Info on Bill Edwards (Afton, VA) 1851 Navy .36?

[tnlonghunter]

I have a line on one of these from a local guy. I can't seem to find any significant information about them. I've found a few random mentions in various old threads, but any links to articles or longer write-ups are dead.

The seller says it's unfired and made in Italy around the late 1970s for Mr. Edwards. He's asking $175.

So, can anyone provide any details about these?

Who was the actual manufacturer?
Are they good shooters? I'm not interested in a collector's piece.
Is that a fair asking price?

The price is good, but I recently paid the ******* tax to a scammer to the tune of $180, so while I do want a good 1851, I'm kinda gun-shy at this point unless it's as close to a sure-enough good move as possible. At least this time, it'll be a face-to-face transaction.

[pietro]

.

It looks like you have your answer over on the muzzleloadersforum.com ( https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/info-on-bill-edwards-afton-va-1851-navy-36.138669/ )

If it passes a hands-on inspection for interior bore corrosion, frame/rear barrel cone cracks & cylinder timing, IMO the price is more than fair in today's market.

[bedbugbilly]

Good advice above . . .

There is a bit of history behind the name and pistol as shown by the answers you got on the other site.

I don't think the price is out of line if you examine it and find it to be a decent pistol with no issues . . if there are any, then if it was me I would save my pennies and go with a current Uberti or Pietta that you can reasonably be assured that you can get spare internal parts for if needed.

I can't speak for the individual revolver you are looking at . . . but in the past 60 years I have owned many '51 Navies (my favorite model). In the 1960s and 70s, there were a number of individuals and companies involved in making reproduction Colts, Remingtons, etc. especially at the time of the Civil War Centennial. I owned a number of them and they functioned well and shot fine . . . but if you laid them next to a current day Pietta or Uberti . . . you would see how far they have come. No . . . they may or may not be "historically correct" in every little detail, but the current ones are, for all intents and purposes, well made and a good value for the buck.

Only a good hands on examination of it will tell you if its something you want . . . is it clean and pitting free, decent bore and chambers, forcing cone, smooth action . . . if it suits you fine . . . then decided.

Good luck!

[tnlonghunter]

Thanks. I did get a couple pieces of info from the other forum, but you never know who you might come across with some experience with an esoteric variation. Hence my reason for asking here. I appreciate the notes on where exactly ro look for issues. I'm not much of a hamdgunner, so I just needed to make sure I wasn't be duped...again.

[dondiego]

Care to elaborate on how you got duped the first time?

[tnlonghunter]

Care to elaborate on how you got duped the first time?

Short version: I got over-excited and didn't take my time thinking through what should have been obvious.

Longer version:
I put want ads on a couple different sites, and a few days later got a response that so-and-so's friend had one. Provided email, name, introduction etc. I should have paid closer attention and noticed that the respondent had something like 1 or 2 posts.

I got multiple detailed pics, what seemed like a reasonable price for a used gun, and a story that was relatively normal (i.e., " bought it, shot it about 100 times, not my thing, etc."). Sent the payment via Venmo, guy disappeared. Stupid.

What made it hurt most was that about a week after I realized what happened, I was reading through other posts and saw a sticky on that site warning about that exact thing. I remembered having read it a couple months earlier, but it clearly didn't stick in my head.

[dondiego]

So, the firearm that you purchased was defective?

[FLINTNFIRE]

The firearm he hoped to purchase was a scam , poster will say his friend has such an item and refer you to him , price is good , pictures whatever you need to make it seem real and up front , but they are not delivering the goods .

I pass on items that seem to good to be true and check posters history and in general take your chances .

[tnlonghunter]

The firearm he hoped to purchase was a scam , poster will say his friend has such an item and refer you to him , price is good , pictures whatever you need to make it seem real and up front , but they are not delivering the goods .

I pass on items that seem to good to be true and check posters history and in general take your chances .

Yup. This. I've usually been more careful, and this was the first time I fell for one. Just got sloppy.

[pietro]

Yup. This. I've usually been more careful, and this was the first time I fell for one. Just got sloppy.

Lately, on many other gun forums, buyers have been the victims for very similar bogus offers to buy - and almost every one has been about a friend having whatever gun.

.

[smithnframe]

Who is Bill Edwards?

[tnlonghunter]

Who is Bill Edwards?

I don't know, really. That's one reason I asked. The seller included that info, I guess to indicate some kind of status. I'm hoping someone will know more.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Google it up , I looked after seeing your post and found he was quite involved in getting the replica firearms production started . some of the background I had never heard of or knew .

[tnlonghunter]

I went for it and brought the pistol home last night. Except for one small thing it is in really good condition. It does indeed appear unfired and to have simply sat in someone's safe or drawer for 43 years (the guy I bought it from was not the original buyer but hadn't ever fired it).

That "one little thing" is that the front site is missing. It appears to be a threaded hole. Does anyone know offhand what the pitch/thread count might be? Possibly the same as a Pietta or Uberti if I'm lucky... I've also read apparently some guys just thread in a piece of brass rod, which make sense. Just trying to sort out my options.

[charlie b]

Being that 'old' no telling what the threads are. I'd just use a brass rod, or brazing rod.