458/400 Gallagher

[Deleted]

Anybody still shooting one of these 45-70 based wildcats. John Gallagher made a few. A nice vaquero is being offered by A&S auction in Waco TX next weekend.

[northerngos]

Go for it, that caliber has been on my list for a long time. Looks super cool, may have had the serial number moved to allow for frame to be milled for lighter weight.

[aciera]

Pictures and ballistics?

[zeus]

That’s my old gun I gave Hutyra. I tried to get I back before the auctions because John didn’t want those guns in public’s hands. If someone here gets it if I don’t, please reach out and I’ll help you with load data although I don’t see the dies for that one listed. Those are rechambered 45 cylinders so they shoot a 400 grainer at about 900fps. They were designed to have zero recoil to speak of but shoot a 400 grain bullet. John carried them to get water on his annual trips hunting in Alaska for fast follow up shots should a bear not want him to get water. That gun is how I met John the first time long ago. He carried it in his front pocket and walked to the penetration test stack at a Linebaugh seminar. It popped and went over 32” through the wet newsprint. I knew I needed one but he wouldn’t make them for people. Years later he called me for the one you see going up for sale. Originally, that gun had a really nice Rybka holster. No clue what they did with it either. I killed an axis doe with that gun on a trip with John back in maybe 2010 or so. He shot an axis with a 9.5” SRH that morning as well. The good ol days 😩

A week or so before John passed, he called me and told me he had boxed up some old projects and maybe one day I’d have time to finish some. Issac sent the box this way. There were two 458-400 cylinders in there. Eventually I’ll finish those old projects. There were even a new set of free spin tools in there he made for me that I told him not to. Years ago he sent me some. They never made it. 3.5 years later they were delivered. He and I both got a good laugh out of that one. 🤣

[zeus]

Jan 12, 2024 21:23:36 GMT -5 northerngos said:

Go for it, that caliber has been on my list for a long time. Looks super cool, may have had the serial number moved to allow for frame to be milled for lighter weight.

The front of the frame is milled. I still have its twin here at the house. I’ll take pics this weekend if I remember.

[zeus]

Jan 12, 2024 20:54:05 GMT -5 @professor said:

Anybody still shooting one of these 45-70 based wildcats. John Gallagher made a few. A nice vaquero is being offered by A&S auction in Waco TX next weekend.

This was not the magnum version…….the easiest way to make brass now..size down 480 Ruger brass in the size die and it’s done. 480 Ruger made this gun easy to load for 🤣

The magnum version was a 5 shot and was the project gun John finished as his custom in gunsmithing school. There were a handful of those out there and I’ve seen maybe 2 pop up for sale over the years.

[northerngos]

This is great history Zeus. Very cool. It explains the non-bisley grip frame too! Sounds like an awesome piece. You mention having the twin, did they have to move the serial number on it to allow the frame to be shaved? Or maybe the vaqueros have a different placement.
I saw a five shot oversize cylinder version come up about a year ago and wanted it bad but had just started a project with Hamilton so I didn’t have the cash. I even reached out to Hamilton to see if he could do that instead of 45 colt but he didn’t have the reamer any more.
I never knew John but he sounds like such a character. Ashley Emerson speaks so highly of him, his “brother from another mother”. I know he admired both John’s craftsmanship and his love of hunting.
I’m having Jack Huntington clone Ashley’s favorite Gallagher, the 500 max that John made him, that’s as close as I’ll get to having John build something directly. Jack will do a great job I know but, I wish I had met John while he was around too.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the info. Im not looking to buy it, but just thought it was cool. If I wasnt waiting on a couple projects....