1938 Palestine PISTOL MANUAL Israel POLICE BOOK Parabellum BERETTA Mauser WEBLEY
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1938 Palestine PISTOL MANUAL Israel POLICE BOOK Parabellum BERETTA Mauser WEBLEY:
$125.00
DESCRIPTION : Up for sale is an ultra rare richly illustrated Jewish - Judaica - Hebrewbook ( Namely - manual or guide ) , a guide book for the usage of PISTOLS - REVOLVERS - HANDGUNS for the members of the \"NOTRIM\" , The Jewish-Hebrew members of the Supernumerary Police during the British Mandate period in Eretz Israel ( Then also refered to as PALESTINE ) . The book was published in Haifa Eretz Israel in 1938 . It\'s a manual for USAGE of PISTOLS which is named named \" PISTOL - SMALL ARMS TRAINING \". NUMEROUS illustrations of armedJewish-Hebrew NOTRIM with their typical NOTRIM uniforms , Helmets and PISTOLS . A DETAILED ILLUSTRATED manual for the PISTOL PARABELLUM ( LUGER P08 ) , The MAUSER C96 pistol, The WEBLEY REVOLVER(also known as theWebley Top-Break RevolverorWebley Self-Extracting Revolver), And the PISTOL BERETTA M1935.Hebrew. Throughout illustrated . Originalcloth HC. 5 x 4\" . 166 throughout illustrated pp . Very good condition. Clean and unstained. Tightly bound. Very nicely preserved copy .( Pls look at scan for accurate AS IS images ) Will be sent inside a protective rigid envelope .
AUTHENTICITY : Thisis anORIGINALvintage1938 book, NOT a reproduction or a reprint , Itholds alife long GUARANTEE for its AUTHENTICITY and ORIGINALITY.PAYMENTS : Payment method accepted : Paypal .SHIPPMENT : SHIPP worldwide via registered airmail $18 .Will be sent inside a protective envelope . . Handling within 3-5 days after payment. Estimated Int\'l duration around 14 days.The Notrim (Hebrew: נוטרים, lit. Guards;singular: Noter) were a Jewish Police Force set up by the British in theBritish Mandate of Palestine in 1936. The force was divided into SupernumeraryPolice and highly mobile Settlement Police. Members were recruited almostentirely from the Haganah. After World War II, the Notrim became the core ofthe Israeli Military Police. History in World War II On6 August 1940 Anthony Eden, the BritishSecretary of War, informed Parliament that the Cabinet had decided to recruitArab and Jewish units as battalions of the Royal East Kent Regiment (the\"Buffs\"). At a luncheon with Chaim Weizmann on 3 September, Winston Churchill approved thelarge-scale recruitment of Jewish forces in Palestine and the training of theirofficers. A further 10,000 men (no more that 3,000 from Palestine) were to berecruited to Jewish units in the British Army for training in the UnitedKingdom. Faced with Field Marshall Rommel\'s advance in Egypt, the Britishgovernment decided on 15 April, 1941 thatthe 10,000 Jews dispersed in the single defense companies of the Buffs shouldbe prepared for war service at the battalion level and that another 10,000should also be mobilized along with 6,000 Supernumerary Police and 40,000 to50,000 home guard. The plans were approved by Field Marshall John Dill. TheSpecial Operations Executive in Cairo approved a Haganah proposal for guerillaactivities in northern Palestine led by the Palmach, as part of which YitzhakSadeh devised Plan North for an armed enclave in the Carmel range from whichthe Yishuv could defend the region and attack Nazi communications and supplylines, if necessary. British intelligence also trained a small radio networkunder Moshe Dayan to act as spy cells in the event of a German invasion(Israeli and Penkower, 2002, pp. 112-113).The Jewish Supernumerary Police(sometimes referred to as Jewish Auxiliary Police) were a branch of the Guards(Notrim) set up by the British in Mandate Palestine in June 1936. Around22,000 Notrim were appointed, armed and equipped by the British to act as aprotective militia for Jewish settlements. This force \"soon became a legalcover for the Haganah and an increasingly effective shield against Arabforays\".The British authorities gradually expanded the SupernumeraryPolice from 6,000 to 14,000. Those trained became the nucleus of the Haganah,which itself became the main constituent of the Israel Defense Forces duringthe 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The other branch of the Notrim was an élite mobileforce known as the Jewish Settlement Police. Apistolis a type ofhandgun. In some usage, the term \"pistol\" refers to a subset of handguns: those with a chamber integral with the barrel. In other usage, the term is interchangeable with \"handgun\".Contents[hide]1 Terminology2 History and etymology3 Action3.1 Single shot3.2 Multi-barreled (non-rotating)3.3 Harmonica pistol3.4 Revolver3.5 Semi-automatic4 ReferencesTerminology[edit]Some handgun experts and dictionaries make a technical distinction that views pistols as a subset of handguns; others use the terms interchangeably. Sometimes in usage, the term \"pistol\" refers to a handgun having one chamber integral with the barrel,[1][2]making pistols distinct from the other main type of handgun, therevolver, which has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers.[3][4]ButUK/rest ofCommonwealthusage does not always make this distinction, particularly when the terms are used by the military. For example, the official designation of theWebley Mk VIrevolver was \"Pistol, Revolver, Webley, No. 1 Mk VI\".