I wanted to see if I could post a pic here...
This is my DA .44, which I am told was shipped in 1901. At the time I took this, it had not been cleaned. I have had the side plate off and filed the notch to hold SA cock - it works just fine now. It seems to have been covered in some type of grease many years ago, which hardened and formed a coating over the whole piece. I have it soaking in Ed's Red right now and I find every time I clean it I still get stuff out of it...but it works better and locks tighter.
Just got Remington .44 Russian ammo for it and will shoot it when it gets a bit warmer-too cold for this old man to be standing on a windswept range at this time.
I have seen speculation on another forum that these DA .44's were somehow not very good, and thus did not sell...I thought they set records for accuracy, and they did sell quite a few for a long time in an era of great innovation in handguns...and there ar quite a few out there still working after well over 100 years, which is pretty good IMO.
This gun got me started on an old Smith buying spree that led me to find 2 1876 Single Action .38 Baby Russians and another 1880's .38 DA and I have 2 No. 1 tip up .22's coming, a second and third issue...and maybe a Rollin White revolver as well.
Thanks again for fueling my bad habit.
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