Introducing the replica Rogers & Spencer revolvers was entirely the idea of Mr. Louie Amadi, the owner and President of Euroarms of Brescia,Italy. By the way, it was Louie Amadi that got the first replica 1851 Navy Colts in production in Brescia, Italy for the late Val Forgett of Navy Arms in the late 1950's. Hence, Mr. Amadi qualifies as one of the three co-founders of the modern replica industry. The third co-founder was the late Bill Edwards, author of the book "Civil War Guns" and the Technical Editor of "Guns" magazine for amny years.
I first met Mr. Amadi in 1975. He had flown to the U.S. to attend the Baltimore Gun Show and purchase an original, mint condition, Rogers & Spencer. He carried the Rogers & Spencer back to Armi San Paolo (where most of Euroarms replicas were produced) and the process of "reverse engineering" the original so the drawings for the production R & S could be made. Matter of fact, Euroarms of America was founded to help with the distribution of the replica Rogers & Spencers in the United States.
My personal involvement was suggesting to Mr. Amadi that the markings on the top strap "Rogers & Spencer" "Utica, New-York" be copied on the replicas. Not to make a "fake," but for historical authenticity. The name "Euroarms of America" was stamped plainly on the top flat of the octagonal barrel clearly indicated that the pistol was a replica.
So, I guess that that qualifies me as the "founder" of the "De-farb" movement that has swept through the ranks of the Re-enactors.
over the past few decades. At the time, I didn't realize that would be the case.
As far as anyone knew, the original Robers & Spencer's purchased by the Ordnance Department had the unique distinction of being a pistol that "Never Fired A Shot in Anger" during the entire Civil War. The Ordnance Department placed a contract with the firm of R & S in late 1864 for 5.000 revolvers with the first lot of 500 being delivered in early 1865. The company had delivered all 5,000 revolvers called for in the contract by September of 1865-several months after the end of the war.
Those 5,000 revolvers went into storage and remained there until 1901 when the Ordnance Department auctioned the entire supply of mint condition, Rogers & Spencer Revolvers off. That being said, the R & S firm also sold approximately 800 revolvers on the commercial market that were probably purchased by officers and probably a few of these arms did see combat in the closing months of the war.
Today the replica Rogers & Spencers are now "orphans" as Euroarms and Euroarms of America has now shut down. That being said, here are a lot of Rogers & Spencers around and a few show up on GunBroker from time to time.
Probably the rarest of the replica Rogers & Spencers are the ones made with the Walther Match Barrels. European shooters praise the pistols as being extremely accurate. Before Euroarms of America went out of business, I called the company and asked what U.S. distributors or dealers handled the R & S revolvers with the Walther Match Barrels.
The person I talked with on the phone at the company HQ in Winchester, VA HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE ROGERS & SPENCERS WITH THE WALTHER MATCH BARRELS!!!
However, the Henry Krank company in England is still advertising Euroarms Rogers & Spencer Revolvers with the Walther Match Barrel!
So, IF you want the BEST replica Rogers & Spencers ever made, better order one now from Henry Krank because they are now "out of production" for good:
http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=694_743_746_747&products_id=7077
