USFA Forehand & Wadsworth

[Pangaea]

These weapons are listed on Turnbull's site.  Says they were made in very limited numbers (10 I think it said).  Has anyone ever heard of these pistols?  They are only $ 10,000.00 each.  Three barrel lengths.  Certainly are unusual.  Thanks.

Hope all is well with everyone.

[Dave T]

Certainly not $10,000 interesting but historically interesting none the less.  USFA always did good work.

Dave

[Abilene]

I had no idea USFA had made any of those!

[Pettifogger]

The cylinder and barrel look Colt.  It does not look like a Forehand & Wadsworth.

[Dave T]

Thanks for posting the picture of an original.  USFA didn't even manage a near miss.  Kind of blew that one.  Now we're down to about $1100 in value, and that's to those few people who like weird looking guns.  LOL

Dave

[Abilene]

The cylinder and barrel look Colt.  It does not look like a Forehand & Wadsworth.

Google image search shows other F&H styles as well, but none of them resemble the USFA guns. 

Turnbull's site says the guns are "These American-made collectables in .45 Colt are distinguished by the swept grip frame and thinned-out recoil shield reminiscent of Old Model Army revolvers of the late 1800s."  That is like calling a Ruger Old Army a Remington because it is "reminiscent."

[Major 2]

Hmmm ... "lipstick on a pig eh, reminiscent pig" that is,

The real deal is rather elegant though.

[Dave T]

If somebody (no idea who) made a limited run of accurate reproductions of the Forehand & Wadsworth, or the Merwin & Hulbert, I bet they would sell faster than this not quite right USFA offering Turnbull is pushing.  I've always been a fan of USFA (I have half a shelf full in my safe) but they really messed this one up...bad.

Dave

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Greetings All,
There was a time, in the early years of USFA, when Douglas Donnelly took it upon himself to acquire the rights to historically significant names of defunct firearms manufacturers.  F&W for one, U.S. Cartridge Company, Maxim Silencers and who knows what else?
Donnelly owned the F&W name and apparently wanted to do something with it.  So... He (or somebody else) created this fictitious "historical" revolver that would bear the F&W name.
I remember seeing a photo, taken several years ago at USFA's Shot Show display, of their proposed F&W "prototype."  It looked to me to be a cross between a Colt SAA, F&W and a Merwin & Hulbert.  Neither fish nor foul, just a mix-match of several designs that looked nothing like the photograph above, or an original F&W.  Somewhat of an historical abomination (and somewhere, back in the bowels of our forum, I seem to recall leaving a review).  I can only assume that the pistol, pictured above, was the result of Donnelly's desire to put one if his "acquired" names to use.  What a sad use of USFA's resources, creating a pistol that never exited, and probably one of the reasons that folly such as this led to their ultimate demise.
CJF

[RRio]

The cylinder and barrel look Colt.  It does not look like a Forehand & Wadsworth.

What I thought. A Winchester. https://revivaler.com/winchester-1883-prototype-revolver/

When Colt announced the Colt Burgess lever action rifle, Winchester in return announced that they were going to start making that revolver.

[Coffinmaker]

  PLUS ONE for Pettifogger 

Certainly not a Forehand & Wadsworth.  Certainly a miss-mash of "parts."  Sort of Colt(ish) frame, Colt Barrel/Ejector, Sort of Remington grip set.  Really nice Turnbull CCH though.  Certainly not worth Ten Grand??

[RRio]

Certainly not $10,000 interesting but historically interesting none the less.  USFA always did good work.

Dave

Agreed, either somebody is selling their name, or the are smoking some elicit stuff.