[5]In contrast toMerriam-Webster[3][4]theOxford English Dictionary(adescriptivedictionary) describes \'pistol\' as a small firearm to be used in one hand[6]and the usage of \"revolver\" as being a type of handgun[7]and gives its original form as \"revolving pistol\"[8][9]History and etymology[edit]Europeanhand cannon(Germany, about 1475)Further information:FirearmandHandgunThe pistol originates in the 16th century, when early handguns were produced inEurope. The English word was introduced in ca. 1570 from theMiddle Frenchpistolet(ca. 1550).The etymology of the French wordpistoletis disputed. It may be from a Czech word for early hand cannons,píšťala\"whistle\", or alternatively from Italianpistolese, afterPistoia, a city renowned for Renaissance-era gunsmithing, where hand-held guns (designed to be fired from horseback) were first produced in the 1540s.[10]The first suggestion derives the word fromCzechpíšťala, a type ofhand-cannonused in theHussite Warsduring the 1420s. The Czech word was adopted in German aspitschale,pitschole,petsole, and variants.[11]The second suggestion is less likely; the use of the word as a designation of a gun is not documented before 1605 in Italy, long after it was used in French and German. The Czech word is well documented since the Hussite wars in 1420s.[12]Other suggestions include fromMiddle High Germanpischulle[citation needed]or fromMiddle Frenchpistole.[citation needed]Also it is suggested that early pistols were carried by cavalry in holsters hung from thepommel(orpistalloin medieval French) of a horse\'s saddle.[citation needed]Action[edit]The most common types of pistol are the single shot, and semi-automatic.Single shot[edit]French Navy pistol model 1837Single shot handguns were mainly seen during the era of flintlock and musket weaponry where the pistol was loaded with a lead ball and fired by a flint striker, and then later a percussion cap. However, as technology improved, so did the single shot pistol. New operating mechanisms were created, and due to this, they are still made today. It is the oldest type of pistol,[citation needed]and is often used to hunt wildgame.Multi-barreled (non-rotating)[edit]Further information:Multiple barrel firearmMulti-barreled pistols were common during the same time as single shot pistols. As designers looked for ways to increase fire rates, multiple barrels were added to all guns including pistols. One example of a multi-barreled pistol is theDuck\'s foot pistol, which generally had either four or eight barrels,[13]although some 20th century models had three barrels.[14]Harmonica pistol[edit]Around 1850, pistols such as the Jarreharmonica gunwere produced that had a sliding magazine. The sliding magazine contained pinfire cartridges or speedloaders. The magazine needed to be moved manually in many designs, hence distinguishing them from semi-automatic pistols.[15]Revolver[edit]Colt Model 1873 Single-Action \"New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol\"Main article:RevolverWith the development of therevolverin the 19th century, gunsmiths had finally achieved the goal of a practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one handgun barrel in quick succession. Revolvers feedammunitionvia the rotation of a cartridge-filledcylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon\'s barrel by anindexingmechanism linked to the weapon\'s trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action). These nominally cylindrical chambers, usually numbering between five and eight depending on the size of the revolver and the size of the cartridge being fired, are bored through the cylinder so that their axes are parallel to the cylinder\'s axis of rotation; thus, as the cylinder rotates, the chambers revolve about the cylinder\'s axis.Semi-automatic[edit]Semi-automatic pistolGrand Power K100Target produced inSlovakiaMain article:Semi-automatic pistolThe semi-automatic pistol was the next step in the development of the pistol. By avoiding multiple chambers—which need to be individually reloaded—semi-automatic pistols delivered faster rates of fire and required only a few seconds to reload (depending on the skill of the shooter). Inblowback-type semi-automatics, the recoil force is used to push the slide back and eject the shell (if any) so that the magazine spring can push another round up; then as the slide returns, it chambers the round. An example of a modern blow back action semi-automatic pistol is theHK VP70.Ahandgunis afirearmdesigned to behandheld, in either one or both hands. