Great Western .44 Magnum Single Action

[Dutchman]

Most of youse whippersnappers have never heard of Great Western revolvers. Unless maybe you've read Sixguns by Elmer Keith.

http://images19.fotki.com/v315/photos/2/28344/157842/gw1-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v326/photos/2/28344/157842/gw2-vi.jpg

The early Great Westerns often showed up on saturday matinees of cowboy movies done in the 1950s. These were the first Colt clone and were used in the movie industry. What gives them away is that hammer profile. These revolvers have a frame mounted floating firing pin. Wasn't a bad feature at all. Just made the hammer look funky. They also had, at least the later production, a beryllium copper cylinder stop (bolt). A high-shock alloy that you'll never see used in this application again.

http://images19.fotki.com/v327/photos/2/28344/157842/gw3-vi.jpg

Full Elmer Keith .44 Magnum loads were brutal in this dude. But when you're 20 you're immortal :). I didn't know how to download back then. I think these photos are from 1971. Camera was a Yashica D medium format 120 film with Kodak Tri-X film. (I did a year of photography in high school).

http://images42.fotki.com/v1379/photos/2/28344/157842/gw4-vi.jpg

I'll say that there was nothing inherently wrong with these later production guns that a little silver solder for the ejector rod housing stud and lock tight for the screws wouldn't fix. I carried this sixgun to the top of the Continental Divide at the Argentine Pass in Colorado in 1972.

Dutch
short-time resident of Jefferson County, Colorado circa 1972, reject job applicant of Redfield and hired machinist at Cutler-Hammer Corp. on North Broadway in Denver.

[Bucks Owin]

Another oldie bur very goodie! http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/BucksOwin/700bucks.jpg

[MT Gianni]

Nice Pics. I thought the Great Westerns were all gone having never sen a glimpse at a gun show.

[felix]

Seems I remember 100 bucks in 1954 in kit form? ... felix

[scrapcan]

Dutch,

Once again a good post and set of pictures. My uncle goes to a lot of gunshows and every time he see a GW SAA he grabs it and calsl a friend in Newcastle, WY. That guy has bought every one that he has come across, 15 that I know of. He has a quite a stash. I got to shoot a couple before they went int othe collection mode.

And just why are you not still in Colorado, atleast then I could come bother you in your shop and watch you work with the milling maching ( or is that watch you until I come oup with a project to beg borrow or steal time with the machine and operator).

[jh45gun]

Bucks Owen what is that one?

[Dutchman]

Dutch,

Once again a good post and set of pictures. My uncle goes to a lot of gunshows and every time he see a GW SAA he grabs it and calsl a friend in Newcastle, WY. That guy has bought every one that he has come across, 15 that I know of. He has a quite a stash. I got to shoot a couple before they went int othe collection mode.

And just why are you not still in Colorado, atleast then I could come bother you in your shop and watch you work with the milling maching ( or is that watch you until I come oup with a project to beg borrow or steal time with the machine and operator).

The plans of youth often fail to achieve the vision promised.

I passed through Wyoming in late August on the way back from Kansas. Rained mostly. Northern California isn't so far from Wyoming. Hop onto I-80 and zip through Utah, Nevada and up into the State of Jefferson. A few hours at the most:).

Great Western history:

http://greatwesternfirearms.com/htm/body.htm

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_165_27/ai_105698433/

http://www.shootmagazine.com/articles/firearms/great_western.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Arms_Company

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I was told many years ago by a friend of mine that was involved in mfg. in Los Angeles that mister Wilson was married to a much younger women who was both wild and exspensive. He said she kept him so busy keeping her out of trouble,he began to neglect the business. Hy Hunter as you may know was convicted and sent to prison for mail fraud. He had a gun shop in Burbank with a coin lock on the front door. It was one heck of a gun shop. I had only one experience with a GW pistol. A friend and I were on a ditch bank in souteast Mo. one day. He had a GW in .22 cal and I had a Colt .22. While we were shooting, snakes started some sort of mating ritual . With all the time I spent in the woods or on ditch banks I had never witnessed anything like before or since. A pair of snakes would start swimming across an open spot of water between the brush. They were just too great a target to ignore. No matter how many we blasted out of the water they never stopped. If the .22 cal bullit hit between the snake and water they would flip end over end . After a time my friends gun would no longer fire. The floating firing pin had fallen out. We rushed to town to a gun smith and he was able to replace the pin but by the time we returned to the ditch the snakes were no longer around. By the way that ditch was immortalised in the movie, How the West Was Won. It stood in for the Erie Canal . It was the first scene in the movie. I even got Debbie's autograph on the back of a temporary fishing licsense. This has been a bit long winded but what the heck, it beats anything on TV.

Pictures here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=70306

[Dutchman]

This has been a bit long winded but what the heck, it beats anything on TV.


Heck, no pictures of weird snakes and no pictures of Debbie and no pictures of nuttin'!

I'm terribly disappointed :-(

[Lloyd Smale]

ive had two great western guns. One in 357 and one in 357 atomic. I havent shot a 44 mag version but if i were you i wouldnt beat on it to much as i believe they have the same grip frame as the 357s and thats just a copy of the colt grip frame.

[Heavy lead]

ive had two great western guns. One in 357 and one in 357 atomic. I havent shot a 44 mag version but if i were you i wouldnt beat on it to much as i believe they have the same grip frame as the 357s and thats just a copy of the colt grip frame.

Lloyd,
What is a 357 Atomic?

[Freightman]

Seems I remember 100 bucks in 1954 in kit form? ... felix
That was a months wages for a lot of folks in '54.

