Firefly - Zoe's backup pistol

Sidewinder

Sr Member
A much easier conversion job than Jayne's:

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Screen cap:

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SAS
 
Looks like the right model You just saw the barrel off? What model is that? I am still trying to figure out the projectile weapons 300 yrs from now and shot off in a space ship, just don't seem right.
 
Colt Model 1860 Army. Readily availble in non-firing repros in the $40 range on ebay, and as firing replicas from various manufacturers in the 150-250 range. It's a cap-and-ball, so it loads from the front with paper cartridges or loose powder and ball.

(looks like the loading lever area was filled in with something though.. interesting. I've an 1860 around here, and I always thought it'd look might Firefly-esque if the loading lever was replaced with one of those little Radio Shack laser pointers. :) )

And cutting off the barrel like that was not unknown in the old west. In the Boise historical museum, there's a ne'er do well's pistol on display. It's the earlier 1850's Navy model, but cut down exactly like that. IIRC, it was taken off his remains after he had a dust-up with the law in the 1910's.


<div class='quotetop'>(Great_Bizarro @ Jul 25 2006, 12:33 PM) [snapback]1287467[/snapback]</div>
Looks like the right model You just saw the barrel off? What model is that? I am still trying to figure out the projectile weapons 300 yrs from now and shot off in a space ship, just don't seem right.
[/b]
 
After lightening up that screen cap and looking at the cylinder and round chambers, I belive they used a 36 Cal. 1860 3" snub nosed Colt. Very little modification required from the photos I found on the net.

J

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<div class='quotetop'>(Jlewis @ Jul 26 2006, 09:25 PM) [snapback]1288605[/snapback]</div>
After lightening up that screen cap and looking at the cylinder and round chambers, I belive they used a 36 Cal. 1860 3" snub nosed Colt. Very little modification required from the photos I found on the net.

J

[attachmentid=9261]
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Actually the gun you pictured did not leave Colt's factory as shown. It would have been cut-down to that size and used as a hide-out weapon by the owner. Also, the 1860 Army was made in .44 caliber. The 1861 Navy was made in .36 caliber. Both have a similar frame and barrel, the real difference being the size of the grip frame, the Army being longer. If you look real close at the screen-cap, you will notice that one of the frame screws is sticking out from the side of the frame. This was used to mount a shoulder stock to the pistol, effectively turning it into a carbine. This feature was offered on both the 1860 Army and the 1861 Navy models.
 
Also note how the cylinder has two different diameters -- a narrower width at the rear and a wider width towards the muzzle. That was Sam Colt's solution to downsizing his big-bore dragoon pistols onto the smaller grip frame that the Navys made so popular way back when.

.36 cal colts (as a rule, there may be exceptions) don't have that two-step cylinder, as it isn't necessary. Given we can see that step on the screencap, and just guestimating looking at the bore, I'd say we're pretty safe saying that's a .44. The barrel is most definately an 1860, and um... given as how there doesn't seem to be a front sight :confused I'd say it's pretty safe it was a cut down 1860 army model.




<div class='quotetop'>(docholl @ Jul 27 2006, 07:02 PM) [snapback]1289113[/snapback]</div>
<div class='quotetop'>(Jlewis @ Jul 26 2006, 09:25 PM) [snapback]1288605[/snapback]
After lightening up that screen cap and looking at the cylinder and round chambers, I belive they used a 36 Cal. 1860 3" snub nosed Colt. Very little modification required from the photos I found on the net.

J

[attachmentid=9261]
[/b]


Actually the gun you pictured did not leave Colt's factory as shown. It would have been cut-down to that size and used as a hide-out weapon by the owner. Also, the 1860 Army was made in .44 caliber. The 1861 Navy was made in .36 caliber. Both have a similar frame and barrel, the real difference being the size of the grip frame, the Army being longer. If you look real close at the screen-cap, you will notice that one of the frame screws is sticking out from the side of the frame. This was used to mount a shoulder stock to the pistol, effectively turning it into a carbine. This feature was offered on both the 1860 Army and the 1861 Navy models.
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