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Recent Find...1851 Open Tops!


Rancho Roy

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Ok, big deal...I found a Armi San Marco 1851 Open Top in 38 Special.....Here is why it is a Big Deal.

If you live here in the horrible state of Massachusetts, we have a law that you can't buy any handgun (ANY!!!) that was not in the state of Massachusetts before 1998 (and you have to have proof) or it must pass a very involved test to assure it is safe to sell in Massachusetts if built after 1998. So just about any SAA revolver except Rugers (and only certain models) are available for sale as new firearms here in Massachusetts. Colt, Uberti, Pieta and all the rest have not gone through the nearly $10,000 per revolver required to get their SAA revolvers certified.

 

I wanted a pair of open top 38 special revolvers for years. At a gun show here in MA a few years ago I found one. 1851 Armi San Marco in 38 special. The price was $400 and I didn't think a second and bought it. The odds of finding even ONE pre 1998 open top 1851 is remarkable!

 

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The chance of finding this pre 1998 revolver here in Massachusetts was a miracle!

 

A few days ago while sitting at the airport waiting to get on a plane for Australia I was scanning the local want ads and I found another "Mass Complaint" 1851 Armi San Marco for $400 . I contacted the seller and explained my situation. He said he would hold it until I got back. Nice guy!

 

Once I returned home I contacted him and made the deal.

 

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So now I have a pair!

 

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I also ordered a nice set of holsters from Western and Wildlife Wonders

 

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Now I just need to resolve the grip issue. If they were two piece grips I could just swap them around and have checkered on the outside and smooth on the inside of both guns.

 

Or I'll just get the smooth grips checkered to match........

 

I need to go buy a lottery ticket............How rare are two Armi San Marco revolvers here in Massachusetts and both Mass Compliant!

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I forget how far some states have gone with ridiculous gun legislation! I'm fortunate to not be a resident in one of them. On the guns you lucked into, wow, those conversions and open tops just have a romance to them that is impossible not to love. A pair of 1851's that shoots cartridges, how sweet can it get! Bet you will have a ton of fun with them.

 

If you were to get them slicked up and have the Pettifogger work done on them, what gunsmith would you use?

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I do my own smithing. I recently built a set of 38-40 colt 1873 SAA revolvers from a pair of 45LCs I found here in MA. So happens Gun Parts out of Hurley NY had cylinders and barrels.

And I converted a set of Pieta1860 Colts to cartridge also.

All of them slicked up!

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A business / pleasure trip. Had a trade show at Olympic Park for four days. Then four days of touring the countryside...Blue Mountains, Kangaroo Valley, Jarvis Bay, etc . And then visiting with clients here and there around Sydney. Beautiful country! Wonderful folks! But a VERY long plane ride!

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Congrats on your find.

Too bad you had to jump through hoops to get it.

 

Remember in November: It isn't the majority that rules, it's the majority of VOTERS that rules.

 

 

Waimea

 

:FlagAm:

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Massachusetts is lost........with much more than 50% of the voters on welfare, in government employ, belong to the unions, on gov pensions or are teachers......there is no way anything even approaching conservative will ever win a seat. The legislature is currently 90% Democrat and the folks running for Governor and the Massachusetts senate are running on more anti-gun rhetoric....

 

This is happening in many states around the country......Colorado, Oregon and Washington come to mind. Many more will fall like this with immigration reform. Any state with a single big population center, like Maine or Arizona are prime candidates to be taken over by liberals.............be aware!

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our Nationals (Chisolm Trail) is on at the end of this month

 

Next year I'll plan better! How hard is it to get pistols and pump shotguns into Australia?

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Even California exempts single action pistols from our "approved handguns" list, at least for now. Glad my dad moved us out of Mass. in 1959. It is cool to convert your own guns. i took a pair of 44 special 1872 Opentops and converted them to 44-40 to match my rifles. I hate having 2 calibers to deal with during a shoot.

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Yup, California basically took the Mass. law and modified it..........But you have other issues with regard to "gun control" that are just as onerous. Gotta move to Texas! Where men are free..........................and sheep are scared! :D

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I holster my Uberti Opentops in the same leather as you show , except mine are 7 1/2 inch barreled guns.

 

Have fun with them.

