Gun Digest 2011. Dan Shideler
in New York City. The version offered on that occasion was nickel-plated in .44 calibre and could be purchased at just $6.65 with either 3.5-inch or 4.5-inch barrel.
Both the CALIFORNIA and TEXAS titles were registered as official Trade Marks on 7 July 1881 by the Belgian gun maker, Pierre Deprez, who was a descendant from one of the oldest established gun-making families of Wandre, then a small town about ten kilometres from Liege itself.
California Bull-dog: Calibre .44 five-shot model marked CALIFORNIA BULL-DOG on top strap. Barrel length on this model is 2.75-inches and weapon is nickel-plated. Courtesy Homer Ficken.
Texas Bull Dog: Calibre .44 five-shot model engraved with TEXAS BULL DOG at right side of frame. Barrel length on this model is 3.5- inches and weapon is nickel-plated. This version was sometimes marked as WESTERN STAR. Courtesy Homer Ficken.
An equally suitable title for the Texas market was STAR, a word which had been registered as a Belgian trade mark by Liege gun maker, Louis Muller, in 1889. (Whether or not he was ever involved with the manufacture of the Star Bull Dog model is still unresolved.) However, that particular version had certainly been produced by Neumann Brothers of rue Saint-Remy, Liege, where the firm had been in the business of gun making since 1863. Examples from that source carried the symbol of a hunting horn combined with the initial N, a trade mark registered by Neumann on 30 December 1893.
Star Bull Dog: Calibre .44. model with 2.5-inch octagonal barrel and title stamped onto top strap. Also marked with star emblem on left side of frame and at bottom of stock plate. Serial No.646. Courtesy Homer Ficken.
That particular version differed from the usual Belgian models in having an octagonal section barrel and was without the Liege style of lock work incorporating a hammer rebound action.
Although the names of those American states may have been used to good effect in broadening the appeal of Bull Dog models amongst Californians and Texans, other titles were introduced to widen the field of interest even further. In fact, whole regions were incorporated into the names stamped onto weapons which were often virtually indistinguishable from their contemporaries.
The version marked Western Bull-Dog continued to feature a recoil abutment at the rear of the stock that had been introduced on the earliest types. Some examples also had a prominent raised boss on the left side of the frame to strengthen the loading gate pivot area. Without that rectangular support, the drilling for the gate screw was very close to the outer surface of the frame and a possible source of fracture.
Most specimens in this category were marked with pre-1893 Liege proof marks, although few calibre .44 versions had any positive identification of their manufacture. Amongst the notable exceptions were weapons with the initials L & T contained within a small rectangle, representing the Liege gun makers, Lambin and Theate. That particular firm had developed from the original business of Leon Lambin and which had made various firearms between the years 1877 and 1894. There has been no other identification found on “Western Bull-Dog” models to confirm manufacturer. Most examples continue to display the usual Belgian proof marks, although some may also be found with Birmingham proofs.
Other versions that were marked SOUTHERN BULL DOG followed the Webley design more closely in having the sear extending through into the trigger guard area and were without any provision for hammer rebound. It was otherwise typical of the Belgian production.
Both the “Western” and “Southern” versions were produced by various Liege gun makers, none of whom had made an official registration for either of the two names used for these specific Bull Dog revolvers. (It might be relevant to note that Joseph Janssen of rue Saint-Laurent, Liege, had registered Trade Marks for the Southern Arms Company and also for the Western Guns Manufacturing Company during October 1893).
Perhaps the most bizarre adoption of the term Bull Dog could apply to a large Belgian-made revolver with a 5.375-inch barrel. This version was advertised by the Boston firm of Turner & Ross in 1883 under the title of FRONTIER BULLDOG and priced at $8. The generous size of this weapon did not necessarily merit its inclusion within the Bull Dog category, although the full title was indeed stamped upon the flat surface of the top strap. Initial production types had no sighting groove, since a raised sight notch had been provided at the rear. It was, of course, much larger in appearance than the average models, being almost a copy of the Webley Royal Irish Constabulary model firing a calibre .44-40 CF Winchester cartridge. This was clearly a big advantage to those already owning a .44 Winchester Rifle, as it enabled them to use just one type of ammunition for both weapons, thus making the revolver a very desirable addition for the trade in the American west.
Frontier models also differed in having a cylinder capacity of six rounds rather than five and, in common with other Liege versions, the lockwork featured a rebounding action.
Southern Bull Dog: Virtual copy of Webley model but with different title stamped onto top strap. Walnut stock plates cut with chequered pattern.
Considerable emphasis had been placed on the shape and finish applied to the stock, which was usually of hard rubber with a moulded decoration and was claimed to give an exceptionally firm grip when shooting. Earliest models were also provided with a finger support on the trigger guard to give even more improvement, although this was soon eliminated on later models.
Most examples incorporated a usual sighting groove on the top strap with the title arranged on either side. In some instances, these were also provided with a military-style lanyard ring.
An indication of manufacturer does not normally appear on the weapon in any form and Frontier models appear to have been produced in Liege by several different gun makers. In general construction and appearance it was the same as calibre 44-40 revolvers marked FRONTIER ARMY.
Use of the word “Frontier” was most appropriate, as the weapon was certainly destined for markets throughout the frontier regions of the United States. It was a title first used in identifying the Colt .44-40 single-action revolver of 1875.
The 1892 catalogue of the New York firm of Schoverling, Daly & Gales advertised an improved version which was also similar to the final pattern of Webley R.I.C. revolver. The new model differed in having a fluted cylinder and lanyard ring attachment but otherwise remained much the same as its predecessor.
While not totally conclusive, there is some evidence that revolvers of this type were imported by the New York agency from the Belgian arms manufacturer Jules Pire & Company of Antwerp. That firm was established in 1885 to produce weapons of all types, including several revolver models. The son of Jules Pire later became a manager with Schoverling, Daly & Gales and was responsible for the distribution of Belgian guns throughout the United States.
In 1895, the catalogue of Montgomery Ward & Company, a nationwide retail and mail-order business, listed the Frontier Bull Dog at $3.85, a price which then compared very favourably with that of a Colt single action Frontier model at $16. By that time, of course, solid frame revolvers had become rather outdated due to the introduction of hinge-frame, self-extracting models at very similar prices. Many of these revolvers with the alternative title of FRONTIER ARMY, although similar in design to the Bull Dog versions, were still being offered by U.S. mail-order houses in 1900.
In addition to the Frontier model, the Boston company of Turner & Ross also offered “The New British Bull Dog” model as a 5-shot model in .44 centre fire. It was rather ominously described as “The revolver with which Guiteau assassinated the President,” a clear reference to the shooting of President James A. Garfield on 2 July, 1881, by Charles Guiteau. In a slightly less ominous promotion, the pistol was otherwise recommended for express messengers, mail clerks, bankers, watchmen, miners and even members of the police