Dresser or Dressen
- Thread starter Birddog13
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Jim March
Member
Well if I were to guess, I'd say it's a gun.
Sorry.
Whatever it is, it's in astonishingly good shape. It looks like it's typical of about 1885ish, give or take a decade. Does the cylinder swing open? Or is there a loading gate? Other side pics please?
Sorry.
Whatever it is, it's in astonishingly good shape. It looks like it's typical of about 1885ish, give or take a decade. Does the cylinder swing open? Or is there a loading gate? Other side pics please?
Nightcrawler
Member
Reminds me of a Nagant revolver, but that was a Belgian design too.
Nightcrawler
Member
I shrunk the picture for easy viewing.
halfacop
Member
Hello my Indiana Brother - So your tellin' me your dad had this in safe and you knew nothing of it? This thing looks like its in great shape - or is the picture misleading? Do you have a caliber, I forget? Halfacop
Josey
member
The name means nothing to me. It seems to be a copy of the Webley Royal Irish Constabulary revolver. They were 45 caliber/450 Adams CF. If it is a 32 or 38 caliber, it is a copy of a British Bulldog. These were also made by Webley. It could be marked as .320, .380 or .450 caliber. It does look to be in fine condition. These are usually worth about $95.00.
Gordon
Member
"These are usually worth about $95.00." Not anymore for a fine one like that,friend!
Josey
member
It does look nice but, I can't find anything on the manufacturer. I therefore put it in the class of Spanish copies. Unknown. I would not shoot it. A close copy with no history or known quality and unknown mettalurgy is a wallhanger. I still value it at around $95.00. No offense. It could even be a black powder revolver. I might guess that it was made about 1876. It has the style of the period.
Jim March
Member
Man, it sure looks good for a Spanish clone.
Not just the finish. Look at the complexity of the grinds around the triggerguard, the trigger itself, many other details just scream out "QUALITY!!!".
Yes, it may indeed be blackpowder and not for shooting without extensive research and testing - and then with BP only. Probably shouldn't be shot again.
But I wouldn't bet against a value lots higher than $95 to the right buyer.
Not just the finish. Look at the complexity of the grinds around the triggerguard, the trigger itself, many other details just scream out "QUALITY!!!".
Yes, it may indeed be blackpowder and not for shooting without extensive research and testing - and then with BP only. Probably shouldn't be shot again.
But I wouldn't bet against a value lots higher than $95 to the right buyer.
BluesBear
member
Jim March
Member
Ah. 'Cept for one thing: Birddog13's specimen is MUCH higher quality than the one Bluesbear pictured.
OK, go to the high-res version of BD13's gun. Look at the trigger guard - look at the bases where the triggerguard "ring" hits the part that screws to the frame. Look at how clean AND complex the grids are right there. I'm serious - those junctions on the BD13 gun appear to be done by hand. Now look at the BD13 trigger - it's of varying thicknesses, unlike the one Bluesbear posted. Reminds me of a fine shotgun trigger.
I could go on...the grip shape, hammer shape, many other details are similarly "highly tuned" or whatever you want to call it on the BD13 piece.
It might indeed be a clone...but if so, it was made by somebody who really, REALLY gave a damn about quality.
OK, go to the high-res version of BD13's gun. Look at the trigger guard - look at the bases where the triggerguard "ring" hits the part that screws to the frame. Look at how clean AND complex the grids are right there. I'm serious - those junctions on the BD13 gun appear to be done by hand. Now look at the BD13 trigger - it's of varying thicknesses, unlike the one Bluesbear posted. Reminds me of a fine shotgun trigger.
I could go on...the grip shape, hammer shape, many other details are similarly "highly tuned" or whatever you want to call it on the BD13 piece.
It might indeed be a clone...but if so, it was made by somebody who really, REALLY gave a damn about quality.
halfacop-Your right
Guys I tried to get some more pictures, but the lighting that I have was very poor. I would like to get some good pics this weekend and post them.
I do find two proof marks that I can make of, one on the cylinder is the crown over the E.L.G (since 1893) and the one on the frame is crown over an R. (since 1852)
Guys I tried to get some more pictures, but the lighting that I have was very poor. I would like to get some good pics this weekend and post them.
I do find two proof marks that I can make of, one on the cylinder is the crown over the E.L.G (since 1893) and the one on the frame is crown over an R. (since 1852)
Josey
member
There were as many backstreet gunmakers in Belgium as fleas on a yard dog. Quality was excellent in a few and many were just junk. I have had no luck tuning up ANY reference to Dresser or Dressen. I put it in the unknown category, along with the poor Spanish copies. Do we not know the caliber yet?
Josey
member
OK! That is a .380-200 British cartridge. It is virtually the same as 38 S&W (short). Is there a number with TONS after it? I am thinking this revolver is not nitro proofed. That means it would be black powder only. You can load 38 S&W with black powder. I admit the revolver seems well fit but, there are still many questions as to whether or not to fire it. The revolver seems to mix a little Adams, a bit of Webley and even shows Tranter influences. Obviously a copy of a British Bulldog home defense pistol in .380-200. It is a nice example of Belgian design rip-offs.
BluesBear
member
If you have a fired .38 or .357 case it should slide into the chamber and still be fairly loose since the .38-200/.38S&W has a slightly larger case diameter.
I wonder if Dressen is the city where this was made. Dressen is a common name in the Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemborg, Germany area.
The octagon barrel and oval cylinder flutes were all the rage with Belgian gunmakers of that period.
There were thousands of RIC and bulldog copies sold in the US from the 1880s to the turn of the century. All I can find photos of, however, have standard flutes or no flutes at all.
What does that lever on the left side do? Does it push the hammer back to half-cock?
I wonder if Dressen is the city where this was made. Dressen is a common name in the Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemborg, Germany area.
The octagon barrel and oval cylinder flutes were all the rage with Belgian gunmakers of that period.
There were thousands of RIC and bulldog copies sold in the US from the 1880s to the turn of the century. All I can find photos of, however, have standard flutes or no flutes at all.
What does that lever on the left side do? Does it push the hammer back to half-cock?
Josey
member
The revolver should have a block that lfts the hammer and keeps the firing pin off of a primer. When the trigger is pulled the block drops and allows the hammer to travel all the way down, the firing pin smacks a primer and the bullet goes forward. The lever is a loading gate. The odd oblong flutes were a Belgian style. I have seen Merwin-Hulbert copies that were done the same way.
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