A friend of mine showed me this pistol that's been in her family for years.
From what I can see (and Google) its a Model 1858 Navy from Starr Arms in .44 Caliber. The numbers on the cylinder and frame match. I can't get the action to work nor can I get it open. Its rusted to hell but might be salvageable (by my guess). The owner wants to keep it because of its family history. Evidently, this was carried by a many times great grandfather. The wood grip is actually notched 7 times, presumably for confederate kills.
The question is, what can be done to this firearm? I realize that much of an antique firearm's value comes from its condition/originality so I'm assuming that restoring the gun would dramatically reduce its monetary value. However, I do know that the owner would love to see it restored to a better, if not functional, condition.
From what I can see (and Google) its a Model 1858 Navy from Starr Arms in .44 Caliber. The numbers on the cylinder and frame match. I can't get the action to work nor can I get it open. Its rusted to hell but might be salvageable (by my guess). The owner wants to keep it because of its family history. Evidently, this was carried by a many times great grandfather. The wood grip is actually notched 7 times, presumably for confederate kills.
The question is, what can be done to this firearm? I realize that much of an antique firearm's value comes from its condition/originality so I'm assuming that restoring the gun would dramatically reduce its monetary value. However, I do know that the owner would love to see it restored to a better, if not functional, condition.