|
|
09-16-2014, 03:56 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Flathead Valley, Montana
Posts: 2,814
Likes: 2,555
Liked 12,612 Times in 1,809 Posts
|
|
Anyone else like old Miroku Revolvers?
I picked this up a while back:
It's kind of a delightful gun. As near as I can tell it's one of their first guns from 1960. The metalwork is excellent, but the bluing, well, it looks like they were still trying to figure things out.
The features and design of the gun is like some sort of bizarro hybrid of S&W and Colt, but I like it. All in all I find it to be a really neat gun that is a lot of fun to shoot.
Anyone else have experience with these?
Last edited by s&wchad; 09-17-2014 at 04:42 AM.
Reason: oversize photos on imgur/PM sent
|
The Following 27 Users Like Post:
|
-db-, 6string, Ashlander, Cal44, cardguy, Cocked & Locked, damienph, delta-419, federali, Fishinfool, GeoJelly, Iggy, jframejoey, klausinak, kwselke, les.b, LoadedRound, MarkAlt, Maximumbob54, MOONDAWG, mustangman, Rock185, savage99nc, scoobysnacker, shouldazagged, sigp220.45, THREEDFLYER |
09-16-2014, 04:35 PM
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Peoples Republic of Calif
Posts: 4,644
Likes: 1,226
Liked 5,988 Times in 2,133 Posts
|
|
Never even heard of it.
|
09-16-2014, 06:41 PM
|
Absent Comrade
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Louisville, KY, USA
Posts: 19,336
Likes: 53,737
Liked 38,386 Times in 11,801 Posts
|
|
Seen pictures but never the real thing. How is it different mechanically?
__________________
Oh well, what the hell.
|
09-16-2014, 06:55 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: W Central Florida
Posts: 446
Likes: 552
Liked 971 Times in 228 Posts
|
|
Very nice piece!
I don't own their revolver, but do own a Miroku/Winchester 92 in .357 mag.
__________________
Best Regards,
Mark
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-16-2014, 06:58 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 502
Likes: 703
Liked 342 Times in 157 Posts
|
|
Neat!!!
Never new they existed.
Fjestad has very little to say, but does say they were made up to approx. 1964, which may be designated as Liberty Chief - limited importation into US.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-16-2014, 10:59 PM
|
|
US Veteran Absent Comrade
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 7,581
Likes: 13,500
Liked 6,743 Times in 2,526 Posts
|
|
Never seen one. That's weird. Love to play with it.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-16-2014, 11:25 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Flathead Valley, Montana
Posts: 2,814
Likes: 2,555
Liked 12,612 Times in 1,809 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by shouldazagged
Seen pictures but never the real thing. How is it different mechanically?
|
I'd have to break it out again. It's just so odd. Here's some more pictures from back when I got it:
It's more like a detective special then anything, but heavier, with rounder grips. Most of the time you think its a colt, but then it's just not...
If you guys are interested I can see about breaking it out and taking it apart. I've never done that.
Last edited by s&wchad; 09-17-2014 at 04:34 PM.
|
The Following 10 Users Like Post:
|
|
09-16-2014, 11:25 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: OK. U.S.A.
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 5
Liked 296 Times in 189 Posts
|
|
I've seen these before...always in .38 and nicely made.
I believe the only Miroku made firearm I own is a older Browning 1886 saddle-ring carbine in .45-70...from the early 1990's. A superb gun
|
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
|
|
09-17-2014, 12:48 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,475
Likes: 2,002
Liked 3,443 Times in 936 Posts
|
|
Unfortunately I never held one in my hand but have read about them before. Miroku is also the manufacturer for Browning / Charles Daly shotguns and Winchester rifles.
|
09-17-2014, 01:06 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,948
Likes: 38
Liked 821 Times in 490 Posts
|
|
May I gently and respectfully encourage you to proceed with that internal inspection ? I for one certainly, and others likely would just love to see that mechanism. Lots of pix, please !
Larry
|
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
|
|
09-17-2014, 08:18 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: On da Bayou Teche
Posts: 18,410
Likes: 18,442
Liked 58,601 Times in 9,624 Posts
|
|
If it is built like many other Miroku products I have owned, it is one that I would like to have. Nice looking gun indeed!
