Henry Rifle Forums

Picked up my new Uberti replica revolver at the LGS yesterday.
Of course, I'm prejudiced, but still must say it is one very sharp-looking revolver!

Did an initial cleaning today, followed by a first photo shoot.
Next will be the test range visit (will post) -- looking forward to that!
PT7

Russian 1874 .45LC Top Break Revolver (a historical Russian 422 Line Revolver)
(Manufactured by S&W; Post-1877 was identified as a No. 3 Model, Schofield Top Break)

That is soooo cool. I love it!!! Right out of the late 1800s. Now you've got me wanting one.

Oh ya. What she said.

Damn..... I just drooled on my iPad.......Again.

RSb, you need to cut that drooling out. iPad's do not respond well when that happens!
And I can guarantee that if you get one of these revolvers, the drooling will go away.


NCG, I love it, too. First revolver I've bought just to have it! And the Russian history behind it played a large part in my getting it. I have a Slavic heritage (Dad was raised in former Yugoslavia), and I have two degrees in Russian Culture and Language. I can also speak, read, and write "survival" Russian. Too many years of not living near many Russian folk, so I'm rusty.

Anyway, Uberti engraved something totally unexpected on the top of the barrel. I've not been able to take a photo because the dark engraving easily gets lost in the blued barrel. But I'll keep on trying. This is what they put there, very tiny letters, but beautiful engraving:

3-я русская оружейная фабрика А. Уберти Италия

Another reason I love this 1874 Russian; for me, this extra identification in Russian language is great.
The engraving translates to "3rd Russian weapon factory of A. Uberti Italy."

Glad you like the looks of the Russian, too. I think it is one you should go for. The top break is so different from anything I've handled before in firearms. I hope shooting it will be as enjoyable as the working of the mechanics I've been doing so far!


Yup, RR, I do know why you would want one. You're Cowboy-action folk through and through! When you can have a gun that looks so close to an original from the late 1800s, yet shoots with modern ammo and is well-made, it shouts to you. I've been pleased so far with my 1873 Cattleman, and with the NOOB 1874 Russian....kinda have gotten hooked myself on the single-action revolvers.

Appreciate all your comments. Range report will be comin' along.
PT7

North Country Gal wrote:That is soooo cool. I love it!!! Right out of the late 1800s. Now you've got me wanting one.

RanchRoper wrote:Oh ya. What she said.

RetiredSeabee wrote:Damn..... I just drooled on my iPad.......Again.

That's very impressive on the Russian culture and language, PT. I'm of slavic descent, too, on my father's side. I'm half Slovak, but our family name actually translated to Cossack, so our roots could be any nationality from that part of the world, given that Cossacks were multi-national horse people clans. We've traced our family back to the early 1800s to a Cossack that was hired by the Polish to teach their people cavalry tactics. The other half of my heritage is all Viking, so I come from a long line of raiders and pillagers.

Back to guns. I think these top break revolvers are a wonderful development. They were far more popular in the Old West than our TV and movie westerns depicted. I do remember the Schofield Kid in Unforgiven, though. Might have to pull that one out of the collection and watch it, tonight.

Very nice! And great back-story as well! Can't wait to hear the range report! Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful!

Hey, NCG,

Thanks for your last comments. Although I am a little side-tracked from chatting about the .45LC Russian, it's cool to learn that you are also of Slavic descent. You especially caught my interest with your connection to Cossacks. So here I am once more off the beaten path!

In college, I enjoyed some coursework re. Cossacks. They were a large part of Russian history, mythology, and both literature & painting. Fascinating studies. As you know, I love to read; constantly am reading. That's a good thing, since I had to read so much Russian lit in college! Here are a couple of comments about Cossacks, which I hope you might find interesting: one book and one famous painting.