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class offirearmsfromlong gunssuch asriflesandshotguns(which usually can be braced against the shoulder).Major handgun subtypes are pistols, andmachine pistols); other subtypes includederringersandpepperboxes.The words \"pistol\" and \"handgun\" have overlapping variations, in meaning.Although handgun use often includes bracing with a second hand, the essential distinguishing characteristic of a handgun is its facility for one-handed operation.Contents[hide]1 Nomenclature variations1.1 Multiple senses of the word \"pistol\"2 Types of handguns2.1 Single-shot pistols2.2 Multi-barreled pistols2.3 Revolvers2.4 Semi-automatic pistols2.5 Machine pistols3 Operating mechanisms4 3D printed handguns5 Comparison with long guns5.1 Advantages5.2 Disadvantages6 Handguns and gun politics6.1 Australia6.2 Canada6.3 Czech Republic6.4 Germany6.5 Israel6.6 Italy6.7 Kenya6.8 Pakistan6.9 United Kingdom6.10 United States7 See also8 References9 External linksNomenclature variations[edit]Multiple senses of the word \"pistol\"[edit]SIG Prosemi-automatic pistolThe word \"pistol\" is often synonymous with the word \"handgun\". Some handgun experts make a technical distinction that views pistols as a subset of handguns. In American usage, the term \"pistol\" refers to a handgun having one chamber integral with the barrel, making pistols distinct from the other main type of handgun, therevolver, which has a revolvingcylindercontaining multiple chambers. But UK/Commonwealth usage often does not make this distinction. For example, the official designation of theWebley Mk VIwas \"Pistol, Revolver, Webley No. 1 Mk VI\", and the designation \"Pistol No. 2 Mk I\" was used to refer to both theEnfield Revolverand the laterBrowning firearms first appeared in China wheregunpowder was first developed. They werehand cannons(although they were not necessarily fired from the hand, but rather at the end of a handle). By the 14th century, they existed in Europe as well. The first handheld firearms that might better be called \"pistols\" were made as early as the 15th century, but their creator is unknown.[5]By the 18th century, the term came to be used often to refer to handheld firearms. Practical revolver designs appeared in the 19th century, but it was not until the mid-twentieth century that the (sometimes-observed) differentiation in usage of the words \"pistol\" and \"revolver\" evolved among some speakers and the use of \"handgun\" became prevalent. Previously there had been no such differentiation, and in fact Samuel Colt\'s original patent was for a \"revolving-breech pistol\". There is no literal equivalent for \"handgun\" in theRomance languages, which continue to usecognatesof the word \"pistol\".Types of handguns[edit]The general types of handguns are listed below in their order of historical appearance. Each type can be classified into many sub-types. Some of these types can also be differently classified using the general distinction between muzzle-loading firearms (loading from the front of the barrel) and breech-loading firearms (loading from behind the barrel).Single-shot pistols[edit]Hand cannonfrom theChineseYuan Dynasty(1271–1368).Western European handgun, circa AD 1380. It is 18cm long and weighs 1.04kg. It was fixed to a wooden handle to facilitate manipulation (e.g., aiming; holding while firing; holding while hot). (Musée de l\'Armée.)Single-shotpistols are the simplest possible form of pistols and are known to have existed in AD 1365.[6]The earliest handguns were single-shot, muzzle-loading guns withignitionprovided by inserting a smoldering match cord into atouch hole. As such, they were essentially nothing more than miniaturecannon, small enough to be handheld.Improvements followed in subsequent centuries, as various types of locks (ignition devices) were invented. In thematchlock, the separate match cord was affixed to a spring-loaded pivot which could be tripped by atrigger. In thewheellock, a mechanism analogous to that used in today\'scigarette lightersreplaced the smoldering match cord. In the 17th century, theflintlock, which strikes a flint against steel, appeared. The flintlock remained the standard method of small arms ignition around two hundred years. In the 19th century,percussion capswere developed, followed shortly by modern integrated-primercartridges, andhammerstherefore traded their flint for firing pins.An example of a single-shot pistol is the flare gun. Although not intended to be a weapon, many variants have been made (SeeFlare gun). One example is theKampfpistole, orSturmpistolein its final form, which was designed to function as an anti-tank weapon.[7]Single-shot pistols continue to be manufactured today and are often used fortarget shooting. They are also sometimes used forhandgun huntingof game, including big game. The most powerful handguns are capable of killing all game, including elephants.Multi-barreled pistols[edit]Not long after the very beginning of firearms, inventors began experimenting with multi-barreled weapons in the quest for the ability to fire more than one shot before needing to reload. Not surprisingly, all types of firearms were included in their efforts, fromvolley gunsto analogously devised handguns. Before anyone had developed a practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one barrel in quick succession (which is how repeating fire is usually accomplished today), gunsmiths were aggregating multiple loaded barrels into one place.Some examples of multi-barreled pistols are:Duck\'s-foot pistolsDerringersPepper-boxguns (variously referred to as pepper-box pistols or pepper-box revolvers)Howdah pistols, often made from double-barrelled rifles.Revolvers[edit]Main article:RevolverColt Model 1873 Single-Action \"New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol\"Colt M1911 pistol, the