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Old January 26, 2010, 02:09 AM   #51
stryder50
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i was work at a place last week and during lunch i found an artical about this gun in a popular mechanics mag. from Nov. 1998 was really interested in it. in the artical it states that the suggested retail price is $599.
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Old January 26, 2010, 03:47 AM   #52
Lost Sheep
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Medusa Ruger?

Far cheaper than a Medusa would be a Ruger Blackhawk .357/9mm convertible, with a couple of extra cylinders reamed out for the semi-auto calibers, 38 Super, 9mm largo, and, if you could get a partially finished cylinder from Ruger, chambered for the 380 Auto and 38 Auto, and if you confine yourself to lead bullets, you could probably shoot 38 S&W, too. Plus, you could add .357 Sig to the mix.

In double action, you can dish out almost any double action revolver to headspace the rimless cartridges with moon clips and still retain the ability to shoot the rimmed cartridges, 38 Special and .357 Magnum. Think of it, an SP101 (or GP100 or S&W "L" frame) capable of shooting
38 Special/357 Magnum
380 Auto (also known as 9mm Short, or 9x17mm)
9mm Makarov (also known as 9x18mm
38 Auto (also known as 38 ACP)
38 Super (same dimensions as 38 Auto, but 50% higher pressure)

A good gunsmith would look at the rim thicknesses to make sure headspace would be OK (and, if necessary, moon clips with thicknesses appropriate for each cartridge's rim thickness would have to be in your inventory), but that would still be somewhat cheaper than a Medusa, and spare parts would be a lot more available.

You would not be able to mix cartridges in a single cylinder as easily or as widely as you can with the Medusa, but at least revolvers that could be converted are still being made, and at reasonable prices, too.

I recall reading an article back around 1975 about a semi-auto that was capable of shooting about a dozen different cartridges from .30 Luger and up. It required a barrel and magazines (and a selection of recoil springs) for every chambering and a different slide for each different head dimension, but they all ran on the same frame, and everything fit in a reasonable-sized gun case.

Has started me thinking.

How about putting a Dan Wesson barrel system on a Ruger Blackhawk and picking up a couple dozen cylinder blanks and chambering them for:
22 RF
22 Mag
22 Jet
(skipping over the .25" pistol cartridges)
switch barrels to a .308"/.311" capable barrel
30 Luger
30 Mauser
32 Auto
30 Carbine
switch barrels to a .314" barrel
327 Magnum and similarly sized bullets in whatever chambering they come in
switch barrels to a .355"/357" barrel
you get the idea. You could take this all the way up to .451"/.454" diameter, maybe even .475", depending on the frame.

The Medusa is not dead. I'm just waiting for to figure out how I could get Hamilton Bowen interested in a project gun.

Lost Sheep

I just reviewed my post, and I might be guilty of hijacking the thread (or at least detouring it), but you all have gotten me thinking. And that's always a scary thing. Kind of like a disaster happening. You know it's bad, but you can't look away.
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Old February 5, 2010, 08:08 PM   #53
harrison_20319
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I have one of these pistols sitting in the closet and I don't use it. If anyone is interested Hit me up. I live in San Antonio. I'm not trying to rape anyone but would like to get my money back (if possible) that I paid for it a well over 7 years ago. It's black and in good but not perfect used condition.
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Old February 6, 2010, 04:40 PM   #54
petemacmahon
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Scorpion

I thought that Gary Reeder of Reeder Custom was going to produce a version called the Scorpion, but that some of the legal wrangling never got resolved and he dropped the project.
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Old February 14, 2010, 07:26 PM   #55
Linear
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Well Harrison, Im interested

I sent you a private message
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Old February 15, 2010, 10:31 PM   #56
jwphillips2
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"I thought that Gary Reeder of Reeder Custom was going to produce a version called the Scorpion, but that some of the legal wrangling never got resolved and he dropped the project."

I understand his design was not as strong as mine.

He understands he would have had Patent problems with me.

I'm not aware of other problems.

and

I would be delighted to assist anyone who wants to revive it.
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Old June 9, 2010, 11:29 PM   #57
BarbieZ
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I have just purchased my third Medusa! I am thrilled! this one is 2.5" barrel
ported, JW if your still out there, can you tell me did you port these at the factory?
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Old June 10, 2010, 12:34 PM   #58
vladan
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Quote:
I have just purchased my third Medusa! I am thrilled! this one is 2.5" barrel
ported, JW if your still out there, can you tell me did you port these at the factory?
Since it is your first post, we'll cut you some slack but next time post some pictures so we can properly hate you.
Welcome to TFL
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Old June 11, 2010, 11:28 PM   #59
BarbieZ
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I am sorry, I am new to this forum thing. It was just such a thrill! It is going to take some time to come down off cloud nine. I am around guns all the time so it takes something special to send me. I have been chasing this one for eight years. Please don't hate me... I was just hoping to hear from JW
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Old July 22, 2010, 12:09 PM   #60
curt.45
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I don't hate her for having three...I hate her for the one in the middle.
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Old October 8, 2010, 07:58 PM   #61
glock199mm
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looking to buy a medusa if anybody has one for sale pm me
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Old October 9, 2010, 07:11 AM   #62
Glenn Dee
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Get to the end of the line buddy...lol
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Old October 9, 2010, 07:27 AM   #63
troy_mclure
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^ made me lol!
__________________
There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."
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Old November 27, 2010, 12:34 PM   #64
dgk
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I HAVE ONE

6" satin finish interested??
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Old December 7, 2010, 04:24 AM   #65
Linear
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I'm Interested...pic's? condition?

