belgian 44-40 copy
I have a belgian 44-40 copy of the smith and wesson D.A. no.3wich I am currenlyrebuliding. I have completely tightened up the small amout of cylander end shake, but a new problem has emerged. The gun seems to have problems with a worn barrel catch screw and high firing pin strikes. After two shoots the barrel starts to become loose and the catch sceww must be taken out and rescrewed in place to tighten it back up. Also the gun has a problem with misfires (probably due to the High firing pin strikes). As I can not make a new screw for the catch were might I obtain one? And what can be done with the high strikes?
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Likely you will have to make the metric screw. Brownells sell unthreaded screw blanks. With Belgian copies-I would not want to even fire this pistol-unknown metallury. Likely any part must be fabricated. I wish you luck-101 0 -
You may want to pick up a copy of the current issue if "Backwoodsman Magazine". There is an article in it about the Belgian copy of the S&W #3.
Woods
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This is a very low quality and very possibly a dangerous gun.
As I mentioned several times previously, one of these in as-new condition loosened up and stretched like yours in less than one cylinderfull of black powder,lead bullet loads. Your firing pin missing the recoil plate hole should give you a clue this gun was poorly made.
Putting effort and expense into reconditioning such a piece to fire is a mistake. If they dont take black powder loads they're surely not going to take todays' smokeless factory loads.
I think these nickle plated beauties were made more to signify than to shoot. You would be doing yourself and any future owners a favor by permanently disabling this revolver.
When you overpower a top break revolver, the barrel catch and/or barrel catch screw lets go and the cylinder blows back and out of the gun with great force.0 -
May or may not be the same gun but in the 1930s J.L. Galef hardware in Philadelphia distributed by mail a sales brochure titled "Galef's Go Getters". In it was offered an import copy of a breakdown .44 Smith and Wesson priced at $4.50. That will give an idea of the quality. For comparison, at the same time Stoeger priced a new Colt SA at $37.50 or a 1911 at $41.00. A S&W .357 Mag was $60. $2 a day was good pay then. 0 -
Saber22, I'm lucky I stumbled on your topic. I believe I have an identical gun. It was handed to me loaded! Its been unloaded ever since. Cylinder does not lock down tight on all revolutions. Had one gunsmith look at it and he wouldn't touch it. I'm going to see what the recommended article says. Based on what I just read it is now a paperweight! 0
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