longest servingservice pistolof the U.S.With the development of therevolverin the 19th century, gunsmiths had finally achieved the goal of a practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one pistol barrel in quick succession. Revolvers feedammunitionvia the rotation of a cartridge-filledcylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the firearms barrel by anindexingmechanism linked to the firearms trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action). These nominally cylindrical chambers, usually numbering between five and ten depending on the size of the revolver and the size of the cartridge being fired, are bored through the cylinder so that their axes are parallel to the cylinder\'s axis of rotation; thus, as the cylinder rotates, the chambers revolve about the cylinder\'s axis.Semi-automatic pistols[edit]Compact semi-automaticSmith & Wesson.45 ACP Chief\'s Special — Model CS45.Lugeror Parabellum Model 1900, used by the Swiss Army from 1900 to 1949 (among other Parabellum models).The next development in handgun history after a practical revolver was the development of thesemi-automatic pistol, which uses the energy of one shot to reload the next. Typicallyrecoilenergy from a fired round ismechanically harnessed; however, pistols chambered for more powerful cartridges may begas operated(e.g.,Desert Eagle), or for less powerful cartridges,blowback. After a round is fired, the pistol will cycle, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round from the magazine, allowing another shot to take place immediately.Some terms that have been, or still are, used as synonyms for \"semi-automatic pistol\" areautomatic pistolandselfloader.Machine pistols[edit]Amachine pistolis generally defined as a firearm designed to be fired with one hand, and capable of fully automatic orselective fire. While there are a number of machine pistols such as theGlock 18and later models of theMauser C96, these are rare; the light weight, small size, and extremely rapid rates of fire of a machine pistol make them difficult to control, making the larger and heaviersubmachine guna better choice in cases where the small size of a machine pistol is not needed. Most machine pistols can attach a shoulder stock (theHeckler & Koch VP70would only fire single rounds at a time unless the stock was attached); others, such as theBeretta 93R, add a forward handgrip. Either of these additions technically create a legal non-pistol under the USNational Firearms Act, as pistols are by definition designed to be fired with one hand. The addition of a stock or forward handgrip is considered a design change that creates either a short-barreled rifle or any other weapon, and therefore such additions are generally only found on legalmachine guns.Operating mechanisms[edit]Jericho 941 F(DA),9mmwith magazine removed.Remington Model 1858withcylinder magazineremoved. It is the first known way of using aspeedloaderin a handgunSingle-action handguns have atriggerwhose sole function is to drop a pre-cocked hammer to discharge a cartridge. For revolvers, the popularColt PeacemakerofOld Westfame is typically thought of. Its hammer must be manually cocked for each shot. For auto-loading pistols theColt 1911orBrowning Hi-Powerare typical examples. They must be cocked for the first shot, but subsequent shots are cocked automatically due to the racking of the slide. These types of guns typically have a very light and crisptrigger pull, making for more accurate target shooting.Traditional double-action handguns have a mechanism that can be either pre-cocked, like the above single-action gun, or can be fired with the gun uncocked. In this case, the gun has an additional mechanism added to the trigger that will cock the gun (and rotate the cylinder in the case of revolvers) as the trigger is pulled. Once the trigger is pulled far enough, the hammer is released and the gun fired. For autoloading pistols theself-loadingmechanism will also re-cock the hammer after the first shot is fired so that subsequent shots are fired single-action. For revolvers, each shot is fired with the hammer initially uncocked unless the shooter manually cocked the gun. Popular auto pistols in this category include theWalther P38andBeretta 92. These guns typically have a longer, heavier trigger pull for the first shot then light, crisp pulls for subsequent shots. Popular revolvers include theRuger RedhawkandSmith & Wesson Model 29. These have comparatively long, heavy trigger pulls for all shots unless the revolver is manually cocked.Double-action only handguns do not have the ability to be cocked and is usually evidenced by a lack of either the hammer spur or the entire hammer. A typical autopistol in this category is theRuger KP93DAOand a typical revolver is theSmith & Wesson Centennialor theEnfield No 2 Mk I*. All pistols in this category have a long, heavy trigger pull for all shots.Pre-set triggers are only on autoloading pistols. In this case the pistol mechanism is always partially cocked while being carried and during firing. The partially cockedfiring pinor striker is not cocked enough to cause an accidental release to discharge a cartridge, adding to the safety of the design, but is cocked enough to remove