Reich Revolver

[Bill Grist]

Enjoy this 11mm 1879 Reichrevolver...BILL

[Johnnie]

Nice. I understand some of these were even issue in the First War and even used by Volksturm in the Second. Thanks for sharing this. Pretty rare.

Johnnie

[pitfighter]

Nice I have the later 1883 Reichs revolver - I will find a '79 soon, I think they are fabulous symbols of the old world meeting the new - this was the handgun, of an age of sabers and chivalry, that was superseded by the Luger - the modern age.
2012-10-06131708.jpg
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...0-06131708.jpg

Pit - in a romantic mood.

[habicht]

Nice one Bill, 10th Uhlan Regiment.

[Scout]

Im sure the quality is just fine, but IMO it looks exactly what it is; a weird gun designed by a commisison.
What the EU would have made a botched job of, if they were in the gun designing business, LOL.
Ive never liked the combination of neither hexagonal nor octagonal barrels combined with a round barrel - not on rifles and not on revolvers.

Further more, empties pushed out with a rod carried separately - bad idea.
Not a soldier proof feature.
Not a well designed feature in any conceivable scenario.

At least the revolver is of simple and rugged construction with a removable sideplate for easy access and inspection of the mechanism.

[pitfighter]

I don't think anyone reading this forum would think the Reichs revolver was a technologically advanced weapon.
It has an appeal of a different nature.

I have a soft spot for problematic firearms.
Well intentioned - or not - overly complicated, outdated, or not soldier friendly.
They serve a purpose in my collection as they did in history.

Pit.

[Scout]

Nope, I didnt state, that the revolver was advanced either. Simple and rugged was mentioned.

The Webley-Fosbery is of course another kettle of fish altogether. A semi-automatic revolver in muddy trench warfare. The Brits found out, how 'good' an idea that was.
Neither simple nor rugged.

None the less, the WF has a special place in my heart like most Webleys and Enfield revolvers from two world wars.

The WF is in a niche all of its own. Ill try to block out the mental picture of Sean Connery in Zardoz, while I write about the Webley.

Not John Boormans or Sean Connerys finest hour.

For those who havent seen Zardoz, here is a pic (not for the faint hearted)


(sorry, but I did warn you!)

'Who's Webley-Fosbery is that?'

'Its Zeds, baby'

'Who is Zed?'

'Zeds dead baby, Zeds dead'

(Oooops wrong movie, but Sean C's character in Zardoz is named Zed)

[pitfighter]

I also like the Bogart reference in The Maltese Falcon, even if he mixes up the .38 and .455 versions.
"...That's an eight shot .45 Webley Fosbery..."

Thanks for the Zardoz pics, lol!

Bill - do you have any ammunition your Reichs Revolver? - I have been hunting for some original ammunition to display with mine for a while, I thought I had found some in Utah (Sell antiques, SLC), earlier this year, it was an empty box and expensive.

I'm not necessarily a fan of firing my old guns, sometimes I can't resist the urge though.

For those in America, I gather it can be shot it using .44 Russian bp cartridges from Powder Inc. (http://www.powderinc.com/)

Pit.

[Scout]

No problem glad to supply the pic, hope it didnt spoil your appetite, LOL.

I couldnt rememer the Bogart quote. i'll have to watch the Maltese Falson again (for the umpth time).
Great movie. Bogart is great as (almost) always, Peter Lorre PERFECT for the role.......and Sydney Greenstreet simply in a class of his own!

(wasnt there a scene in the Falcon about a small statured henchman with twin 1911s way too big for him. Bogart takes them away from him at some point. Or is that another movie?)

Houston & Hammet - a match made in heaven. Never saw a Houston movie, I didnt like and never read a Hammett book I didnt like either.

BTW Some Webleys were imported to the US and converted from .455 to .45acp, though I doubt many Fosberys were converted (if any).

As for a source for ammo for the Commision Revolver; has anybody in the US tried FIOCCHI - they make ammo for some vintage 'oddball' calibres?

[pitfighter]

He took Elisha Cook Jr's .45 (or .38acp 1903) and hit him with it, before calling him a name using an old Yiddish word (supposedly to get around the Hays office) for "queer."

I read that some Fosbery's were converted to .45acp, too, the horror! - in Retting's old sales catalogue, a S&W Victory has a price tag $10 more than the Webley Fosbery - that was 1950 something.

John Huston originally wanted to direct "The Red Badge of Courage" from horseback - interesting character, my favorite film is "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" -

Fiocchi don't make 10.6 Reichs Revolver, but Im sure they have .44 Russian.
The Reichsrevolver caliber is actually 10.66 - I wonder if they chose the date going up against the British, lol?
Sixty or so years later, Hitler placed a religious importance on the Bayeaux tapestry for the same reasons, the story of how he never laid his hands on it is worth reading.

Pit.