Is There Life on Mars?

# Is there Life on Mars?

Or did FAUL make C&B revolvers other then the Centaure? Once the Centennial Army project was off the ground in the early 1960s Edwards and Shore planned ahead to extend the Centennial Arms offerings. To successfully compete with Navy Arms they wished to provide US shooters and re-enactors with a broad range of Civil War percussion revolvers. They discussed possible models and manufacturers. While FAUL was considered again as a supplier for these pistols they also negotiated with Italian manufacturers from the Edwards network. We must assume that the Hanquet cousins were privy to this plan but also that they could charge their cost for the making of prototypes against Shore’s financing. One such prototype they provided is in the Shore collection: a round barrel, steel frame Leech & Rigdon CS Navy in .36 caliber. It is not proof tested and unmarked except for the country of origin stamp BELGIUM on the butt. Obviously the Ormsby style cylinder scene is not PC nor the 2 piece grip panels.

FAUL made Leech & Rigdon: naval scene & 2 piece grip panels are not PC

BELGIUM stamped on grip

As we know today Centennial Arms Corp. eventually had their Belgian “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” Centaures joint by Italian and not by FAUL made Civil War period C&B revolver repros. The reasons were probably lower manufacturing cost of the Italian makers.

WDN/June 18, 2010

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