__________________
Forum consigliere
|
The Following 4 Users Like Post:
|
|
09-17-2014, 12:05 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NC, Yadkin County
Posts: 6,209
Likes: 25,453
Liked 8,521 Times in 3,188 Posts
|
|
I traded for one back in the 60s. Shot it some and then gave it a new owner. As well as I remember the finish wasn't too bad and the gun worked good. Larry
|
09-19-2014, 01:29 PM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Under the Tonto Rim
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 13,502
Liked 2,503 Times in 928 Posts
|
|
Son of a gun! I remember those. I don't think I've seen one for years. I worked for a discount department store back in the '60s. We carried firearms, and sold the Miroku revolvers. I recall that very highly polished blue finish. I never took one apart, but always thought they had a combination of Colt and S&W features. I don't recall us ever having any in stock with a different finish, longer barrel, or any caliber other than .38 Spcl. I'd enjoy seeing the internal lockwork.
__________________
NRA Life, COTEP 640
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-19-2014, 02:41 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Flathead Valley, Montana
Posts: 2,814
Likes: 2,555
Liked 12,612 Times in 1,809 Posts
|
|
Just click on the images a couple times to make them huge.
The inside was full of some sort of grease so its all a bit oily from me using some BreakFree CLP in there. Didn't have a lot of time to clean it all out yet though.
One thing that is noteworthy is that there is a little spring there that the hand connects to, it comes off very easily once the side plate is off, putting it back isn't hard but it wasnt immediately obvious to me. Other then that I had no real surprises about the whole dis-assembly/reassembly.
Last edited by Modified; 09-19-2014 at 02:42 PM.
|
The Following 10 Users Like Post:
|
|
09-19-2014, 11:41 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,475
Likes: 2,002
Liked 3,443 Times in 936 Posts
|
|
Thanks for taking the time to post the photo. I could not find an exploded view on Wednesday to understand the action of the Miroku Liberty Chief.
Is there a drop safety that I am missing?
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-20-2014, 12:02 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WA St
Posts: 684
Likes: 285
Liked 912 Times in 366 Posts
|
|
Very cool, much more Colt than Smith besides the coil spring. It looks nicely made
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-22-2014, 11:10 AM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: West Central IL
Posts: 22,758
Likes: 18,437
Liked 22,313 Times in 8,245 Posts
|
|
Hmmm, I see a Smith K frame , with a Colt cylinder and latch, with a J Frame works, somewhat modified. If's it's built like any Miroku shotgun I've ever seen it's a well built handgun.
__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244
|
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
|
|
10-01-2014, 06:51 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Flathead Valley, Montana
Posts: 2,814
Likes: 2,555
Liked 12,612 Times in 1,809 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by H Richard
Hmmm, I see a Smith K frame , with a Colt cylinder and latch, with a J Frame works, somewhat modified. If's it's built like any Miroku shotgun I've ever seen it's a well built handgun.
|
It certainly is nice, but... amateurish?
Like these guys knew what they were doing making guns, but hadn't quite figured out bluing entirely, and were a little unsure of the whole design so the gun comes across as weird.
It's a very unusual effect in my experience. The closest thing I can liken it to would be like a guild gun, or something like that. One of those old European rifles that was clearly made by someone talented, but that never really made enough of them for anyone to know who they were, and while it's nice they were still just sort of learning certain things.
Take all that with a grain of salt however, I'm a pretty weird guy when it comes to guns. My thinking is that if a gun doesn't illicit some sort of positive emotional response in me it isn't worth owning. It's why I focus so heavily on the weird and old modified guns that someone clearly loved enough to improve on.
I rarely find a completely stock, high condition gun that does that for me. The only guns that come to mind that fit that category would be my "standard" magna equipped pre-war Heavy Duty and my model 27 no dash with cokes on it. Guns that I just really really like despite them just being essentially "standard".
|
The Following 2 Users Like Post:
|
|
10-01-2014, 07:38 PM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Eastern Kentucky
Posts: 353
Likes: 27
Liked 147 Times in 87 Posts
|
|
I have a Sears/Roebuck .45 cal Kentucky muzzle loader by Miroku.I realy like it....
|
09-17-2017, 11:26 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
|
|
sorry for the Necro post, but can you take a picture of how that spring attaches to the hand? i just bought one of these and teh hand will not engage the cylinder
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-17-2017, 11:59 AM
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NW Florida
Posts: 2,231
Likes: 6,321
Liked 3,389 Times in 579 Posts
|
|
Miroku
Really interesting post!, I owned a Browning 1892 model in 44mag/44sp for CASS completion and it was very well made and a super shooter. The ultimate question???, how does she shoot. I didn't even know that they made a revolver.
|
09-17-2017, 12:02 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: South Texas & San Antonio
Posts: 33,480
Likes: 236
Liked 28,944 Times in 14,013 Posts
|
|
See this about another Miroku revolver I bought not too long ago:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearm...#post138809070
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-17-2017, 12:29 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Wickiup Junction, OR
Posts: 874
Likes: 11
Liked 1,134 Times in 461 Posts
|
|
Never thought about it before but I apparently owned a Miroku - a Browning BL-22. It said 'Made by the J. A Pan Company' on the side but at the time I did not know it was a Miroku made gun. I came close to buying a Miroku 1873 Winchester a couple years ago but on my way to go get it, it had already sold!
