Gatofeo
Member
Picked this up a while back
Reproduction of '58 Remington, modern click-adjustable target sights, but in .36 caliber.
I've seen plenty of factory-made Remington copies with target sights, and they're still sold today, but always in .44 caliber. Never seen a .36!
Top of barrel marking: NAVY ARMS CO. RIDGEFIELD, N.J. MADE IN ITALY all in one line.
Left side of octagonal barrel: MOD. 1858 NEW BELT CAL. 36
Serial number on bottom of grip frame: 356XX
Barrel length: 6 1/2 inches.
Three markings on right frame, above trigger guard:
PN under a 5-point star inside a wheel. This is the Italian proof mark, certifying each chamber was proofed at 8,800 psi with 30% overload. PN is short for "polera nera" or black powder.
Shield with crossed rifles, above this is a 5-point star in a wheel. This is the mark for the Gardone Val Trompia proof house.
Uppercase XX9 indicates it was made in 1973.
No markings to indicate WHO made this revolver for Navy Arms. I would guess Uberti.
Revolver is almost like-new, except for very slight damage on the wood grips. No damage to steel.
Disappointment at the target range, however:
Carefully loaded with swaged lead balls of .380 inch, and Lee conical bullets I cast myself, held with two hands and fired at 25 yards from a benchrest, with varying charges of GOEX and KIK FFFG black powder. Felt wad lubricated with Gatofeo No. 1 Bullet Lubricant (a mix of canning paraffin, beeswax and mutton tallow) under each ball. Lee conical bullet lubricated with same lubricant in grooves, but no felt wad beneath it.
Most targets showed 6 projectiles in a 5 or 6-inch circle.. A few targets had 4" groups.
I was puzzled by its inaccuracy until one day I had this pistol and my Colt reissue 1851 Navy made in 1982 at the range. Cleaning them later, I realized that the rifling on this "Target .36" is much shallower than the Colt's. In fact, its grooves are shallower than my other cap and ball revolvers.
Even with the rear sight cranked down all the way, it shoots 6 inches high at 25 yards.
So, it's not really a "Target .36" like I hoped, but it is an intesting revolver from 1973.
I wonder how many .36s were made with modern, adjustable sights?
Reproduction of '58 Remington, modern click-adjustable target sights, but in .36 caliber.
I've seen plenty of factory-made Remington copies with target sights, and they're still sold today, but always in .44 caliber. Never seen a .36!
Top of barrel marking: NAVY ARMS CO. RIDGEFIELD, N.J. MADE IN ITALY all in one line.
Left side of octagonal barrel: MOD. 1858 NEW BELT CAL. 36
Serial number on bottom of grip frame: 356XX
Barrel length: 6 1/2 inches.
Three markings on right frame, above trigger guard:
PN under a 5-point star inside a wheel. This is the Italian proof mark, certifying each chamber was proofed at 8,800 psi with 30% overload. PN is short for "polera nera" or black powder.
Shield with crossed rifles, above this is a 5-point star in a wheel. This is the mark for the Gardone Val Trompia proof house.
Uppercase XX9 indicates it was made in 1973.
No markings to indicate WHO made this revolver for Navy Arms. I would guess Uberti.
Revolver is almost like-new, except for very slight damage on the wood grips. No damage to steel.
Disappointment at the target range, however:
Carefully loaded with swaged lead balls of .380 inch, and Lee conical bullets I cast myself, held with two hands and fired at 25 yards from a benchrest, with varying charges of GOEX and KIK FFFG black powder. Felt wad lubricated with Gatofeo No. 1 Bullet Lubricant (a mix of canning paraffin, beeswax and mutton tallow) under each ball. Lee conical bullet lubricated with same lubricant in grooves, but no felt wad beneath it.
Most targets showed 6 projectiles in a 5 or 6-inch circle.. A few targets had 4" groups.
I was puzzled by its inaccuracy until one day I had this pistol and my Colt reissue 1851 Navy made in 1982 at the range. Cleaning them later, I realized that the rifling on this "Target .36" is much shallower than the Colt's. In fact, its grooves are shallower than my other cap and ball revolvers.
Even with the rear sight cranked down all the way, it shoots 6 inches high at 25 yards.
So, it's not really a "Target .36" like I hoped, but it is an intesting revolver from 1973.
I wonder how many .36s were made with modern, adjustable sights?