Gun Digest 2011. Dan Shideler

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СКАЧАТЬ traumas in the face of Indian attacks, saloon bar brawls and general crime, had become a lucrative outlet for gun sales.

      General travellers, prospectors, railway men, saloon keepers, bankers and gamblers were all competing for a share of the growing prosperity throughout the region. In such a volatile environment, it was only natural that, sooner or later, serious confrontations would arise and many felt a need to be armed for self protection.

      One of the most popular and effective forms of self-defence for those individuals was the handgun, and there had been a general adoption of such weapons as a normal items of personal equipment. Single-shot and double-shot pistols of the more basic Deringer pattern already enjoyed a wide distribution throughout the United States as they were normally of an effective .41-inch calibre and, furthermore, could also be easily concealed about the person. Despite being effective at close quarters, their main disadvantage was that only a single shot could be fired, compared with several rounds from a normal holster revolver. Of course, multi-chambered pistols that were small enough to be carried conveniently in the pocket were then usually of minimum calibre as a concession to lightness.

      The original calibre .44 Webley Bull Dog revolver had been designed specifically to overcome this discrepancy in a compact form of self-defence giving several shots of reasonable power.

      As its name implied, it was small yet powerful for its size. Possessing a handgun of that calibre and one emanating from such a prominent handgun manufacturer may well have added to a general feeling of security for each purchaser. Attendant to that concept was the knowledge that shots fired from a .44 revolver would certainly have more detrimental affect on any wild animal than those fired from a pistol of lesser power.

      SCONTINENTAL VERSIONS

      At first, the Belgian gun manufacturers still adhered to the larger calibres and most of the Bull Dogs from Liege were chambered for the .450 cartridge. The construction and quality of these weapons, while perhaps not quite up to the standard of the British product, were perfectly adequate and this, together with the more reasonable purchase price, created a huge demand for Bull Dog models generally amongst the transient American workforce. Prices ranged from as low as $6 to $7, in comparison to a $12 charge for the Webley, thus presenting a serious challenge to the British product.

      Bull Dog models imported from Belgium were normally stamped with Liege proofhouse marks, consisting of the letters E L G arranged above a star and contained within an oval, to denote definitive proof. (This mark was valid until the year 1893, when the oval was surmounted by a Crown.) Other marks that may be encountered include the letter R beneath a Crown, indicating a ri fling test, plus other capital letters beneath a star as the bench mark of a particular Inspector.

      While the external appearance of the Belgian versions remained fairly similar to the original, items of the lock mechanism and its arrangement were frequently altered by various Liege gun makers. The hammer of the British Webley was raised to a cocked position by an arm pivoted at the rear end of the trigger; a sprung sear then engaged a notch under the hammer to hold it in position until disengaged by the trigger being pulled back. Lock mechanism of the Liege product usually differed from the Webley in having a small, spring-influenced, arm hinged to the front face of the hammer, from where it was engaged by a rearward extension of the trigger. Those examples having a half-cock safety notch, also featured an additional lever positioned beneath the hammer. Others that were provided with a rebound feature had a similar lever to hold the hammer away from the cartridge primer. No spring was provided but the lever had a hook at its rear end, which extended behind the lower rear part of the hammer. When the trigger returned forward after firing, the lower rear surface of the trigger cammed against the upper forward end of the rebound lever, forcing the rear hook to pull the hammer back slightly.

      British Bull-Dog: Title is stamped onto top strap and upper flat surface of barrel and is also marked CLEMENT ARMS Co. Weapon has Liege proof marks and was possibly manufactured by Charles Clement at turn of 19th century.

      Grip plates are of hard rubber with vine design at upper and lower extremities. Other examples of this type are known to be marked N.Y. ARMS Co., reported to be trade name used by Crescent Firearms Company (1888-1893). Courtesy Homer Ficken.

      Perhaps one of the more distinctive features of the Belgian models was an alteration to the frame for providing a more effective hold on the weapon when firing. This appeared on several Bull Dog types, on which a projection was formed at the upper rear of the stock to offer an abutment for the hand when the weapon recoiled at each shot. Another item that varied from the norm was the mainspring, which replaced the standard Webley double-limb component with a single leaf spring held to the inner face of the stock by a single screw. This made installation and removal a fairly simple process and less hazardous for the owner.

      Several important Liege gun makers were involved in the manufacture of Bull Dog revolvers and they each employed a different title for their product. Most obvious was an adoption of the original term “British Bull Dog” with the last two words either separated, or joined by a hyphen. On some models, this was stamped onto the top strap, while others had the title engraved by hand at the same location.

      A more abrupt title of “The Bull-Dog” was also used as an alternative by Liege gun makers and, in similar fashion, could be either stamped or engraved onto the top strap.

      While the use of assorted titles for the Bull Dog models was quite prevalent during the latter part of the nineteenth century, an identification of the manufacturer was seldom applied. On the rare occasions that it took place, there was either a small trade mark of some form, or simply the initial letters of a maker’s name. It had even been common policy for Liege gun makers to register the names of fictitious companies as trademarks for use on their weapons.

      The Bull Dog: Five-shot calibre .44 S&W model with italics THE BULL DOG engraved onto top strap. Birmingham proof mark, plus letters J and C stamped on left side of grip frame. Addition at lower front corner of cylinder acts as friction brake. Link at side of ejector swivel is spring with small stud to provide friction on ejector rod. Serial No.520. Courtesy Homer Ficken.

      Five-shot Calibre .450 model with THE BULL-DOG stamped onto top surface of top strap. Liege Inspection mark of star above letter D on right-hand side. Stock plates are light brown wood. Initials T and J appear at left side suggest probable Trade Mark of Liege gun maker Joseph Tholet. Note reinforced area on frame for loading gate hinge. Serial No. 12 (Royal Armouries, Leeds).

      In an attempt to make the pocket revolver even more compact, the Belgians decided to eliminate the trigger guard entirely and employ a folding trigger. Revolvers of this pattern were produced by Leopold Ancion-Marx, Edouard Schroeder, Henri Sauveur, Auguste Lebeau, Manufacture Liegeoise d’Armes a feu, etc. and offered in a variety of forms under an assortment of titles, one of which was “Belgian Bull Dog.” It was usually equipped with vulcanised stock plates, moulded with an elaborate foliate decoration, or furnished in mother-of-pearl as an optional extra. A thumb-operated safety device could also be provided to secure the hammer.

      In March 1890, the firm Manufacture Liegeoise d’Ames a feu had registered a trade mark of the letters ML beneath a Crown, which was sometimes applied at the left side of the frame together with alternative markings on the top strap.

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