I'm the fellow with the two 3rd Model Dragoons. I am a bullseye pistol shooter for 20+ years and been around guns for 49 years now. I am an avid revolver shooter and have shot Master Class scores with my Smith 625-6, including many 100's on timed and rapid fire and even a 97-6x from the 50-yard line. I own a Hammerli 280, a Feinwerkbau AW93, several M1911's, a Python, a Freedom Arms .454 and lots of other fun guns.
My Father in Law lived in Orange County, CA and liked to go to the gun show in Costa Mesa at the Fairgrounds. He passed away three years ago and I made many trips to his house to help take care of his wife. He had LOTS of stuff he gathered over the years. Two years ago I found one of the Colt Third Model Dragoons and brought it home. This is the one I sold to hatman.
Last month I found another gun. This one is also in a wooded casr and has a powder flask with it. Pretty nice case, not the best but very acceptable case. The 2nd gun looks very much like the first but slightly less wear. It is also antiqued to make it look very old but mechanically it is in very good condition.
Both guns came with the wood boxes and included an owners's manual. Here is a scan of the cover of the owner's manual:
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The manual is cream colored. I is four inches wide, six and a half inches tall and is 52 pages long.
The gun has no markings as to who made it. They cylinder does say US PATENT and USMR on it. It also has the name of the engraver on it in very small print " W L Ormsby So NY ". Yes, that is the name of the real engraver. The scene on the cylinder is that of a Calvary Charge.
So, what you all are saying is that someone got ahold of a kit gun and had the cylinder engraved, antiqued the gun, printed PHONY owners' manuals and built a presentation box for it? That is what it would take to do as you suggest.
I don't know, you could be right. My Father in Law liked to buy guns at the gun show and he had plenty of disposable money. These guns would certainly catch is eye and he could buy them no problem. What this means is there are others just like them floating around and probably sold in California.
Is this information of more value?
Thanks!
Bill