r/canadaguns • u/Severe_Assumption_87 • Aug 05 '26

Buy recommendations Antique handgun

I’m have a budget about 1-2k and looking for a antique handgun with cheap ammo to use indoor range. I’m open for recommendations

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10

u/thatguywhoreddit Aug 05 '26

I dont think you're going to find what you're looking for. It CANNOT be chambered in any of cartridges below. If you find a 9mm blunderbuss you're good to go.

Handguns Handguns manufactured before 1898 with the following characteristics:

able to discharge only rim-fire cartridges, other than:

.22 Calibre Short .22 Calibre Long .22 Calibre

able to discharge centre-fire cartridges, other than a handgun designed or adapted to discharge:

.32 Short Colt .32 Long Colt .32 Smith and Wesson .32 Smith and Wesson Long .32-20 Winchester .38 Smith and Wesson .38 Short Colt .38 Long Colt .38-40 Winchester .44-40 Winchester .45 Colt cartridges

3

u/Vintage_Pieces_10 Aug 05 '26

32SWL can chamber and fire in a Swiss 1882, but the brass will bulge. Consensus is it’s legal as the firearm wasn’t originally chambered or adapted to fire 32SWL, it’s a 7.5 Swiss Ordnance revolver that happens to be able to fire 32SWL

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u/thatguywhoreddit Aug 06 '26

It looks like its 4k for the gun if you can find one in stock but the rounds are less than $1 in bulk.

I'd feel pretty bad about shooting a 150 year old gun but that does look like a sweet option. I felt bad firing my mint condition 60 year old bass pro shop French tickler for the first time.

3

u/Vintage_Pieces_10 Aug 06 '26

I have a Swiss 1882 and that thing runs great! I also reload so it’s cheap as hell. If OP wanted to run off the shelf ammo though, this is one of, if not, the only antique that really can. I understand the urge to not shoot old classic firearms. For me personally, they’re meant to be shot and if you treat it well and look after it, it runs just like it did 150 years ago.

I have a MAS 1873 from 1875 that I shoot quite often and that too is a treat to shoot. A little more banged up perhaps than the Swiss but that was before I got it haha

1

u/Volgin Aug 06 '26

Yup, I've got a 7mm pinfire.

I could re-cylinder it to a handload wildcat or another antique ammo but not to any commecialy available ammo.

1

u/Severe_Assumption_87 Aug 05 '26

Thank you so much for the detailed response

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u/thatguywhoreddit Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26

That's copy and paste from rcmp.

I dont want to discourage you but I thought i was the smartest guy ever when I thought up this loop hole. Then I was throughly disappointed when I found out they didnt make too many glock 19s in 1850.

Ive seen a few cool looking 6 shooters pre 1898. I dont remember what they were chambered in, but they were Hella expensive and the ammo was free because I couldn't find any available online.

3

u/Sad-Stop-2401 Aug 05 '26

I mean... its not like you can not file cylinder of a webley mk2s and put some 45 ACP in it with moonclips. At worst what will happen? cylinder blowing up? Hey! Healthcare is free in canada!

/s

3

u/dannysmackdown Aug 05 '26

Yeah, it's one of those things that you really have to want. Gotta have the cash too, and know your way around reloading.

3

u/thatguywhoreddit Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26

Yeah they quickly get into the price range of "you dont buy that gun to actually shoot it" and up.

But im also saying that on sub where half the dudes in here have 5 $7000 paperweights sitting in a safe in their basement. Rip to all the rifles that have been lost in the devastating canoe accidents over the past few years.

1

u/CallMeSirJack Aug 05 '26

Can antiques be legally converted to other cartridges that aren't on this list? Might be a fun project to get an old beat up revolver with unobtainable ammunition and convert it to something like .17 hmr with a new cylinder and barrel.

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u/mitchumz Aug 05 '26

Must be some way, you see Webleys with the cylinder shaved to shoot underloaded 45acp. No barrel modifications for that though

2

u/567432Gains Aug 06 '26

It can be converted to a new caliber, yes.

It CANNOT be converted to rim fire.

Old Webley revolvers have .22lr caliber conversion kits available in the world, however doing that in Canada specifically is illegal. Now any caliber other than rim fire, you should be good.

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u/CallMeSirJack Aug 06 '26

Is that because .22 rimfire is banned by name as explained above? Thats why I was curious about other rimfire cartridges.

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u/567432Gains Aug 06 '26

So I just did a quick search and it appears I am wrong. The ban is not on converting to Rim fire, it’s to converting it to .22 short, .22 long, and .22 long rifle. .17 might actually be ok