What kind of gun?

[fmb110384]

FATHER LEFT ME A BLACK POWDER HANDGUN. IT HAS, ASM BLACK POWDER ONLY CAL 44 MADE IN iTALY  STAMPED UNDER BARREL. ALSO HAS  AU  PN 51722 STAMPED UNDER CYL.  CYL IS ENGRAVED WITH SAILING SHIPS. BRASS AND BLUED.   ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS GUN WOULD BE GREAT.

[Flint]

ASM (Armi San Marcos) is now owned by AWA.  The revolver sounds like an 1860 Army, Colt clone.  It may be an 1851 Navy in 44 Cal, which the Italians are fond of making.  If the barrel is round with a streamlined loading lever with a rack and pinion action, it's an 1860 Army Colt (copy).

It needs about 25 or 30 gr fffg blackpowder, #10 caps and some "bore butter" and or Wonder Wads to shoot.  It will shoot about 10 inches high at 15 yards or so.

[fmb110384]

Thanks for the help.  The barrel is octagon. I dont know what you mean by rack and pinion action. Also what do you think the gun is worth. It appears and I believe it was never fired. also the cylinder is stamped Engraved 03 may 1_43 or 1_63 and make out the second number.

[Flint]

Marsh, if it a repro, most are, and you want to shoot it a lot, or use it in CAS, it's better to replace the front sight with a taller one.  I do.

FMB, the Sailing ships mark it as a Colt Navy or Army, on the 1851/60/61 frame.  The dates were the dates of a sea battle with the Mexican Navy in 1843.  As yours is a 44 with an octagonal barrel, it is an 1851 Navy but in 44 caliber instead of the proper 36.  The "rack & pinion" would be more obvious to you, if your gun had it.  Yours has the screw pivots in the loading lever parts, as it is an 1851 design.  ASM made them in 44 with both full octagon and half round "Dragoon" style barrels.  Is the receiver frame brass or steel?  We expect the grip frames to be brass.  If the main receiver is also brass, don't shoot it, or use light loads.

The value is somewhere around $150.

[Flint]

The brass, as long as you load it reasonably is OK.  It sure is pretty.  What I found, looking at "Rebs" that shot loose, is the raised ring on the frame breech that the cylinder sits against gets beaten back and increases the cylinder gap, and the cylinder pin gets loose and as that gets worse, it gets worse....  Keep the cylinder gap as close as possible and the load light (18-20 gr) and it probably won't hammer as badly.  Loading the cylinder separately on a steel frame gun or a loading tool will help prevent pulling and loosening the threads of the cylinder pin, as it doesn't have a lot of turns in the frame. They're cheap, if you shoot it loose, get another one.