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▲ COLT POCKET PISTOL Elisha Root, the Colt Works ▲ ADAMS SELF-COCKING In this revolver— FLINTLOCK
MODEL 1855 Superintendent, designed the REVOLVER MODEL 1851 British gunsmith
Date 1855 1855 Pocket Pistol. It had Date 1851 Robert Adams’s
a top strap—the first in a first—the entire
Origin US Colt pistol—a side-mounted Origin UK frame, barrel, and
Weight 17 ⁄2oz (500g) hammer, and a stud trigger. Weight 2 ⁄4lb (1.27kg) butt were forged
3
1
1
Barrel 3½in (8.9cm) However, it was not very Barrel 7 ⁄2in (19cm) out of a single iron
popular and was discontinued billet, making it
Caliber .28in Caliber 40-bore
in 1870. extremely strong.
Cylinder Octagonal barrel
axis pin AND PERCUSSION PIST

▼ SPANISH CAVALRY PISTOL The Spanish Army introduced ▲ KERR DOUBLE-ACTION Adams’s cousin James Kerr
Date 1841 a bridled flintlock closely REVOLVER fitted his revolver with a simple
modelled on those in French box-lock and a side-mounted
Origin Spain service. A small boss on the Date 1856 hammer. The lock was retained
Weight 2 ⁄4lb (1.3kg) barrel’s surface held the ramrod Side-mounted Origin UK by two screws, and could be
3
hammer
1
Barrel 7 ⁄4in (19.6cm) in place, rather than the swivel Weight 2 ⁄2lb (1.2kg) easily removed. If a component
3
mount found on other martial 3 broke, any gunsmith would
Caliber .71in Barrel 5 ⁄4in (14.7cm)
pistols of this period. have been able to repair it.
Caliber 54-bore OLS

▲ DEANE-HARDING AND EARL
ARMY MODEL
Ramrod-
retaining Date 1858
boss Origin UK
1
Steel ramrod Weight 2 ⁄2lb (1.15kg)
1
Barrel 5 ⁄4in (13.5cm) Y REV
Feather spring
flicks pan open Caliber 40-bore
as flint falls Deane and Harding’s double-
action lock was the forerunner OL
of modern actions. In a double-
action pistol, pulling the trigger
▲ SHARPS BREECH- cocks and then releases the action. VERS
LOADING PISTOL Locking screw Cylinder locking-slot
Date c.1860
Origin US Round barrel
3
Weight 33 ⁄4oz (960g)
Barrel 5in (12.7cm)
Hinge
Caliber .34in
American inventor Christian Sharps
was famous for his breech-loading ▲ STARR SINGLE-ACTION American gunmaker Nathan Starr
rifles and carbines. He also made ARMY MODEL was the pioneer of the break-
Loading/ pistols based on the same principles Date 1864 open pistol, in which the barrel,
ejection gate of his early rifles. Origin US top strap, and cylinder were
hinged at the front of the frame
Weight 3lb (1.35kg) before the trigger guard. The
1
Barrel 7 ⁄2in (19.2cm) forked top strap passed over
the hammer and was retained
Caliber .44in
by a knurled screw.
Extractor-rod
housing

▲ COLT NAVY CONVERSION Colt replaced its 1851 ▶ LEMAT PISTOL In this revolver, designed
Date 1861 Navy revolver with a new, Date 1864 by Frenchman Jean-Alexandre
streamlined version ten LeMat, the nine-chambered
Origin US Origin France
years later. This revolver has cylinder revolved not around
3
1
Weight 2 ⁄4lb (1.25kg) been converted to accept Weight 3 ⁄2lb (1.64kg) a pin but a second, unrifled
1
Barrel 7 ⁄2in (19cm) brass cartridges. Many Barrel Lower 5in (12.7cm) barrel, charged from the
percussion revolvers were muzzle with pellets.
Caliber .36in Caliber .3in and 16-bore
adapted in this way.