[Freightman]

Lloyd,
What is a 357 Atomic?
Did a Google search and found that "Atomic" was what they called the .357 MAG for a short while. Per this artical.

http://www.singleactions.com/375Atomic.pdf

[Marvin S]

Here is my Great Western Arms in 45LC.

[Bucks Owin]

Bucks Owen what is that one?

UNITED SPORTING ARMS, INC.
UNITED SPORTING ARMS HISTORY
The Seville and El Dorado line of single actions began life in 1972 as the "Abilene". It was during that year that Sig Himmelman built the prototype and formed United States Arms of Riverhead, NY. IN 1976, the company split, with Sig and Forrest Smith reorganizing as United Sporting Arms of Hauppauge, NY, manufacturing the blue model Seville and the stainless El Dorado. The El Dorado was an important model, because it was the first time that an all stainless .44 Mag. was available to the general public. United States Arms continued to produce the Abilene in Riverhead until Mossberg acquired the line in 1979. Production was moved to New Haven, CT and ceased in 1983.
In 1979, United Sporting Arms established a second facility in Tombstone, AZ. Sevilles weren't manufactured in Tombstone, but were assembled from parts shipped from Hauppage. Only a few hundred models were produced before operations were moved to Bisbee, AZ. While most models were blue, the Silver Seville was a Tombstone variant, with stainless backstrap and high blue finish.
The Bisbee operation was short lived too, and during mid-1979, Sig Himmelman relocated the western operations of United Sporting Arms to Tucson. By 1980, the company had split again into El Dorado Arms of Hauppauge and Sporting Arms Inc. of Tucson. These were separate companies with their own lines of revolvers. Stainless El Dorados were produced in NY and the blue/stainless Sevilles came from Arizona.
While El Dorado Arms primarily built .44 Mags., Sporting Arms Inc. expanded the line with many new chamberings. In 1982, the company unveiled the stretch-frame Seville in .357 Maximum. A couple of .375 Super Mags were also produced before the company was sold and the name changed to United Sporting Arms in 1983. That same year, El Dorado Arms closed shop.
The Tucson facility continued until folding in late 1985. Many unique variants were produced between 1983-1985, including .454 Mag., .375 SuperMag, Sheriff's models, and silhouette guns.
During 1986, United Sporting Arms was reformed in Post Falls, ID, but operations could not be sustained. Only 200 (approx.) guns were produced in this location, and quality was sub par compared to earlier Seville models.
By 1988, Forrest Smith and Russell Wood resurrected El Dorado Arms, basing production in Chimney Rock, NC. During 1988-1998, the company manufactured hand fitted and tuned single actions. Both standard frame and stretch platforms were offered, as well as a rimfire model. Production was low, but quality was very high.
The publisher would like to thank Mr. Rick Maples for providing the above information.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/BucksOwin/700bucks.jpg
Jh45gun, this is the platform that John Linebaugh used to bring the .45 Colt out of the SAAMI dark ages and dispel the myth of the "weak .45 Colt case". His loads in his customized gun with an oversized cylinder were in the 55K range! (So much for "weak case"!) This particular gun, which was purported to be a pre production item, recently sold at GB for a measly $700. Wish it was mine! Dennis

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Dutchman, I just removed the pictures of Debbie, Carrol Baker, Agnes Moorehead , my wife and of course yours truly from the album where they have been pasted since 1961. What a job that was. I had to try and cut between the pics and the page without damage to either. I had to use a razor blade but I was successfull with little harm. I have never posted a pic on these or any other web sites so be patient. I may have to get some help from Buckshot. I feel I should tell you that neither me, my wife nor Debbie look like these pictures today. Time has a way of changing things. As for the snakes, I didn't have a camera with me at the time , so you will just have to take my word for it.

Pictures at: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=70306

[Bucks Owin]

Here's another one in .375 Supermag...http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/BucksOwin/375Supermag.jpg

[MT Gianni]

Welcome awesome pics and first post.

[Bucks Owin]

Hi Mike, and welcome. Hey, those are a couple of fine looking Sevilles! Where in Orygun are ya? Best, Dennis in shasta county Kalifornia...

[Dutchman]

[smilie=w:


You wouldn't be on probation for hijacking threads would you?


Dutch - who prefers :Fire: thread hijackers as probation seems ineffective
in
Yreka

[daewoo_rifles]

Recently started collecting Great Western revolvers after reading Sixguns by Elmer Keith. So far I have a .22 and a .357 Atomic, but on the hunt for GW information as much as another pistol.

Does anyone know of a Great Western board vs trying to find stray threads on Google?

Thanks,
Joe

[daewoo_rifles]

Bueller? Anyone? Bueller?

[Bucks Owin]

You wouldn't be on probation for hijacking threads would you?


Dutch - who prefers :Fire: thread hijackers as probation seems ineffective
in
Yreka

No, I lost track of a couple guys here who I owed money after being off the net for a time. Didn't mean to "hijack" the thread, just thought since the discussion was of fine sixguns no longer around, that US Sporting Arms fit right in. (Then responded to a direct question). Didn't mean to steal your thunder. My apologies, don't shoot!....Dennis :|

[Blammer]

I know of someone who has a Great Western 22LR pistol for sale if anyone is interested.

[daewoo_rifles]

Still looking.

[S.R.Custom]

I've not seen this thread before... but I have seen GWs occasionally at gun shows out here. Will keep this thread in mind if I see any more...

[longhorn]

Aw, what's a little hijacking if you get to see both GW's and Seville's? My father has several Great Westerns and a single Seville (in .357) The GW's are serviceable, but I wouldn't load one hotter than a Colt-even if it says .44 magnum on the barrel. OTOH, the Seville is beautifully made and finished, a real prize.