You've given a pretty good description, but pictures would certainly confirm any guessing. What you appear to have are the non-firing replicas sold through various sources. These are very realistic (to a point) but experienced eyes immediately spot them as non-firing replicas. They are sold for decoration or education where real firearms are not permitted. Also those who cannot legally own firearms. Some may have been used for making holsters.

Bob Wright

Pictures! We need pictures!

When I was a kid, long, long ago, there was a company which sold cast-solid-aluminum replicas of popular pistols (painted black). They were the correct weight, and their barrels were about half-bored. They looked pretty real. I bet that their main customers were the movie studios.
Maybe yours are related to the ones I had as a kid.

Ok. I appreciate the help. Here is the longer barrel one. I will post the other one in a couple of hours. I'd love to hear what this is a remake of.



that black spot in the last pic was an accident in editing when putting the pictures together, it's not on the gun

This one is a replica of an early Colt's percussion-ignition revolver. The original would've dated from around 1850.
The moving part under its barrel is a rammer, originally meant to shove a lead ball into each of the rotating cylinder's mouths, once some black gunpowder had been poured in. Later, a percussion cap would've been added to each nipple, at the other end of each bore of the cylinder.
This replica has been manufactured, I believe, as a movie prop. Each cylinder bore is separately removable, I believe from the rear, for loading with flash-bang powder, a wad, and a cap. The under-barrel rammer is superfluous, in this case. The original gun wouldn't've had these separate, removable cylinder bores.
The "BKA/98" mark on its frame must be the replica-maker's mark, but I don't know for which company it stands. This gun seems to me to have been made of "pot metal"—that is, not steel or iron, but more likely a zinc alloy or something similar. Try holding a magnet to the metal, to see what happens.
The original—and this replica—comes apart by removing the wedge that rides crosswise in the slot just in front of the rotating cylinder. This wedge should just press out, from right to left as you look toward the front of the barrel. Once the wedge is out, the barrel slides off forward, followed by the cylinder. Then the "cartridges"—the separate cylinder bores—should each come out of the rear of the cylinder.
DO NOT TRY TO FIRE THIS REPLICA! It is not safe to shoot, even with blank loads. If it were for movie use, it would be loaded by an expert with a special mix of black powder and aluminum filings (with maybe a wee bit of magnesium), all under a paraffin wad. Then it would need careful cleaning.

The gun you picture is sort of a copy of a Colt Dragoon, though not too accurate. from about 1848 or so. Experienced gun buffs will note the exceptionally long cylinder slots, rather crude trigger shape, screws, etc. These are advertised in many magazines as "Non-Firing copies that work and disassemble like the real thing."
They are used as stage props or very distant film shots.

As for movies guns, of late the movies have used more period correct replicas such as those made by Uberti. Some locales require that movie guns be altered so as to be unable to use live ammunition, and these non-firing replicas are inserted for not-too-close ups. Movie goers are a more educated (?) audience now and can spot goofs.

It is my understanding that these replicas (non-firing) are somewhat popular in Japan where most people can't own firearms.

Bob Wright

Steve M1911A1:

You had one of those solid aluminum guns too? I remember them as Lytle Novelty Co. in Chicago, Ill. Had a M1911 (not a M1911A!) and painted the grips brown to look like wood.

Years later I tried to find a solid aluminum Colt SA to try holster making.

Do you go back as far as I do?

Bob Wright

Looky here!

Old West Replica Guns, Pistols, Rifles & Revolvers | Collector’s Armoury

Bob Wright

Originally Posted by Bob Wright

Steve M1911A1:

You had one of those solid aluminum guns too? I remember them as Lytle Novelty Co. in Chicago, Ill. Had a M1911 (not a M1911A!) and painted the grips brown to look like wood.

Years later I tried to find a solid aluminum Colt SA to try holster making.

Do you go back as far as I do?

Bob Wright

Bob, you are correct about the seller. Your post tickled my memory.
I, too, had the 1911 (of course—what else), and three others as well.
(I was born in early January, 1938. My first reliable memory is of the great hurricane of September, 1938.)
For another gun-related story, please see my Post #8, at: Whats Your Awkward Dream Gun?

Originally Posted by Bob Wright

Looky here!

Old West Replica Guns, Pistols, Rifles & Revolvers | Collector’s Armoury

Bob Wright

My Lord: A LeMat! A Volcanic! A Schofield!

Thanks Steve, Thanks Bob. I won't post the other one as we know what they are now and it's almost identical to the 'quick-draw' that is on the page that Bob posted. I appreciate y'all's help.