Revolver as Cigar Rest?

[mrcvs]

On another forum, a member posted photographs of a revolver with walnut stocks and asked if an impression in them was caused by a cigar. To me, his photograph suggested the impression in the wood was made by the impact of a hard object with the walnut stocks.

The OP in that forum suggested that he saw in a movie or heard of some event in a saloon, perhaps, where a cigar smoker would rest a cigar against the grips. It reminded me of this .44 Double Action Frontier revolver I own. I just never have gotten around to selling it as I prefer revolvers with condition these days, but, nonetheless, there are burn marks in the stocks caused by something.

Cigar, or...?

I'm not quite sure I believe a revolver would be used as support for a burning cigar, but, I suppose, anything is possible.

Now, if I was intelligent, when I wished to sell this one in the near future, I would advertise as cigar burns created by Buffalo Bill Cody.

 

[Golphin]

I would guess it is possible but that was a little before my time so no first hand knowledge of anyone doing it.

 

[Pef]

People have used square butts as hammers before...so I suppose using a revolver as a cigar rest is not out of the question.

 

[Kinman]

My wife came from a family of inverterant smokers, nearly every piece of furniture handed down has lines of burns from cigarettes, cigars, etc. There are at least two known times when the family home or lake cabin were nearly burned up due to smokers falling asleep or passing out with a smoke in hand. I would imagine it is much more common that any of us are aware the number of homes, businesses and forest fires that are caused by smoking.
I have to wonder however if the hard rubber used by the factory would succumb to the burning effect of a cigar or cigarette before the item burned itself out. As a cigar smoker in my past one of the "crimes" associated with smoking a cigar is crushing it out, when one is finished smoking a cigar the proper etiquette is to simply let it burn out. They will burn until either the fuel is exhausted, they run out of air or the heat is absorbed by something much cooler like pavement.
I had a rifle handed down through my family that had a large burn spot on the stock, my uncle came in from a hunt with everything he had with him soaked from a heavy snowfall. He leaned the rifle against the wood cookstove and placed all of his clothes in the near vicinity draped over chairs, etc. The burn spot was deep enough it could not be removed and was simply left as a scar. Its possible something like an old school soldering iron was layed there "temporarily", or anything really hot...its odd there would be a handgun around but who knows. The handgun could have been soaked through and was put somewhere close enough to a real heat source to cause the damage as well.

 

[mikerjf]

You'd be surprised how many old Fender guitars have cigarette burn lines in the headstock from parking a butt there while yer playing.

Or, well, something cigarette-shaped and burning, ya know...

 

[TheHobbyist]

@ the OP, anything is possible I suppose. My guess is that it is not the case in this instance. A lot of things could have happened in the time since this revolver was produced.

If you have higher fidelity pictures, please post. Otherwise, I think it is a good story, but unlikely (for a number of reasons).

 

[mrcvs]

Or, well, something cigarette-shaped and burning, ya know...

That's right, this one was previously owned by Willie Nelson and the burn marks were from a joint.

 

[mrcvs]

@ the OP, anything is possible I suppose. My guess is that it is not the case in this instance. A lot of things could have happened in the time since this revolver was produced.

If you have higher fidelity pictures, please post. Otherwise, I think it is a good story, but unlikely (for a number of reasons).

I believe it is unlikely as well, but I found a similar post on the Colt Forum recently.

 

[Mbrgr1]

Ahhh yes, the proverbial "smoking gun"

 

[oneeyedpete]

Restoring furniture I have seen many cigarette and cigar burns on walnut and they do not look like the grips. The typical burn mark will turn the surrounding wood completely black from charring. The mark on the grips is a classic dent in the wood.

 

[BMur]

Zero waste

Most Smokers are a conservative breed. Zero waste! Serious smokers never actually set their lit cigar or cigarette down! Not even playing cards. Unless they are distracted. Pot smokers are even worse. They tend to inhale the very last nub of the lit joint and hack it up!

My Grandmother held her cigarette between her index finger and middle finger never once setting it down "or" even flicking the ash! She was so steady that the ash never fell off the cigarette! No BS. She wouldn't dump it into the ash tray and light up another until it went out.
She moved like a snail and spoke in slow motion.

So my vote is that it's not a cigarette/ Cigar burn.

Murph

 

[mrcvs]

Restoring furniture I have seen many cigarette and cigar burns on walnut and they do not look like the grips. The typical burn mark will turn the surrounding wood completely black from charring. The mark on the grips is a classic dent in the wood.

These stocks are not wood. They are gutta percha.

It would help to understand that gutta percha is a thermoset plastic and not a thermoplastic.

Thermoset vs. Thermoplastics - Modor Plastics

 

[Kinman]

Most Smokers are a conservative breed. Zero waste! Serious smokers never actually set their lit cigar or cigarette down! Not even playing cards. Unless they are distracted. Pot smokers are even worse. They tend to inhale the very last nub of the lit joint and hack it up!

My Grandmother held her cigarette between her index finger and middle finger never once setting it down "or" even flicking the ash! She was so steady that the ash never fell off the cigarette! No BS. She wouldn't dump it into the ash tray and light up another until it went out.
She moved like a snail and spoke in slow motion.

So my vote is that it's not a cigarette/ Cigar burn.

Murph

I've seen old folks with their fingers permantely stained a reddish brown from clinging to the last butt. The only time there wasn't a smoke going was while they were sleeping, often with one dying out in the ashtray at bedside...then first thing in the morning light one up...before even getting out of bed.

 

[oneeyedpete]

These stocks are not wood. They are gutta percha.

It would help to understand that gutta percha is a thermoset plastic and not a thermoplastic.

Thermoset vs. Thermoplastics - Modor Plastics

Since you mentioned walnut stocks I thought that was what we were talking about. Sorry for the confusion. I still think that looks like a dent. Plastic stocks would look melted if you put a cigarette or cigar on them.

 

[MP-5]

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms don't mix!

 

[03hemi]

Just maybe...it was shot out of someone's hand and that's the nick it left?

 

[diyj98]

Just maybe...it was shot out of someone's hand and that's the nick it left?

That would be my story if I were selling it. "I was told by my grandmother she had the gun shot out of her hand by a German general at the Battle of Bull Run in 1783. She originally had a polaroid photo of her with the dead general after killing him with her saber, but lost it after a U-boat sank her ship on the return from Japan just after the battle. Luckily a F22 flying over spotted her floating in the Mediterranean Sea. John Kerry rescued her and the revolver in his swift boat, but the photo was lost."

 

[Dale53]

LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

Dale53

 

[Tom K]

I've seen old folks with their fingers permantely stained a reddish brown from clinging to the last butt. The only time there wasn't a smoke going was while they were sleeping, often with one dying out in the ashtray at bedside...then first thing in the morning light one up...before even getting out of bed.

[FONT=&quot]Mothers of River City!
Heed that warning before it's too late!
Watch for the tell-tale signs of corruption!
The moment your son leaves the house
Does he re-buckle his knickerbockers below the knee?
Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger?
A dime novel hidden in the corn crib?
Is he starting to memorize jokes from Cap'n Billy's Whiz Bang?
Are certain words creeping into his conversation?
Words like, like "swell"?

[/FONT]

 

[Model19man]

Looks more like a wear mark on the hard rubber stock caused by something rubbing on it a lot. Perhaps while the owner was riding a horse the stock was against his belt or something similar.

Either way I would recommend enjoying a cigar while using an appropriate ash tray and perhaps an appropriate snifter of a good cognac.