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Officer's revolvers
Autie


Joined: 06 Mar 2009
Posts: 8
Location: Victoria,British Columbia, Canada
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Can you tell me if Officers were given any latitude in what they carried as a side arm? I come from an Indian Wars re-enacting background where it seems that Officer's would carry privately purchased revolvers to suit their needs,i.e. Custer and his double action Bulldogs.

Thanks
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Coll
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Autie

Revolvers tended to be Adams or Tranters, but I'm sure others could be privately purchased.

Rumour has it that Durnford owned an American Colt.

Coll
John Young


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: Lower Sheering, Essex
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In 1879 British Army officers' sidearms, be they pistols or swords, were privately purchased.

John Y.
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Autie


Joined: 06 Mar 2009
Posts: 8
Location: Victoria,British Columbia, Canada
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Thanks John and Coll for your answers. That's good to hear. I have a Webley RIC double action (Sherlock Holmes gun),one that was issued I believe to the Metropolitan Police (manacled hands) circa 1870's which will suit for an impression that I'm putting together.
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John Young


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: Lower Sheering, Essex
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Autie,

Firstly I'm surprised Coll not gone into one at the very mention of the name!

The other Autie wasn't the only one to carry a Bulldog, Henry Evelyn Wood, V.C. was photographed wearing a holster which could have only contained a Bulldog at the time of the Anglo-Zulu War.

It it were issued to my "firm" can I ask for its return on their behalf? To me personally! (In jest)

John Y.
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Autie


Joined: 06 Mar 2009
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Location: Victoria,British Columbia, Canada
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LOL John....it's a fair cop! don't want to mess with your crew!
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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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I seem to recall having read somewhere that the only constraint was that an officer's sidearm was capable of chambering "regulation" ammunition, presumably .455. This makes me skeptical of Durnford carrying a Colt.
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John Young


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: Lower Sheering, Essex
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Saw',

They carried what they liked. Or what they could afford. There was no regulation ammunition for officers' pistols.

I've mentioned this before Smith-Dorrien had to scrounge some rounds off of Bromhead, obviously they been the same calibre weapon. If the calibre was of a regulation size why not just draw some from the stores at Rorke's Drift.

Another officer who I would cite, from a later campaign is 'Bill' Burnaby from the Sudan Campaign, he carried a Lancaster pistol which came in a variety of calibres ranging from .38; .450; .455 & .577.

I got your PM, poor results in my photography so far, I'll keep trying until I'm happy.

Regards,

John Y.
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I managed to acquire this well-illustrated and detailed book -

The British Bulldog Revolver: The Forgotten Gun That Really Won The West.
by George Layman.

I'd imagine such a firearm was used by several officers in the Zulu War 1879, if so popular in the U.S.

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snider volley


Joined: 09 Nov 2007
Posts: 21
Location: Washington state U.S.A
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1870 tranter bulldog in .60 cal (man stopper)
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snider volley


Joined: 09 Nov 2007
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Location: Washington state U.S.A
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business end
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snider volley


Joined: 09 Nov 2007
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peterw


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 865
Location: UK
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Man stopper? Looks like those rounds would knock down a house.

Peter
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Nice. I must admit to liking revolvers better than carbines and rifles.

Coll
Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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With all due respect, those aren't quite "Manstoppers", Snider. Although they look as though they would flatten out nicely on impact, having no jacket, a genuine manstopper enters the breech of the pistol already flattened (or worse, dramatically hollowed) and consequently gets even more catastrophically flattened out on impact. The one and only "Manstopper" was the Webley .455 Mark III round-- the one that was deemed unsporting and uncivilized to use against anyone other than a non-Christian (I'm not making that up), eventually banned by the Hague and and upon its introduction during The Great War was answered by a German "white paper" declaring that any British Officer captured with them in his possession was to be summarily executed (apocryphal myth perhaps, but were you to handle one you would believe it was plausible.) Parenthetically, they're the Holy Grail of Webley vintage ammunition collectors!
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Officer's revolvers
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