 

 

Jabez Cowboy

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our Nationals (Chisolm Trail) is on at the end of this month[/size]

 

Next year I'll plan better! How hard is it to get pistols and pump shotguns into Australia?[/size]

G'day

The pumpgun is the bigger problem here. The most common way is to get yourself here with your duds and gunsrig and we lend you the guns. Learning to manipulate a doublegun might be worthwhile too.;)

We look forward to "entertaining" you soon. :D

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I do my own smithing. I recently built a set of 38-40 colt 1873 SAA revolvers from a pair of 45LCs I found here in MA. So happens Gun Parts out of Hurley NY had cylinders and barrels.

 

And I converted a set of Pieta1860 Colts to cartridge also.

 

All of them slicked up!

 

Hey Roy,

Let me know if you are going to shoot your 1851 or 1860 "open tops" at the next Harvard Ghost Riders or Danvers Desperados monthly shoot and I'll shoot mine with you (BP of course?!).

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It's just sweet when things come together like that. Congratulations on bagging a beautiful pair of revolvers.

 

Those are much to nice to leave home. i hope you will shoot the heck out of them, and that they live up to your expectations.

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Hi Six Shot...

 

I always shoot the 1860s. These are my "Go To" revolvers. I'll bring the 1851s for a stage or two. Next Harvard shoot is Oct 5

OK Roy. I'll shoot my 1860's (1872 RM type 2 conversions) and bring my 1851 (1871 RM conversions) as "back ups" to Harvard October 5. You are shootin' BP with 'em right?

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Massachusetts is lost........with much more than 50% of the voters on welfare, in government employ, belong to the unions, on gov pensions or are teachers......there is no way anything even approaching conservative will ever win a seat. The legislature is currently 90% Democrat and the folks running for Governor and the Massachusetts senate are running on more anti-gun rhetoric....

 

This is happening in many states around the country......Colorado, Oregon and Washington come to mind. Many more will fall like this with immigration reform. Any state with a single big population center, like Maine or Arizona are prime candidates to be taken over by liberals.............be aware!

 

Congrats on your pistols!

 

Regarding a takeover by liberals in Arizona... Have you ever actually been here?

 

We've had entire elections run uncontested by democrats. Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been reelected five times, he's beaten recall-petitions twice (by merely suggesting Obama is an illegal alien), and after wildly exaggerated scandal after scandal he couldn't possibly be more popular. Governor Brewer giving Obama her finger and a stern look at the airport that day practically elevated her to sainthood. Senator McCain represents the furthest left-leaning elements of the entire state - he's widely regarded here as a liberal. The state legislature introduced a law against enforcing any unconstitutional firearms laws - it was quite a row in the house - some of the conservatives wanted it punishable by lethal injection, while the more liberal element demanded it only be a fine and mandatory imprisonment; I hope that illustrates just what end of the political spectrum we're on.

 

Used guns commonly sell here for more than new guns, as only the lucky few are able to be at the gun counter the second a new gun is placed on display, to snatch it up; demand outstrips the supply here nearly twofold. Guns and ammo are nearly always worth more than next-weeks dollar - it's practically reached the point where you can pay for a night out with cash, visa, speer, magtech, or federal. Don't you think there's a reason the DOJ decided to try to pull their whole Fast and Furious scam right here?

 

I don't think there's a Redder State in the entire US.

 

;)

 

PS - I'd never let the truth get in the way of a good story, but this is pretty much the way I see the Great State of AZ.

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I'd give my left n## to live in Prescott AZ. I love that area. My business takes me to AZ every month or so. For ten years I kept a motorcycle in Phoenix and would spend days and weeks touring the great state. I have lots of friends living all over the state and we talk politics to the wee hours of the morning sometimes.

 

But you are much more optimistic than I am. I'm concerned that they still keep reelecting the McCain fellow. He's more democratic than most democrats. If Obama gives all the illegals in the state the right to vote, it will be hell to pay for conservatives.

 

Yes, AZ is red for now. But it wouldn't take much to go blue.

 

So all you AZs, get out the vote!

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Yes, I'll make it a Black Powder event........Let's try and get on the same Posse.

OK! I'll look forward to the open-tops "shootout" between Rancho Roy and Six-Shot at Sawyer Flats.

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