New ASM 1858 'Bulldog' .44

[Tinker Pearce]

The frame of this gun is ASM, but the parts come from a variety of places, including some I had to fabricate (other than, obviously, the cylinder and breech-plate.) I went a different direction than the usual bird-head with the grip-frame, and made a set of scales in Desert Ironwood. The gun is chambered for .44 Colt and the bullets shown are 200gr. heel-base bullets that I swage from HG68 SWCs.

The cylinder is extra beefy, so there's no issue with the lock-notches possibly breaking into the chambers. The cylinder was made out of a .36 cylinder that came in a .44 caliber parts-gun I picked up last year, and it just fits in this frame. I ddn't go too crazy with the finish on this gun; I intend to rust-blue it later this winter.  I'm not too keen on the look of the grips- they seem very flat- but they work very well in my hand. I'm also not sure I can live with the barrel-lug needing a screw removed to pull the cylinder pin; I may mofity it to be hinged and install a latch similar to the one on The Pug.

Here's a picture of it with The Pug (my first bulldog conversion) for comparison.

[Tinker Pearce]

I decided that I couldn't live with the under-barrel lug needing to be removed to take out the cylinder, so I cut it to hinge properly and has a latch to retain it.  I also re-contoured the handle-scales, which has improved their appearance.

[Abilene]

A fine pair!  How do they shoot?

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[Tinker Pearce]

A fine pair!  How do they shoot?

The lower one shoots quite nicely. The new one has only put a few bullets into the trap in my shop, so I really can't say.
The target below was fired quickly at seven yards.

[Tinker Pearce]

I've had the new gun to the range now, and it shoots quite well! A couple of minor niggles to deal with, but nothing I cannot handle.

[Oregon Bill]

Liking the butt treatment on the second one. Add a steel skull-cracker extension and it would look even more like a Merwin and Hulbert!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

NICE!