much of the trigger pull and weight of a purely double-action pistol. These types of pistols do not have external hammers and do not generally have a decock function. Common pistols in the category are theHS2000(Springfield XD) and the various forms of the extremely popularGlock. The trigger pull of these guns is between double-action and single-action pistols. Pre-set triggers may or may not have a second-strike feature on a dud cartridge.Some automatic pistol models such as theHK USPUniversal Self-loading Pistol (or U.S.P.) come in a variety of mechanism types and can be easily changed by agunsmithfor both left- and right-handed shooters and for different operating mechanism and safety features.Glockintroduced a new \"Safe Action\" mechanism that is neither a single nor double action.[8]The weapon is never \"cocked\" in terms of a hammer being \"cocked\". The partly tensioned firing pin lock is released by pressing the trigger, resulting in the first and subsequent trigger pulls all being the same.3D printed handguns[edit]Main article:Solid Concepts 1911DMLSTheSolid Concepts 1911DMLSis a 3D printed version of the M1911 pistol.[9][10]It was made public around November 2013[9][10]and was printed via thedirect metal laser sinteringmethod.[9][10]It was created bySolid Concepts.[9][10][11]The Solid concepts browning M1911 replica fired more than 600 bullets without any damage to the gun.[10]The metal printer used to create the weapon cost between $500,000 to $1,000,000 at the time the gun was created as of November 2013.[10]The gun is made up of 34 3D-printed components.[12]Comparison with long guns[edit]Clockwise start at the top left: Glock G22, Glock G21, Kimber Stainless Raptor II, Dan Wesson Commander Classic Bobtail, Smith & Wesson .357, Ruger Blackhawk .357, Ruger SP101, SIG Sauer P220 Combat.Advantages[edit]In comparison to long guns (riflesandshotguns), handguns are smaller, lighter, and easier to carry. Since firearms do not rely entirely on the user\'s strength, they put weaker individuals on an equal footing; whenColtproduced the first practical repeating handgun, it gave rise to the saying \"God created men, but Colt made them equal.\"[13][14]Since using a handgun, at a minimum, requires one hand whereas long guns often require both, that leaves a handgun user with a free hand. One example of where this is an advantage is withtactical lights, where the light and handgun can be used independently or in coordination; mounted lights, as used on long guns andsubmachine guns, don\'t allow the light to be pointed independently of the firearm. In addition, handguns can be more easily used amofferextrously, and therefore the user can switch firing hands depending on the situation.Another important tactical consideration is maneuverability. In close quarters, an opponent could more easily wrestle a long gun\'s muzzle to a position where it is not covering him, or could more easily wrestle the gun away from its owner, whereas a handgun offers little to grab, and would be more likely to still be covering some portion of the opponent during the are often consideredself-defenseweapons for use under 50 yards (46m). While a handgun in the hands of an experienced shooter may be effective at distances greater than 50 yards (46m), a handgun cartridge is much more limited in its energy capacity than many long gun cartridges. Many handgun cartridges are optimized for best performance from shorter barrels than typically found in rifles.[16]Many rifles are able to achieve bullet velocities of over 3,000ft/s (914m/s), but rounds for handguns are rarely capable of achieving velocities over 1,500ft/s (457m/s). Thus, long guns are generally more powerful at any given range, and especially more effective at longer ranges than handguns. Because of the pistol\'s seemingly low power, manyballistic vestandarmorhave the capability of stopping pistol bullets. This is largely due to both facts that pistols have a shorter barrel, producing a reduced velocity, and the shape of the nose, which also reduces penetration. These problems also apply tosubmachine guns. Demonstration project armor issued byNIJwas designed to ensure a 95 percent probability of survival after being hit with a.38caliber and the widely used9mmbullet at a velocity of 800ft/s. Furthermore, the probability of requiring surgery if hit by a projectile was to be 10 percent or less.[17]A shooter is generally able to achieve considerably greater accuracy with a long gun than with a handgun. This is due to several aspects, such as:The longer distance between the rear and front sights of a long gun makes for better aim. The larger size of a long gun allows a shooter to get a more stable hold. A long gun also achieves a higher muzzle velocity, which reduces the bullet travel time and thus reduces external effects on the bullet such as gravitational drop and wind. Longer barrels also means more bullet spin attained while in the barrel, to improve the geometric accuracy of the moment of inertia.Arevolveris a repeatinghandgunthat has a revolvingcylindercontaining multiplechambersand at least onebarrelfor firing. Revolvers might be regarded as a subset ofpistols, or as an equal-ranking subset of handguns, distinct from pistols. Though