I called into my local gun shop yesterday. The business was recently bought by Jason, a long time employee, who is going through the old stock and sorting it out (the previous owner had a lot of items "out the back for evaluation" for a long time).
I was aware that there was an old Tranter .455 revolver "out back" that had been purchased by the NZ Govt back in the early 1880's for issue to the then Armed Constabulary, the forerunner to the New Zealand Police Force, which was formed in 1886.
This one was stamped #81 out of a consignment of 85 Tranter revolvers purchased at the time, and I had been bugging the old owner for a confirmed sale price as it fits into my collection of NZ Police pistols from 1860-1960.
I asked Jason what the story was with the Tranter, and we went out back to see if it was there. It was on the wall (an improvement from the box it has been stored in for the last 15 months) but not yet priced.
Jason told me a member of his pistol club had dropped off all his pistols that morning as he was getting out of the sport, so naturally I had to see what was there. Apart from a .45 black powder muzzle loading pistol (NZ$90 would you believe??) there was what looked like a mid frame S&W revolver.
Turns out it is an Astra Cadix .32 with dies and around 200 cases, priced at NZ$320, around U.S$200. For Kiwi prices this is definitely a steal.
But do I need a .32 revolver?
I was aware that there was an old Tranter .455 revolver "out back" that had been purchased by the NZ Govt back in the early 1880's for issue to the then Armed Constabulary, the forerunner to the New Zealand Police Force, which was formed in 1886.
This one was stamped #81 out of a consignment of 85 Tranter revolvers purchased at the time, and I had been bugging the old owner for a confirmed sale price as it fits into my collection of NZ Police pistols from 1860-1960.
I asked Jason what the story was with the Tranter, and we went out back to see if it was there. It was on the wall (an improvement from the box it has been stored in for the last 15 months) but not yet priced.
Jason told me a member of his pistol club had dropped off all his pistols that morning as he was getting out of the sport, so naturally I had to see what was there. Apart from a .45 black powder muzzle loading pistol (NZ$90 would you believe??) there was what looked like a mid frame S&W revolver.
Turns out it is an Astra Cadix .32 with dies and around 200 cases, priced at NZ$320, around U.S$200. For Kiwi prices this is definitely a steal.
But do I need a .32 revolver?
Larry