Repin. When I studied in Russia, I purchased a coffee table book of the paintings by Ilya Repin. Probably my favorite work of his is the "Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire." (What a wordy title....quite a lot like my wordiness! ) I saw this canvas painting displayed in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, and is probably my favorite work of Repin's. Check this out ---- a beautiful and powerful painting of Cossacks:
Cossacks & Cowboys. You mentioned looking at your family's genealogy back to the early 1800s, and wrote this perfect description: "...Cossacks were multi-national horse people clans." So here is a more contemporary book of literary criticism (published in 1992) that interestingly shows the connection between the Cossacks and the American Cowboy, and what that means in terms of the national life of the two countries. Following is a brief write-up I found introducing the book's content:

The Cossack Hero in Russian Literature
A Study in Cultural Mythology
by Judith Deutsch Kornblatt
(Book review excerpt from uwpress.wisc.edu)

Both wild and familiar, alien and self, the Russian Cossacks came to represent in nineteenth-century literature their nation's seemingly endless frontier, strongly influencing the self-image of the Russian people.

The Cossack Hero in Russian Literature is the first book to study the development of the Cossack hero and to identify him as part of Russian cultural mythology. Judith Kornblatt explores the power of the myth as a literary image, providing new and challenging readings of nineteenth- and twentieth-century works by Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoi, Khlebnikov, Babel, Tsvetaeva, Sholokhov, and a host of lesser-known writers, all of whom were attracted to the Cossack. By comparing the Cossack with the American cowboy, she reveals what is both unique and universal about the Russian self-image.

No different than Russian writers, I write too much. Appreciated your comments about your heritage...fun to know. Thanks!
PT7

North Country Gal wrote:That's very impressive on the Russian culture and language, PT. I'm of slavic descent, too, on my father's side. I'm half Slovak, but our family name actually translated to Cossack, so our roots could be any nationality from that part of the world, given that Cossacks were multi-national horse people clans. We've traced our family back to the early 1800s to a Cossack that was hired by the Polish to teach their people cavalry tactics. The other half of my heritage is all Viking, so I come from a long line of raiders and pillagers.

Back to guns. I think these top break revolvers are a wonderful development. They were far more popular in the Old West than our TV and movie westerns depicted. I do remember the Schofield Kid in Unforgiven, though. Might have to pull that one out of the collection and watch it, tonight.

that's way beyond very nice .... what opens the top lock

Thanks on the revolver compliment, Jim.

To answer your question, wrote a brief explanation following this photo:
All this has to be done with the hammer in the safety position. To release the top break, I grab the lock plate (the round "checkered" head is on both sides) with thumb and forefinger, and pull up. Comes up about 30* or so on a screw as the end by the hammer releases from the frame assembly. The upward rotation happens right under the rear sight.

When I have the revolver completely opened, the ejector star automatically drops back into the cylinder, and this latch also drops flush to the barrel top. That happens so quickly you can almost miss seeing it. After re-loading ammo, just close it up and the latch locks it back to the frame.

Trust my explanation is clear....this is all new to me, and I'm just learning how to operate this revolver. It's been interesting.

JEBar wrote:that's way beyond very nice .... what opens the top lock

info appreciated .... what is the function of the tang (for lack of a better term) hanging down from the trigger guard

I've learned in my reading that it is called a "trigger spur." Again, I haven't shot my revolver yet. But just in cleaning and handling it, checking the sights, etc., I agree with what I've found is the stated purpose behind it. This revolver is heavy, weighing in at 2-1/2 lbs. When I've held it like I do my other revolvers, just by the grip, it becomes even heavier to keep upright and manage. When I put my middle finger into the trigger spur, I feel that I have better control of the gun. It doesn't fall as easily forward when I bring the grip solidly into my palm using the trigger spur.

When I think of the history behind it, that spur makes good sense in controlling the gun. It's primary use by Russian soldiers in WWI was on horseback. You shoot with one hand only, so the gun needed to be under good control. I can only imagine how this spur would help the soldier keep the gun in place at a gallop. Maybe RR can comment, if he has ever un-holstered his revolver while riding.....

I shoot with my right hand. Again in handling this gun, I've found that by working a slightly different hold with my left hand, I think it can be easily shot two-handed as well. BTW, even with my larger hands, there is plenty of room behind
the trigger spur to hold the grip only and leave the spur empty. But so far, I like the feel of the trigger spur.

There might be other functions for the spur that I don't know about. That's about it until I shoot it, and possibly learn more.

JEBar wrote:info appreciated .... what is the function of the tang (for lack of a better term) hanging down from the trigger guard

from its appearance it was designed as part of the grip .... with its use as a Calvary weapon that makes sense

Extremely nice looking pistol....a 38spcl would be fun to shoot....