Hopkins & Allen X.L. Bull Dog .38 S&W Nickel DAO Revolver, 3-Inch Octagonal Barrel, 5-Shot, Antique
This late 19th-century Hopkins & Allen X.L. Bull Dog is an antique, compact, solid-frame revolver chambered in .38 S&W. Notable features include a 3-inch octagonal barrel, five-shot fluted cylinder, side-loading design with a separate knurled manual ejector rod stored under the barrel, and a spurless double-action-only hammer. It is rollmarked with period-correct legends and wears a nickel-plated finish with checkered hard-rubber bird's-head grips.
Condition
Overall Condition: Poor condition.
Bore Overall Condition: Poor - Noticeable dirt, stains, significant corrosion or damage.
Bore Rifling: Poor Rifling - Rifling heavily worn or filled with fouling or debris.
Specific Condition Notes: The bore is barely serviceable. The hammer spur has been ground off. The left grip was previously cracked and repaired. Cylinder timing and lock-up are off and need to be addressed. The nickel finish shows pitting and wear.
What's Included
- Hopkins & Allen X.L. Bull Dog .38 S&W revolver
The X.L. Bull Dog is a compact, solid-frame, side-loading revolver built by Hopkins & Allen in the United States during the late 19th century. It uses a separate knurled manual ejector rod that stores under the barrel, a characteristic detail of this pattern.
Configured for double-action-only use, it employs a spurless external hammer. The revolver is chambered in .38 S&W and uses a five-shot fluted cylinder, matching the compact format associated with the XL series.
The barrel is a 3-inch octagonal profile, and the sights are fixed: a front blade paired with a topstrap sighting groove. The nickel-plated finish is complemented by checkered hard-rubber bird's-head grips with a rosette escutcheon.
Period rollmarks include "HOPKINS & ALLEN MFG CO / PAT. MARCH 28 1871" and "X.L. BULL DOG. / 38 CAL. CENTRE FIRE.", tying this example to its historical production era and original chambering.