I keep checking back here every few months or so...If BarbieZ can get lucky then so can i

...Just dont want to challenge her 8 year looking record, i'de be happy to underachieve there
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Old December 7, 2010, 10:32 AM   #66
jwphillips2
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My Sincerest Apologies

I owe the The Firing Line and Forum fans a huge apology for being a non-correspondent. I've spent the last year getting used to the idea that I'm no longer working in the space program (Thanks Obama!). After driving to NASA every day for the last 30 years, I was having a hard time with not being able to find another network manager position. My wife said "Get over it.", and I'm slowly getting used to the idea.

I owe a lot of people a letter and hope to catch up as quickly as possible.

OK, something for you to ponder. A Medusa carbine! And, yes I do have 100 yard targets of .380 around 6 inches.

Stay tuned.
~Jonathan
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Old December 7, 2010, 11:43 AM   #67
jwphillips2
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3 more pictures.

1st is my favorite large caliber handgun, a Ruger P&R .50 AE with a short barrel converted to 5-shot. Extremely accurate heavy recoil, match-grade barrel.

2nd is a very heavy recoil 10" .50AE stainless conversion.

3rd is what a factory comp looks like. Vented up and slightly backwards. Very civil. This was to show BarbieZ what the porting looked like.

~Jonathan
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File Type: jpg P&R 50AE 51:2%22.jpg (206.2 KB, 339 views)
File Type: jpg P&R 8 7:8%22 50AE Stnlss.jpg (66.3 KB, 313 views)
File Type: jpg P&R Muzzlbrk.jpg (72.3 KB, 336 views)

Last edited by jwphillips2; December 7, 2010 at 02:07 PM.
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Old December 7, 2010, 11:52 AM   #68
jwphillips2
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Comments for BarbieZ

Neat pics of a 6", 4", and 2 1/2" Medusas. Did you realize you own about 1% of our entire U.S. production? The pic of the comp is to show you how the factory comp looks. I don't recognize the one you have. Anyone?

~Jonathan
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Old December 7, 2010, 11:54 AM   #69
gorenut
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Wish I could obtain a Medusa for a reasonable price.. an 8 shot Medusa would pretty much be my dream gun.
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Old December 7, 2010, 02:34 PM   #70
jwphillips2
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Thanx!

The first of these pictures is a prototype on a Mod 19 S&W. This was a very short stroke plate gun which won a local Bianchi Plate Match in Katy, TX. Incredibly fast lockup and target reacquisition. Major or minor caliber.

The second pic is a prototype, a Modified S&W 25-2 in .45 ACP. Modified to also shoot 45Mag in double action. The first thing I did was chop down a 3" pine tree with one shot (I don't know what the limit is). Very accurate in either caliber.

The third pic is the port I designed for my new barrel. The recoil of the 45Mag was cut down to that of a 44 Special.

I'll post more later.

~Jonathan
Attached Images
File Type: jpg PlateGunBobbedHamr.jpg (71.3 KB, 323 views)
File Type: jpg DA45Mag:45ACP.jpg (69.8 KB, 304 views)
File Type: jpg 45Port:Comp.jpg (54.3 KB, 287 views)

Last edited by jwphillips2; December 7, 2010 at 03:00 PM.
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Old December 7, 2010, 07:06 PM   #71
curt.45
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I wonder if jwphillips could make one of those cylinders for a Blackhawk or a Securtiysix, I don't have a Smith & Wesson .357, or even a cylinder/crane conversion?

Good to see you back, and sorry about your job problems.
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Old December 8, 2010, 04:20 AM   #72
Linear
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Medusa Carbine

A combination of 2 of my weaknesses...the Medusa (she will be mine, oh yes) and thumbhole stocks.

Looks like fun to me!

Last edited by Linear; December 8, 2010 at 05:12 AM.
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Old December 8, 2010, 08:48 AM   #73
jwphillips2
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Curt.45

Wish we still made them...

~Jonathan



http://thefiringline.com/forums/atta...7&d=1275065006

http://thefiringline.com/forums/atta...8&d=1275065006
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Old December 8, 2010, 09:54 AM   #74
jwphillips2
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Linear

David Moore is one of the last true gunsmiths on planet Earth. He was 18 when his father told him there was such a thing as "replacement parts", but not until he'd been making his own for 4 years (he still does). That was 45 years ago. He told me he would make me a stock for the new carbine out of a single chunk of American walnut. I picked it up 2 weeks later and it was perfect! Isn't it gorgeous? I guess you can tell I'm still amazed after all these years.

~Jonathan
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Old December 10, 2010, 12:19 AM   #75
BarbieZ
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medusas!

Hi Jonathan,
Sorry about the job loss, Hope something comes up for you soon!
With that said, WOW that carbine is beautiful! I live in south Florida, and
have only seen 4 of the revolvers (3 are mine) and heard of one other for sale. I am currently trying to acquire a blackhawk in 50ae done by P & R it is very nice!
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