cap and ball fie revolver

[Steve Adams]

Picked up a brass framed revolver in very good shape with a flask... The scene on the cylnder is of a stage coach. Overall the gun is on the small size, bore looks to be about 3/8". Any help It is marked on the gripstrap fie italy.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

FIE is the importer, or I should say "was" the importer, I think they've been out of business for a while. It sounds like you have a brass framed copy of the 1862 in .36 caliber if your guess of "about 3/8" is close. These were known as the "pocket Navy" if it has the octagon barrel. The "stagecoach scene" was used on the .31 caliber Colt 1849 pocket model but I don't know what cylinder engraving was used on the .36 caliber versions and probably the Italian maker didn't know either, or care.
That's my best guess without photos.

 

[Steve Adams]

thanks for the info, it's nice little pistol, already cleaned it top to bottom and just got to get some balls for it.

 

[Zonie]

If your going to buy balls for it you need to be sure of the caliber first.

Almost all of the Colts with the Stagecoach scene on the cylinders were .31 caliber. Their cylinder is a straight cylinder.

The Colt 1862 Pocket Navy Model mentioned by Coyote Joe was an exception because it too had the Stagecoach scene on its cylinder.
The cylinder on this "Navy caliber revolver" was a 5 shot. It also had a rebated (stepped) cylinder to allow the larger .36 caliber ball/bullet to be used with its smaller (than Colt 1851 Navy) frame.

 

[Steve Adams]

the gun in question has a stage coach scene and is straight sided 5 shot. What i do know is 00 buck is to big of a pellet in my opinion. So i will have to find the next size.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Then it sounds like you have a .31 caliber pocket model, in that case a .315" ball or 0 buck would work but it really would be better to know the exact chamber diameter before you go shopping.

 

[Steve Adams]

once again, thanks for the info.