S & W Knockoff

[The Goose]

I am never sure where to post something like this, but I thought it was kind of interesting and wanted to share it. I just acquired this old revolver. Probably made in the 1880's or so. It is a Belgian knock off of a Smith & Wesson .44 Russian. This revolver was manufactured to deceive. The Belgians had some pretty loose laws when it came to patent infringements. They copied about every type of revolver made in the late 19th century. The Belgian gun trade, especially Liege, was largely a cottage industry. Individuals, often whole families assembled and finished revolvers at home for pennies. Some were pretty well made, many were not. Although they copied everything, they usually stopped short of actually putting a makers name on it. Webley revolvers were a good example. Copies of British Bulldogs and Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) revolvers were very common place. They would stamp British Bulldog on the top strap, but would not put the name Webley or their flying bullet logo on it. This revolver actually says Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Mass. with a patent date on the top of the barrel. Their are a few Belgian proofmarks, but they appear to have been deliberately minimized to the point that to one not familiar with those marks would be hard pressed to identify them. The good news (at least for me) is that this one seems to be well made. The bore is in great shape and the lock up is still tight. The carving on the grips is quite nice and the engraving is adequate. The bore slugged at .430. I have a ton of .44 Special brass which can be cut down easily to form .44 Russian and I already cast for .44 Special and .44 Magnum and I can use the same reloading dies. So for once I bought a new gun that I do not have to invest in new components or reloading equipment.

Note: The bottom photo is the real deal.