at the moment.

-Dave

[Oregon Bill]

Dave, I wonder what it would take to get Pedersoli interested in this rifle. Probably doesn't pencil out as far as demand vs. complexity of fabrication.

[Tsalagidave]

As a marketing guy, I'd say this about the product; unless there is a readily identifiable demographic of thousands willing to buy at a sustainable price right now, I would not do it. I would also ask the question "Is it safe?" Based on my previous articles, my answer to the second question is "Yes, it's as safe as any cap and ball revolver". The problem with that is there is a huge degree of mythos and negative PR involving the design. This means that the majority of buyers would be experienced shooters who would rely on their knowledge and honed abilities to avoid shooting mishaps.

The original launch of this design by Palmetto Armory was a disaster.  I understand recouping the expenses of tooling and die making but the $1695 price tag was enormously prohibitive. At the time when CW rifle muskets were selling for $600-700, this was selling at a price point that even the most dedicated reenactors and BP enthusiasts would balk at.  Despite the price, the quality was so bad that horror stories across enthusiast websites put out the message loud and clear. Occasionally, I hear someone say "I shot the Palmetto Arms Colt revolving rifle and it worked just fine, but those are at extremely few.

In order to make it work, a massive campaign on brand awareness would have to go out (eg. all BP shooter related websites, magazines, catalogs like Cabelas, Gander Mountain, Dixie Gunworks, etc.) Social media and youtube videos would need to be produced demonstrating the longarm's safety and to spark interest.  Lastly, it would need to hit the market at a more reasonable price ($800-1000) but even with all this, there is a lot of data revealing that only a few purists would truly be interested in buying. Even if I had the money to do this project, I'd even be hesitant.

-Dave

[Oregon Bill]

Dave, all good points. Flayderman estimates total production of about 13,700 military rifles and carbines from 1856-1864, and maybe another 3,500 of the various sporting model rifles and shotguns. Kind of a dribble compared to, say, the 184,000 Henry and Model 1866 Winchesters produced up to 1898 -- and the nearly 3/4 million Winchester Model 1873s.

[Tsalagidave]

Good discussion Bill, I still would love to have a revolving rifle.

-Dave

[Forty Rod]

LOL! I was nodding along reading until I reached the last part and thought..."That's right! my buddy here is a deplorable free-market economist, bacon-eating, pistol-packing, vet-loving, horse riding, trail-blazing believer in God, Guns, Guts, and America!...Just like me.

-Dave

There are a lot of us ex-Californians (and a lot more folks from many other places, even some native born Arizonans) who  fit that description perfectly.

[Tsalagidave]

I had a feeling you did brother.  Glad to hear it.

-Dave