the term \"revolver\" usually only refers to handguns, otherfirearmsmay also have a revolving chamber. These include some models ofgrenade launchers,shotguns, andrifles. Most revolvers contain five or six rounds in the cylinder.Though the original name wasrevolving gun, the short-hand \"revolver\" is universally used. (Cannonusing this mechanism are known asrevolver cannon.) Nearly all early revolvers and many modern ones have six chambers in the cylinder, giving rise to the slang termsix-shooter; however, revolvers with a number of different chambers have been made, with most modern revolvers having 5 or 6 chambers.The revolver allows the user to fire multiple rounds without reloading. Each time the user cocks thehammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name. In asingle-actionrevolver, the user pulls the hammer back with his free hand or thumb; the trigger pull only releases the hammer. In adouble-actionrevolver, pulling the trigger moves the hammer back, then releases it, which requires a longer and heavier trigger pull than single-action. Loading and unloading a double-action revolver requires the operator to swing out the cylinder and insert the proper ammunition, all while keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction.The first guns with multichambered cylinders that revolved to feed one barrel were made in the late 16th century in Europe. They were expensive and rare curiosities. Not until the 19th century would revolvers become common weapons of industrial production. One of the first was aflintlockrevolver patented byElisha Collierin 1814. The first percussion revolver was made by Lenormand of Paris in 1820[1]and the firstpercussion caprevolver was invented by the ItalianFrancesco Antonio Broccuin 1833. He received a prize of 300 francs for his invention; although he did not patent it, his revolver was shown to KingCharles Albert of Sardinia. However, in 1835 a similar handgun was patented bySamuel Colt, who would go on to make the first mass-produced revolver.The firstcartridgerevolvers were produced around 1854 by Eugene Lefaucheux.Revolvers soon became standard for nearly all uses. In the early 20th century,semi-automatic pistolswere developed, which can hold more rounds, and are faster to reload. \"Automatic\" pistols also have a flat profile, more suitable forconcealed carry. Semi-auto pistols were not considered reliable enough for serious police work or self-defense until the later half of the century, however, and revolvers were the dominant handgun for police and civilians until modern pistols such as theBeretta 92andGlock 17were developed in the 70s and 80s. Automatic pistols have almost completely replaced revolvers in military and law enforcement use (in military use, from 1910-1960; in law enforcement, in the 1980s and 1990s).Revolvers still remain popular as back-up and off-duty handguns among American law enforcement officers and security guards. Also, revolvers are still common in the American private sector as defensive and sporting/hunting firearms. Famous police and military revolvers include theWebley, theColt Single Action Army, theColt Police Special, theSmith & Wesson Model 36, theSmith & Wesson Model 10, theSmith & Wesson 1917, theSmith & Wesson Model 3, and theNagant M1895.Contents[hide]1 History1.1 Patents2 Design3 Loading and unloading3.1 Front loading3.2 Fixed cylinder designs3.3 Top break3.4 Tip up3.5 Swing out cylinder4 Action4.1 Single-action4.2 Double-action4.3 Other5 3D printed revolver6 Use with suppressors7 Automatic revolvers8 Revolving long guns8.1 Rifles8.2 Shotguns9 Six gun10 Notable brands and manufacturers11 Gallery12 See also13 References14 External linksHistory[edit]Detail of an 8-chamberedmatchlockrevolver (Germany c. 1580)In thedevelopment of firearms, an important limiting factor was the time it took to reload the weapon after it was fired. While the user was reloading, the weapon was useless, and an adversary might be able to take advantage of the situation and kill or wound the user. Several approaches to the problem of increasing the rate of fire were developed, the earliest being multi-barrelled weapons which allowed two or more shots without reloading.[2]Later weapons featured multiple barrels revolving along a single axis.The earliest examples of what today is called a revolver were made in Germany in the late 16th century. These weapons featured a single barrel with a revolving cylinder holding the powder and ball. They would soon be made by many European gun-makers, in numerous designs and configurations.[3]However, these weapons were difficult to use, complicated and prohibitively expensive to make, and as such they were not widely distributed.Colt Paterson 2nd Belt ModelIn 1836, an American,Samuel Coltpatented the mechanism that led to the widespread use of the revolver, the mechanically indexing cylinder. According to Samuel Colt, he came up with the idea for the revolver while at sea, inspired by thecapstan, which had aratchet and pawlmechanism on it, a version of which was used in his guns to rotate the cylinder by cocking the hammer. This provided a reliable and repeatable way to index each round and did away with the need to manually rotate the cylinder. Revolvers proliferated largely due to Colt\'s ability as asalesman[citation needed]. But his influence spread in other ways as well; the build quality ofhis company\'s guns became famous, and itsarmoriesin America and England trained several seminal generations oftoolmakersand othermachinists, who had great influence in other manufacturing efforts of the next half century.