Notes from the underground 2022

 

The Norwich(Falls) "Protector" and Colt "New Line" were .32 Long Rim-fire revolvers that were popular throughout the 1880's-1900's. The modern metallic cartridge firing revolver began with designs such as this Smith&Wesson No.1½ 'New model'.

 This photo shows a moment  in the past, lost in  time & space which shows several kids, a pistol and smiles all around!  Can you imagine a photo like this today?

Top: Sterling .38 caliber rimfire revolver, circa. 1870's-1890's Bottom: Forehand & Wadsworth Russian model .32 caliber rimfire revolver, circa. 1880's-1890's  Presently,  my antique pistol restoration projects are slow going, as I gradually research to find info about missing parts and gunsmithing techniques. Every stage is a new challenge, and eventually I hope to not only transform & increase the values of  these two antique revolvers, but I will also have gained some valuable  pistolsmithing experience which will help with future restoration projects.

 

I came across a pair of these early 20th century toy cap guns while wasting a bit of time on eBay a couple of years ago. "L&M"  and "Made in Canada" were the only markings on the cap guns that obviously were modeled after the popular "top break" revolvers mostly made by Smith & Wesson, Iver Johnson, Hopkins & Allen and Forehand & Wadsworth  from the 1870's to the early 20th century.   In the present day, "Made in Canada" is quite rare when it comes to consumer goods, and seeing those words stamped, or engraved proudly into these toy cap guns made me smile, and then buy the pair of relics from another  time, when "Made in Canada" wasn't an endangered species.