Remember those old Smith and wessons that crack open like a shotgun? I've recently got my grubby mits on a 32 short HR, i've became quite fond of the machinism but don't want to fire a antique. I doubt anyone makes top breaks anymore. Does anyone know who might be able to build one from scratch up or is it even possiable (Legal?) Or does anyone know someone who'd manufacture them, if so what calibers?

Something like the Schofield revolvers? I believe Uberti, Navy Arms, or Cimarron are still marketing those. I saw a few on GunsAmerica a while ago.

A few surplus Webleys still floating around, and they are pretty tough as top-breaks go.

Factory ammo for the top-breaks is loaded real light.... if the gun is in good shape, I wouldn't necessarily be afraid to put a few rounds through it. Might not be real accurate, though, depending on how it was treated over the years.

Definitely not a platform for hot-rod handloads....

Elite! So finally a place that has some experts.
Thanks, the information was helpful. Maybe my search quotia on google wasn't up to par to find such things. (I spent 3 weeks searching with various quotias ..)

-Mike, The gun is somewhat pitted in certain places, it has 78% of the finish left on it, the barrel is completly roughed up though (looks like someone used sand paper on it). But the action and everything is still tight and well oiled. I just don't want to hinder the value any further, i picked it up at a locale gunsmith for 74 bucks, it was soo lonely like a little puppy in the rain. I just had to take him home. I took him appart and cleaned him up and put fresh oil on him, currently hes resting in my gun safe.. soon to be shadow box as soon as i get 5 more 'old style' sixers.

Silver,
Here's Navy Arms' website showing their top break schofields
http://www.navyarms.com/html/top_break_rev.html

Also, Dixie Gun Works has a few for sale
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=21_23_40

Uberti http://www.ubertireplicas.com/products/prSchofield.html

There seems to be quite a few originals for sale at Guns America http://www.gunsamerica.com

And a few at GunBroker http://www.gunbroker.com

Most are original Smith's, some H&R's, some Webley's or copies thereof, and some Iver Johnsons.

Maybe 10 years ago, Detonics passed around a tool rool prototype modern top break...nothing ever came of it, but at least one company was thinking in that direction.m It's not that a big-name maker couldn't make one...it's that their marketing tells them that they'd not make money doing it.

Teh S&W reproductions are different...are to fill a market for 1880's type guns subjected to low-pressure loads....the "cowyboy" market. Are a lot of old designes being ressurected for this market (blieve Taurus is coming out with a Lightening pump rifle clone).

Elite! So finally a place that has some experts.
Thanks, the information was helpful. Maybe my search quotia on google wasn't up to par to find such things. (I spent 3 weeks searching with various quotias ..)

-Mike, The gun is somewhat pitted in certain places, it has 78% of the finish left on it, the barrel is completly roughed up though (looks like someone used sand paper on it). But the action and everything is still tight and well oiled. I just don't want to hinder the value any further, i picked it up at a locale gunsmith for 74 bucks, it was soo lonely like a little puppy in the rain. I just had to take him home. I took him appart and cleaned him up and put fresh oil on him, currently hes resting in my gun safe.. soon to be shadow box as soon as i get 5 more 'old style' sixers.

I doubt that there's much you can do to lower the value at this point, short of beating it with a hammer.

My dad has a few of these old guns, of various makes/models. Fired at least one of them (belonged to a great aunt as I recall) and the factory ammo would not go through the side of a well-rusted 55 gallon barrel that we had been burning trash in for a couple of decades. So it's no real powerhouse, to say the least.

Anyway good luck with it.

[QUOTE=ribbonstone]Maybe 10 years ago, Detonics passed around a tool rool prototype modern top break...nothing ever came of it, but at least one company was thinking in that direction.m

I remember holding and drooling on it at the last NRA Annual Convention in Phoenix. They planned on offering interchangeable cylinders and stainless steel barrel liners(like Dan Wesson revolvers) in different centerfire handgun cartridges, so you only had to buy one gun to start and then add other cylinders and barrels later. The gun was a horse and ****-for-stout and I am saddened it wasn't put into production. :(

May have been the same tool room prototype...could be that only one or two of them were asembled and made the rounds. Stuff like that happens.