[4]Early revolvers werecaplocksand loaded as amuzzle-loader: the user pouredblack powderinto each chamber, rammed down a bullet on top of it, then placedpercussion capson the nipple at the rear of each chamber, where thehammerwould fall on it. This was similar to loading a traditional single-shot muzzle-loading pistol, except that the powder and shot could be loaded directly into the front of the cylinder rather than having to be loaded down the whole length of the barrel. Importantly, this allowed the barrel itself to berifled, since the user wasn\'t required to force the tight fitting bullet down the barrel in order to load it (a traditional muzzle-loading pistol had asmoothboreand relatively loose fitting shot, which allowed easy loading, but gave much less accuracy). When firing the next shot, the user would raise his pistol vertically as he cocked the hammer back so as to let the fragments of the burst percussion cap fall out so as to not jam the mechanism. Some of the most popular cap-and-ball revolvers were theColt Model 1851 \"Navy\"Mode,1860 \"Army\" Model, andColt Pocket Percussionrevolvers, all of which saw extensive use in theAmerican Civil War. Although American revolvers were the most common, European arms makers were making numerous revolvers by that time as well, many of which found their way into the hands of the American forces, including the single action Lefaucheux andLeMat revolverand theBeaumont–AdamsandTranterrevolvers, which were earlydouble-actionweapons, in spite of being muzzle-loaders.[5]A Smith & Wesson Model 1, 2nd Issue. This is a two patent date variety shown next to a period box of .22 short black powder cartridges.In 1854, Eugene Lefaucheux introduced the Lefaucheux Model 1854, the first revolver to use self-containedmetallic cartridgesrather than loosepowder,pistol ball, andpercussion caps. It is asingle-action,pinfirerevolver holding six rounds.[6]On November 17, 1856,Daniel B. WessonandHorace Smithsigned an agreement for the exclusive use of the Rollin White Patent at a rate of 25 cents for every revolver.Smith & Wessonbegan production late in 1857 and enjoyed years of exclusive production of rear-loading cartridge revolvers in America, due to their association withRollin White, who held the patent and vigorously defended it against any perceived infringement by other manufacturers (much as Colt had done with his original patent on the revolver). Although White held the patent, other manufacturers were able to sell firearms using the design, provided they were willing to pay royalties.[7][8]After White\'s patent expired in April 1869, a 3rd extension was refused. Other gun-makers were then allowed to produce their own weapons using the rear-loading method, without having to pay a royalty on each gun sold. Early guns were often conversions of earlier cap-and-ball revolvers, modified to accept metallic cartridges loaded from the rear, but later models, such as theColt Model 1872 \"Open Top\"and theSmith & Wesson Model 3, were designed from the start as cartridge revolvers.[7]Colt Single Action Army, serial No 5773 issued 7th Cavalry during the Indian War period.In 1873, Colt introduced the famous Model 1873, also known as theSingle Action Army, the \"Colt .45\" (not to be confused with Colt made models of theM1911semi-automatic) or simply, \"the Peacemaker\", one of the most famous handguns ever made.[9]This popular design, which was a culmination of many of the advances introduced in earlier weapons, fired 6 metallic cartridges and was offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths. It is still in production, along with numerousclonesand lookalikes, and its overall appearance has remained the same since 1873. Although originally made for theUnited States Army, the Model 1873 was widely distributed and popular with civilians,ranchers,lawmen, andoutlawsalike. Its design has influenced countless other revolvers. Colt has discontinued its production twice, but brought it back due to popular demand and continues to make it to this day.In the U.S. the traditional single-action revolver still reigned supreme until the late 19th century. In Europe, however, arms makers were quick to adopt the double-action trigger. While the US was producing weapons like the Model 1873, the Europeans were building double-action models like the FrenchMAS Modèle 1873and the somewhat later BritishEnfield Mk I and II revolvers(Britain relied on cartridge conversions of the earlierBeaumont–Adamsdouble-action prior to this). Colt\'s first attempt at a double action revolver to compete with the European manufacturers was the Colt Model 1877, which earned lasting notoriety for its overly complex, expensive and fragile trigger mechanism, which in addition to failing frequently, also had a terrible trigger pull unless given the attentions of a competent gunsmith.Iconic Smith & Wesson M&P revolverIn 