English Bulldog

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24626151
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English Bulldog

Post by 24626151 » Sun Jun 09, 2013 3:15 pm

English not British stamped on the top strap and in very poor cosmetic condition, I picked it up today as the family were clearing a deceased relatives loft. I'll add pics later but its rather sad looking.
I am sure its a belgian made one as opposed to British Trade built and it looks like the remains of a Liege stamp on the cylinder face along with a number 16 on another bit of the same face.
I have put a caliper in the bore and it seems to vary between .438 and .450 with Webley .455 Mk 2 cases fitting in the chambers..
I think its a .44 Bulldog which hopefully means its Section 58(2) which to folks outside of our Isles is legal to own without a license.
Interestingly its in mechanically great condition so could be sympathetically restored.
The family are are interested in realising its value without breaking the law so I have offered to have it valued. I'll pop it over to a couple of dealer friends and see what they think.
I'd rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy!
http://bashingbambi.blogspot.com
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24626151
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Re: English Bulldog

Post by 24626151 » Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:47 am

Pictured shortly after cleaning off the rust but the oil is still seeping out
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It has cleaned up nicely and now the dirty oil has stopped leaching I have refitted the grips and will look at the next Holts auction for a valuation as its too late to enter it!
I may sell it privately for the owners though!
Yes a brass screw isnt the right sort but at least its a BA thread machine screw and thats what was in it when found! :roll:
I'd rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy!
http://bashingbambi.blogspot.com
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Niner
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Re: English Bulldog

Post by Niner » Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:25 am

A gun that ranks up there with the Carcano and and the Derringer in regard to US Presidents who had shortened terms of office.
A .44 caliber Belgian-made British Bulldog revolver was used to assassinate US President James Garfield on July 2, 1881 by disgruntled lawyer Charles Guiteau, who was angry that Garfield had not appointed him to a Federal post. Guiteau reportedly wanted to purchase a British Bulldog revolver with ivory grips instead of wooden ones (as he believed they would look nicer when the gun was displayed in a museum[4]) but decided not to spend the extra dollar that the ivory-gripped model would have cost.[4] In all, he paid $10 for the revolver, a box of cartridges, and a penknife,[5] before spending the next day familiarising himself with the revolver's operation and firing 10 practice shots with it into trees along the banks of the Potomac River.[4] He eventually used the revolver to shoot Garfield a week or so later in the Sixth Street Railway Station in Washington, D.C. After Guiteau's trial, the revolver was placed in the Smithsonian Institution but some time later the revolver disappeared.[4]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Bull_Dog_revolver
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Dave 101
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Re: English Bulldog

Post by Dave 101 » Mon Jun 17, 2013 4:52 pm

There's a provenance missing pistol turns up in the UK . :lol: Carrying that around in your pocket would certainly spoil a muggers day .
Hope the sale goes well .

Dave
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