NO reason the top latch and hinge can't be made strong enough, the current market tends to favor big heavy guns, and the top break system would lend itself to interchangeable cylinders...the Dan Wesson barrel trick would allow caliber conversion.

Think to match the strength of a solid frame revolver it would have to be a bit beefier...no two units of metal joined by a latch can match a single solid frame.

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Hundreds of thousnads of good quaility top breaks were made...millions of poor quaility ones. Still possible to find good small framed S&W's for the casual shooter sadisfied with the short (weak) rounds they tended to be chambered for...it's the big bore/larger framed ones that are getting very expensive.

Traditions and Navy Arms have imported Smith & Wesson Schofield revolvers, which are 45 caliber top-break guns. Smith & Wesson's Performance Center recently made a Heritage Series run of Schofield revolvers. Until about 5 years ago, H&R made its Model 999 "Sportsman" 9-shot 22, which is a top-break.

I have a 108 year old Forehand and Wadsworth antique which is also chambered for 32 Short. I fire it for fun now and then, using a shell-full of fffg Clean Shot black powder substitute, and a 78 gr. lead round nose bullet. Simply scoop up the powder with the shell, flick off any excess with your finger, and seat the bullet, which will compress the Clean Shot just enough for reliable ignition. If your gun is in at all decent shape, such loads should be prefectly safe, as pressures are very low.

Xzec.

Ribbonstone, Presume i would want to build a prototype top-break in 45 Colt 6 or 5 shot. Would you think it'd even be possiable or SAFE (I know its legal, read about it on other sites) It'd be nice to toss around a design and have a very unique gun built to my own specs. I have all the tools (father has a huge shop with alot of metal and wood milling/drill/cutting machines) Think i should go for it? I'd need abit of help/opinions though, i know enough about guns but only a handful about gunsmithing.

Been some break actions built as customs on existing frames which is still a devil of a LOT of work, but at least you don't have to start from scratch with lockwork. Even with the best shop at my disposal, know I'd not have the talent for it...may end up with a fucntioning revovler at the end of 10 mo. and two or three diasters, but expect it would be ugly. With the passing of one 'smith a couple of years ago, I don't even know a guy with the talent.

Was this real ugly beast on the cover of a gun rag some years ago, break open rifle built on a S&W N-frame...three barrels: .22LR , .44mag, .410. He managed to fit the .410 through a new cylinder pin (the .410 barrel was the cylinder's central axis) and find enough room in his custom cylinder to bore both 44 chambers and .22 chambers...was about as butt-ugly as a gun got, but it was reported to function.
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How about we leave the frame in one piece, and make the cylinder pirot and self eject at the pressing of the cylinder latch?

(Note: if you'd prefer, i can continue this topic in Gunsmithing cause it might be abit inappromite here)
To be honest, i really like the old navy blackpowder 44's made by FILLI Pietta, they are smooth and well built but the only problem is screws needing to be tightened every now and then.

Even if its ugly it'd still be something to be proud of if it shoots straight and functions. Heres some interesting links

A revolver that can shoot different shells at once> http://popularmechanics.com/outdoors/firearms/1997/11/Revolving_Bores/print.phtml

Karl lewis/dan Wesson revolver (shows his 'ugly gun' evoluving http://mem.tcon.net/users/5010/5491/lewis/allguns.htm (i like the one with the scope near the bottom 1/10th of a gram trigger pull..geeze talk about hair trigger *laugh*)

Well i already can think a base design, infact i got a sketch done in paint shop. my only corcern is what metals to use to keep it light yet have enough strength to handle the recoil of a 45 colt.

found a nice pistol that self ejects when the cylinder is opened,it is the korth,designed by wille korth of germany.they make auto's also.about 3,000 for a standard pistol 357cal.all hand built and fit.was very impresed with these.

Very impressive revolver, Korth. That is, nice design looks soo clean and sharp. Auto enject is nice, 3,000 bucks ain't bad but not to sound rude.. however i'm looking for a top break not side-open. But none-the-less very impressive revolver!