44 Flattop Type 2a

I brought this home this evening. Photos are not very good - I'll take some more with some outdoor light in next couple of days. Overall very nice shape but: some blue wear, especially on left side at muzzle and end of ERH; front sight has been worked; some loss of black to gray on front and rear of grip frame; some staining on sides of hammer. S/N 90xx.

I love it! Perfect "project gun". Fix it up a bit, but keep your "eye" on maintaining the "Original" parts for future reference.

I've a early 3 digit example. My "shooter" but the XR-3 kicks my butt, so to speak, and I don't enjoy shooting it.

My "four digit" shooter has a XR3-RED brassie and a "homeboy" Super hammer. It shoots GREAT!

flatgate

Great shooter! I particularly like the grips, offset EH and the original base pin(Non-collared) MIKE 8)

flatgate said:

I love it! Perfect "project gun". Fix it up a bit, but keep your "eye" on maintaining the "Original" parts for future reference.

I've a early 3 digit example. My "shooter" but the XR-3 kicks my butt, so to speak, and I don't enjoy shooting it.

My "four digit" shooter has a XR3-RED brassie and a "homeboy" Super hammer. It shoots GREAT!

flatgate

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This is the first Flattop that I've handled with an eye toward shooting it, and with the XR3 my finger is snug up against the back of the trigger guard - I expect it will "kick my butt" also when I shoot it. And with my rather large hands there doesn't appear to be any room at all for extra padding in that area. I think I'll shoot some 44 spcl loads and see how that works.

The gun actually came with two sets of grips - these nice hard rubber were on it, but also a set of walnut black eagle with rather coarse but neatly done hand checkering. Not sure what was original, but it seems likely previous owner was working on trying to moderate some of that rearward pressure on the front of the second digit while shooting...

Nice thing about a gun in this nice but nicely worn condition is the shootability of it - I plan to use it

The vast majority of .44 Flattops were shipped with varnished walnut grips. Here's s/n 9211, kinda close to yours......



I found a poorly "restored" DOG at Tulsa some time ago and have been "tinkering" with it. I'm on the fence, deciding "shoot" or "safe queen"....
Why? Because I REALLY LIKE the 7-1/2" guns....

flatgate

An XR3-RED grip frame will "bolt right up" to that cylinder frame. It will provide the ample room for your hand/fingers. Keep the original frame and pair of panels for the gun's history and shoot it. A shooter XR3-RED frame and matching grips should be available from one of our members, OR, go to Flatgate's tutorial on modifying a New Model XR3-RED GF to make it useable on your Old Model............Flatgate: Comments?
Mike :wink:

It wouldn't look "proper" but a Super Blackhawk "Dragoon" grip setup would also work nicely for comfort.

Hang onto those XR3 bits, though.

Thanks all for great suggestions and ideas. I do happen to have a nice XR3-Red grip frame with grips which might be useful, but I've just got to shoot it in original configuration, bruised fingers or not.

Has anyone any experience fixing the shortened front sight? The looks of that just bothers me.

I also need to take the rear sight apart - sight blade is loose, and the elevation screw doesn't look quite right.

I'll post some better pics in Gallery when I get the new Christmas camera figured out...

Thanks!

cellar701 said:

Has anyone any experience fixing the shortened front sight? The looks of that just bothers me.

I also need to take the rear sight apart - sight blade is loose, and the elevation screw doesn't look quite right.

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If you want to fix the front sight without refinishing the entire gun then a trip to a good gunsmith or a gun friendly machine shop is in order. Bowen makes a replacement front sight blade that fits in a milled slot in the original sight base. It's retained by a "spring pin". Another option would be to carefully TIG weld the sight then remachine it to Factory Specs. Any work will more or less kill the collector value, but, on a shooter who cares?
I agree that making it a good shooter trumps any collector value!

My shooter .44 mag. Flattops sport different grip frames, with a definite nod toward the steel or brass XR3-RED's...... or a rounded trigger guard Super Blackhawk style..



Note that the two pieces of the reshaped trigger guard have yet to be welded together.

flatgate

Flatgate, thanks. I'll shoot it before I do anything.

I think the previous owner who took the file to front sight likely did more to collector value than I will, as I tend to be very careful and meticulous with these old firearms/revolvers.

Thanks!

cellar, nice gun, and with a little bit of 'detailing" can look awesome. as to the front sight, hopefully it was 'regulated " properly, we've recut a few over the years, and it can be made to "looks" original" but would still be on the "short" (regulated) side no need to 'reblue" the barrel or gun to do this........we see that the rear sight screw was lowered at one time ,too far and caused that ring around the cylinder, again, that comes under the "detailing" we mentioned...........bottom line as Flatgate says, the proof is in the shooting............still a very NICE find........

had to retype this, my grandson was here...wow :shock:

Dan, thanks. I sent you a pm with a couple of questions concerning this old revolver.

This last year I found a 7 1/2" Om 44 Ft that had the fornt sight filed down as well. I sent it to Alan Harton and he did his weld magic and built it back up and it looks great. Here is what the front sight looks like now.