rhmc24 - $660 seems very reasonable for it - I couldn't tell it was a re-blue from the pic, must be an old one. Are those the original pearls?

driftwood- nice gun, how does it feel to shoot? I will never get the pleasure but it would be interesting to know, thanks for your help.

In answer to ballarat, yes, handguns (in general) are now prohibited to British shooters. I won't bore you with details, but here in the UK the shooting bodies have weak input over public opinion, so after the horrors of dunblane pistols were banned in a popular knee-jerk reaction and it will not go back to how it was. period. Americans have their guns as a right written into their constitution, whereas In the UK it is merely a privilege. Ironically heavily influenced by the English 1689 Bill of Rights no royal interference in the freedom of the people to have arms for their own defence as suitable to their class and as allowed by law...notice the slippery wording! ..class and as suitable by law! Good job that was fixed with a war and the 2nd amendment.

Anyway, in the UK the '44 russian' ctg is listed as 'obsolete' under sect 58(2) of the firearms act which is effectively the same as the US pre-1899 rules except we cant fire them and they must remain as 'curios/ornaments'..never-mind eh