Chapter 3 – Models & Variations of the Centaure

3.7 FROCS Special

 

3.7 3.7.1  3.7.2 3.7.2.1 3.7.2.2 3.7.3

FROCS Special FROCS Special or Pocket Army 4th Variation? Which Centaure to Modify? Prototype of the FROCS Special Project Official FROCS Certificate FROCS Special – Collector’s Piece or Shooting Iron?

 

3.7.1

FROCS Special or Pocket Army 4th Variation?

 

The FROCS Special was Panhandle Paden’s and my pet project for a couple of months during 2009 after the first ads of the special order Centaure Pocket Army had been brought to our attention; but, before real life specimens of this rare New Model Army (NMA) variant were available for physical inspections and photographing. The idea was born to create a unique Centaure to commemorate this global research project:

# A shooting, very special NMA of limited availability only,

# For all those who helped with the task,

# To possess a Centaure reminding them of their contributions to the FROCS course.

Since it is unlikely anybody is going to endow us with such a FROCS Special we have to give one to ourselves as a present.

Incidentally, the original drawings were developed in the fall of 2009 from small size pictures of these ads and flyers of the Pocket Army Model. After my Pocket Army #8 had arrived in October 2011 comparative measurements of the FROCS Special were within fractions of mm or inches only.

 

3.7.1_1 FROCS Special #FS11477 (picture courtesy Terushi Jimbo, Düsseldorf/Germany)

 

The FROCS Special can be available to all interested FROCS provided modifications are legal in their home country. She will be modelled after the original Centaure Pocket Army, made today by a few ambitious gunsmiths on both sides of the Big Pond. These smiths have to agree beforehand to execute the modifications in high quality within the frame of the guidelines required.

 

3.7.1_2 Top Pocket Army #8 has this elegant look vs. bottom FROCS Special #FS11477 is all business with newly lathed „working“ loading tool

 

3.7.2

Which Centaure to Modify?

 

Project gun for a FROCS Special can be any Belgian 1960 New Model Army in your arsenal. We wish to emphasize however we do not propose to transform a valuable shooter or collector’s gun into a FROCS Special. It is suggested to rather select this old junker of yours, worn out and maltreated Centaure from yesteryear that you were planning to retire as a wall-hanger, paperweight or even throw on the junk pile anyhow.

 

3.7.2_1 Post front sight of the Pocket Army top vs. functional blade on the FROCS Special bottom: Two „Cool looking belly guns“

 

The goal is to have her rejuvenated and revitalized following the contour of the original Pocket Army from the early 1960s, according to a list of mandatory modifications. These modifications relate to the barrel only. The list is available as a download below – see hot links – or from this website in both English and German.

After the modification your FROCS Special shall either have the barrel marking “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” or no barrel marking at all! If “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” shall be engraved into an unmarked barrel like when a Marshal is chosen as the project pistol or an RNMA 5th variation 1st sub-variation care must be taken that the engraver is using the proper type of fonts.

The prefix FS for FROCS Special has to be stamped above the serial number on the barrel lug only.

 

3.7.2.1

Prototype of the FROCS Special Project

 

Regular New Model Army (RNMA) 1st variation 2nd sub-variation #11477 of 1971 production in my armament was selected for this project. She had seen some hard times as an exhibition gun. The outside of barrel and cylinder looked pretty molested but bore and lock work were crisp and clean.

 

3.7.2.1._1 FROCS Special project pistol RNMA 1st variation 2nd sub-variation #11477 from 1971

 

In fall of 2009 she was sent to Karl Nedbal in Austria for the FROCS Special modifications and some restoration work to bring her back to shape. The final touch was to be his rust blue on barrel, cylinder and back-strap. Eventually the missus got involved when she could not make up her mind regarding a X-mas present for yours truly.

Below are a couple of pictures of what I found under the tree on December 24, 2009 together with this frog which the War Dept. (aka the missus) suggested to use as a FROCS mascot. Approval of FROCS #1 Panhandle Paden still pending in June of 2020!

 

3.7.2.1_2 FROCS Special #FS11477 barrel marking “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY”, with forward segment of original barrel cut off

 

3.7.2.1_3 Close-up of FROCS Special #FS11477: Guiding hole for loading rod in barrel lug, FS stamped above #11477 on barrel lug

 

RNMA #11477 left Belgium with CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” roll-engraved on the barrel top. After Nedbal was done with her only the portion “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” of the barrel marking was kept. He salvaged the factory front sight and mounted it on the barrel once the barrel was cut to the length of 4″ and he had crowned the muzzle again. Despite these modifications necessary polishing and refinishing jobs the original proof marks were maintained.

 

3.7.2.1_4 „Display“ brass loading rod lathed from 2 parts: Scale-up copy of 3rd gen. Colt 1862 Police „Trapper“ rod

 

3.7.2.1_5 Mandatory 90° cut of barrel lug, hole for loading lever maintained, slot plugged, muzzle crowned

 

3.7.2.1_6 Nedbal closed the loading lever guiding holes under the barrel

 

Compared to a Colt M1862 Police „Trapper“ said to be the inspiration for Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège (F.A.U.L.) when the original Pocket Army was designed the FROCS Special is quite a handful!

 

3.7.2.1_7 Big is beautiful: FROCS Special left vs. 3rd generation Colt Police „Trapper“ right

 

3.7.2.2

Official FROCS Certificate

 

Paden, or I, will issue a Letter of Authentication on the FROCS letterhead once the FROCS Special modifications of your individual Centaure are completed and we have seen pictorial proof of the mandatory modifications executed in line with the guidelines.

 

3.7.2.2_1 Letter of Authentication of #FS11477

 

You need help finding names and addresses of cooperating gunsmiths for the making of your FROCS Special? In the U.S.A. check with FROCS #1 James „Panhandle Paden“ Frugé of Lubbock, Texas, U.S.A. at jfruge@mac.com, for Europe get in touch with yours truly in Hofheim, Germany at info@niederastroth.com.  We might be able to offer suggestions.

Feel free, however, to check with your gunsmith of choice first if he or she is prepared to execute the modifications within the guidelines set and in the quality required, that you deserve as a FROCS.

 

3.7.3

FROCS Special – Collector’s Piece of Shooting Iron?

 

During the winter of 2011/12 the FROCS in the German heartland near Frankfurt ran a number of modern made percussion revolvers of.44 Army cal. as well as conversions through a torture test to assess their suitability for Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) activities. Guess what the testers commented on this FROCS Special #FS11477? ”…despite the short sighting radius and barrel and the high tension of the original heavy duty mainspring this belly gun can be cocked without problems. Easy handling, very reliable shooter. This gun hits what you are aiming at!”

 

3.7.3_1 FROCS #99 Magic Joe puts the FROCS Special through the paces of the 2011/12 torture test

 

After the very promising endurance shooting session with #FS11477 the 4“ barrel of the FROCS Special was mated with the fully tuned frame and cylinder assembly of Centaure RNMA #13913, and another 3 strings of 5 shots were fired by Magic Joe, winner of the FROCS Hall of Fame 2013 Shooting Star Award, six times in a row German Champion BDS Westernschießen 1870 cat. (similar to S.A.S.S. Frontiersman category but a MIB of 80 for the pistols) and one of the testers. His conclusion: “… fully tuned a dream of a CAS pistol for the Frontiersman class!“

 

 

Updated January 1, 2024

© Mike, Neely & Wolf 2007/2024