Gun: Forehand & Wadsworth British Bull-Dog
Chambering: .44 Webley
Manufactured: c. 1878
Condition: NRA Excellent (Antique Gun Standards)
Value: $950 to $1,250
Many eagle-eyed NRA members viewing the 1993 Western “Tombstone” no doubt recognized the Forehand & Wadsworth British Bull-Dog so deftly welded by actress Joanna Pacula, portraying Big Nose Kate, during a contemptuous card game between Doc Holliday (played by actor Val Kilmer) and Ed Bailey (Frank Stallone). That particular firearm was an appropriate choice for Pacula’s character, as it was exactly the type of gun many women, and men, of the late 19th century might have chosen as a discreet means of close-range protection. In fact, it has been said that various versions of the “British Bulldog” (spelled at times as either one word or two) were far more commonplace in the Old West than the Colt Single Action Army.
While that remains to be proven, there is no doubt that the British Bulldog—in all its iterations—was an extremely popular EDC gun for anyone who desired to be clandestinely well-armed in public, inasmuch as many were chambered for large-caliber, close-range cartridges, such as the .44 Webley, .44 S&W, .455 Webley, .450 Adams and .44 Bulldog (a shorter, less powerful version of the .44 Webley). Plus, with a 2½" barrel and bird’s head grip, British Bulldog revolvers were compact, well-made and decidedly less expensive than their larger Colt, Remington and Smith & Wesson counterparts. And, given the loose-fitting clothes of that era, the British Bulldog was much more adaptable as a pocket pistol than a belt gun.
The extremely popular British Bulldog design—a rather clunky-looking, short-barreled, spur-hammered, double-action revolver—originated with Philip Webley & Sons in 1872 and was a scaled-down version of the company’s earlier Royal Irish Constabulary Model. Nonetheless, Philip’s son Henry didn’t get around to registering the Bulldog name until 1878. But that really didn’t matter, as it was almost immediately copied by numerous gunmakers in England, Europe and America, and depending on the manufacturer, was creatively stamped with various names, such as American Bull Dog, Western Bull Dog, California Bull Dog and Frontier Bull Dog—all of which reflected the revolver’s popularity in the American West.
Along with Iver Johnson and Harrington & Richardson, Forehand & Wadsworth was among the most prolific makers of British Bulldog revolvers in the United States. Although all three of these companies emerged in 1871, Forehand & Wadsworth didn’t get around to introducing its “Improved British Bull-Dog” (spelled with a hyphen) until 1878, although the company had previously advertised a slightly dissimilar “American Bull Dog” pistol. However, with its rebounding hammer, nickel finish and 2½" barrel, the company’s Improved Bull-Dog was among the best of the breed, being an almost-identical copy of the Webley No. 1 British Bull-Dog (also with a hyphen).
Chambered as a seven-shot .32 S&W, a six-shot .38 S&W and a five-shot .44 Webley, Forehand & Wadsworth’s British Bull-Dog was initially priced at $3.12. Standard checkered gutta-percha stocks could be upgraded to ivory ($1.87 extra) or pearl ($1.25); engraving added another $1.25. Obviously, such costly embellishments for so inexpensive a revolver were rarely ordered, and, if factory original, guns with such upgrades command a slight premium on the collector’s market today. In 1890, Forehand & Wadsworth became Forehand Arms, which in turn was acquired by Hopkins & Allen in 1902, by which time production of the Bull-Dog had stopped. Unfortunately, no factory records exist for this once-popular gun.
Recently, British- and American-made Bulldogs in NRA Excellent and above condition have taken a notable jump in price. The early nickeled .44-cal. Forehand & Wadsworth British Bull-Dog pictured here, in 85 percent condition, was purchased in 2020 for $350. Today, it is valued between $950 and $1,250.