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-17-2017, 01:05 PM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2015
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 104,949
Liked 22,295 Times in 4,529 Posts
|
|
Like some of the other posters here, I have never owned a Miroku revolver, but have a couple of their rifles, a "Winchester" model 92 lever action .45 Colt, and a "Browning" .22. The workmanship and bluing of these guns is fantastic. If your revolver is finished anything like my rifles, and it appears to be, it is really well done. Here is my carbine:
It is Winchester marked, but differs from the original by having a rebounding hammer and a sliding tang safety. But those were not Miroku's doing, I understand that Browning, the holder of the Winchester name, has mandated them.
Thanks for sharing this cool revolver with us!!
Edit: I need to start to check the date of these threads... I didn't realize that this was a zombie!! 2014... Well, it's just as interesting to me as if it was just posted yesterday!!!
Best Regards, Les
__________________
SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064
Last edited by les.b; 09-17-2017 at 08:49 PM.
Reason: Edit for zombie notice!!
|
The Following 5 Users Like Post:
|
|
09-17-2017, 03:23 PM
|
Banned
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,469
Likes: 271
Liked 1,207 Times in 659 Posts
|
|
All the revolvers I've owned and handled have been top notch!
|
09-19-2017, 03:45 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Flathead Valley, Montana
Posts: 2,814
Likes: 2,555
Liked 12,612 Times in 1,809 Posts
|
|
Hah, yeah... I looked and noticed 26 new likes and I'm wondering what the heck magical thing I just said to cause that many likes!
Unfortunately I can't take any new pictures of it at the moment because of my recent move, going to be a while before I can take pictures of my guns again.
I will say that Miroku does extremely fine work, but in the case of this revolver, if I remember correctly, it was made in 1960, first year of their production from what I could find.
They really did improve a lot in skill, very quickly. This is a great gun, don't get me wrong, but it's not the perfection that some of the 1980s Mirokus I have handled are.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-19-2017, 05:11 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: South Texas & San Antonio
Posts: 33,480
Likes: 236
Liked 28,944 Times in 14,013 Posts
|
|
There is much we do not know about Miroku revolvers. For sure, there is the Liberty Chief, the 4" barrel fixed sight (which has a different internal mechanism than the LC), and an adjustable rear sight version of the 4" model (like a Miroku Combat Masterpiece). And maybe there are others. But there are not too many of them floating around. The main reason I bought the one I have is simply because I had not seen another like it and the price was right. I also like odd and curious guns which are a little out of the mainstream.
Last edited by DWalt; 09-19-2017 at 05:15 PM.
|
09-19-2017, 05:30 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Bradenton, florida
Posts: 1,655
Likes: 5,318
Liked 3,465 Times in 917 Posts
|
|
As others have stated they made some very fine shotguns sold under Miroku name and made Browning and Winchester guns for quite awhile. I have his on some shotguns unsuccessfully but did not know they made any revolvers. Thanks for op' s post and pictures!
|
09-22-2017, 08:34 PM
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Sutherlin, Oregon
Posts: 999
Likes: 551
Liked 817 Times in 417 Posts
|
|
Looks like a Colt MK III Metropolitan somewhat. If it shoots as well as the company's rifles and shotguns with the "Browning" label then it is a really nice revolver...
|
09-22-2017, 10:03 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 10,419
Likes: 10,417
Liked 28,226 Times in 5,272 Posts
|
|
Kinda looks like a Japanese copy of and Italian imitation of a Colt.
Looks like fun.
__________________
Eccentric old coot
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
09-22-2017, 10:11 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Arkansas USA
Posts: 304
Likes: 959
Liked 362 Times in 113 Posts
|
|
A LGS got 6 or 7 Miroku revolvers in a few months ago. They have 3 or so left. You can see these revolvers in the old Japanese monster movies from the 60s.
|
09-22-2017, 10:18 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Kansas
Posts: 626
Likes: 5,546
Liked 999 Times in 347 Posts
|
|
I've never seen a Miroku revolver but have seen Japanese made Winchester and Browning rifles. My Dad had a beautiful Japanese made High Standard Shadow semi-auto shotgun that my nephew now has. I have a very accurate Howa 1500 heavy barreled .223 rifle. From what I have seen, all Japanese made firearms are of top guality.
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
|
|
|
|