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

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

42 comments sorted by

View all comments

11

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

2

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