Medusa Model 47 – Multi Caliber Revolver

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 9/19/2018 | C Cocoles

[w1n1]

Did you know theres a revolver that can shoot multiple calibers?, and can you name it?
If you’re a gun freak and was thinking of the Medusa, you were right!
The Medusa M47 is a revolver manufactured by Phillips & Rodgers in the late 1990s, and is based on the Smith & Wesson K frame, capable of chambering and firing around 25 different calibers within the .38, 9mm and .357 family.
It is capable of both double and single action firing.
Inside the cylinder theres a prong spring-loaded that sticks out, this allows the gun to chambers the many different calibers. Not many revolvers can do that.
Due to the chrome-moly steel barrel, this makes the gun a bit heavy but strong.
Many survivalist consider this a prepper’s dream gun.

The Phillips & Rodgers, Inc. Medusa Model 47 was going to be a favorite amongs lawmen, outdoorsman and military for self-defense.
Unfortunately, the revolvers were only made in small numbers for a short period of time. Read & see the rest of the Medusa Model 47 Revolver.

[Reno89519]

Interesting. I’d pick up one if I found it reasonably priced. A novelty as my 9mm is pretty universal and I have multiple 9mm, including the new Ruger PC9.

[wastoute]

Is it fair to say “multiple calibers” when they are all .38?

[rellimpank]

--I see this site is up to its usual standard in relation to editing---

Inside the cylinder theres a prong spring-loaded that sticks out, this allows the gun to chambers the many different calibers.---

[OKSooner]

Give ‘em credit, one might have expected “theirs”.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Yes I can, .357 and .38 is common. Also some .44’s shoot 410 guage shotgun shells, and then some .44’s shoot magnum and regular .44 bulldog.

Medusa, where are the snakes? This sounds like snake oil to me.

[Deaf Smith]

Back in the '90's there was a sabot to load .357 into .429 brass. (38/44).

The sabot was nylon and the rifling marks went away due to the resilience of the nylon.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Nylon, the sky is falling because it’s undetectable. How about a bullet made of ice?

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Knew a guy in Brazil who had one. Don't know how he got it into the country, I suspect via Paraguay.

He fed his .357 at home and .380 on the road. It shot .380 fine but after a couple of cylinders it started having ejection problems. If it was even a little dirty the little tabs that were supposed to engage the grooves on the rimless brass didn't catch and he ended up with a couple of chambers that he couldn't reload without the assistance of a pencil. Feels like a K frame but I don't' think I'd trust it with rimless ammo.

[fini]

"Is it fair to say “multiple calibers” when they are all .38?"

I remember when this pistol came out. It does fire multiple calibers- from .355 to .360. Please remember that there are about 15-18 different rounds that have bullets that fall in that range: .380, 9mm, 9x21, 9mm Largo, 38 S&W, 38 special, 357, etc... . If I remember correctly, it was basically a heavy weight 357 mag that had an extractor that held the round in place, so rimless cartridges did not fall through the cylinder. It's strength was also its weakness- the cylinder star (I don't know what the real name for that part is.). The cylinder star (that is used to extract rimmed casings in revolvers) in that pistol would clamp around the rim of the cartridge, so rimless casings would be held in the proper position. The problem was that the cylinder star in that pistol was fragile and would break.

If I remember the only review I read about this pistol, it was really accurate with 38 Special and 357 magnums, but the smaller bullets opened the groups about double (a 2 inch group with a 357 would be a 4 inch group with a 380).

I always thought a simpler method would be make a full moon clip that held the rimless cartridges, so you could swap out between rimmed and rimless cartridges.

For those that are concerned about the cartridges that are .360, those rounds are pretty ancient; so almost always use full lead bullets. Full lead bullets will squeeze down a smaller bore with little problem. I have shot 38S&W (.360) in 38 Special (.357) with no problems, because the bullets are soft lead.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Already been done. Just find an Spanish Astra 400 garbage gun that will shoot just about anything in a 9mm.

[atomic_dog]

I've got a Ruger Blackhawk that shoots .357MAG and 9MM by changing the cylinder. No moonclips needed. The 38/357 is .357 inches and 9MM is .355.

Also have a Vaquero that shoots 45LC and 45ACP by changing the cylinder. One of the fun thing with these is you can use 1911 magazine as a speed loader.

[jim_trent]

Originally, it was a special cylinder that could fit in a S&W K-frame (at about the same cost as the entire S&W). Then they went to a complete custom gun. Very high priced. A couple of years before the year 2000, Colt bought the rights from Phillips & Rodgers. However, they failed to produce it, before or after 2000. I watched them for years. It is a shame. I would have bought one if it was somewhat reasonably priced.