1889, Colt introduced theModel 1889, the first truly modern double action revolver, which differed from earlier double action revolvers by having a \"swing-out\" cylinder, as opposed to a \"top-break\" or \"side-loading\" cylinder. Swing out cylinders quickly caught on, because they combined the best features of earlier designs. Top-break actions gave the ability to eject all empty shells simultaneously, and exposed all chambers for easy reloading, but having the frame hinged into two halves weakened the gun and negatively affected accuracy, due to lack of rigidity. \"Side-loaders\", like the earlier Colt Model 1871 and 1873, gave a rigid frame, but required the user to eject and load one cylinder at a time, as they rotated the cylinder to line each chamber up with the side-mounted loading gate.[10]Smith & Wesson followed 7 years later with the \'\'Hand Ejector, Model 1896\'\' in.32 S&W Longcaliber, followed by the very similar, yet improved,Model 1899(later known as the Model 10), which introduced the new .38 Special cartridge. The Model 10 went on to become the best selling handgun of the 20th century, at 6,000,000 units, and the.38 Specialis still the most popular chambering for revolvers in the world. These new guns were an improvement over the Colt 1889 design since they incorporated a combined center-pin and ejector rod to lock the cylinder in position. The 1889 did not use a center pin and the cylinder was prone to move out of alignment.[10]Revolvers have remained popular to the present day in many areas, although in the military and law enforcement, they have largely been supplanted by magazine-fedsemi-automatic pistolssuch as theBeretta M9, especially in circumstances where reload time and higher cartridge capacity are deemed important.[11]Patents[edit]Elisha Collierof Boston, Massachusetts patented a flintlock revolver in Britain in 1818, and significant numbers were being produced in London by 1822.[12]The origination of this invention is in doubt, as similar designs were patented in the same year byArtemus Wheelerin the United States and byCornelius Coolidgein France.[13]Samuel Coltsubmitted a British patent for his revolver in 1835 and an American patent (number 138) on February 25, 1836 for aRevolving gun, and made the first production model on March 5 of that year.[14]Another revolver patent was issued to Samuel Colt on August 29, 1839. The February 25, 1836 patent was then reissued asU.S. Patent RE00,124entitledRevolving gunon October 24, 1848. This was followed byU.S. Patent 0,007,613on September 3, 1850 for aRevolver, and byU.S. Patent 0,007,629on September 10, 1850 for aRevolver.U.S. Patent 5,333,531was issued toRoger C. Fieldfor an economical device for minimizing the flash gap of a revolver between the barrel and the cylinder. In 1855,Rollin Whitepatented the bored-through cylinder entitledImprovement in revolving fire-armsU.S. Patent 00,093,653. In 1856 Horace Smith & Daniel Wesson formed a partnership (S&W), developed and manufactured a revolver chambered for a self-contained metallic cartridge.[15]Design[edit]Details of aSchmidt M1882, showing the hammer, chambers for the ammunition in the cylinder, and the mechanism to rotate the cylinder. Revolver of the Gendarmerie ofVaud, on display atMorgescastle museum.A revolver works by having several firing chambers arranged in a circle in a cylindrical block that are brought into alignment with the firing mechanism and barrel one at a time. In contrast, other repeating firearms, such as bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action, and semi-automatic, have a single firing chamber and a mechanism to load and extract cartridges into it.[16]A single-action revolver requires the hammer to be pulled back by hand before each shot, which also revolves the cylinder. This leaves the trigger with just one \"single action\" left to perform - releasing the hammer to fire the shot - so the force and distance required to pull the trigger can be minimal. In contrast, with a self-cocking revolver, one long squeeze of the trigger pulls back the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then finally fires the shot. They can generally be fired faster than a single-action, but with reduced accuracy in the hands of most shooters.[16]Most modern revolvers are \"traditional double-action\", which means they may operate either in single-action or self-cocking mode. The accepted meaning of \"double-action\" has, confusingly, come to be the same as \"self-cocking\", so modern revolvers that cannot be pre-cocked are called \"double-action-only\".[16]These are intended for concealed carry, because the hammer of a traditional design is prone to snagging on clothes when drawn. Most revolvers do not come withaccessory rails, which are used for mountinglightsandlasers, except for theSmith & WessonM&P R8 (.357 Magnum),[17]Smith & Wesson Model 325 Thunder Ranch (.45 ACP),[18]and all versions of theChiappa Rhino(.357 Magnum,9×19mm,.40 S&W, or9×21mm) except for the 2\" model, respectively.[19]However, certain revolvers, such as theTaurus JudgeandCharter Armsrevolvers, can be fitted with accessory rails.[20]Advertisement forIver Johnsonrevolver claimed to be safe enough for babies to handleMost commonly, such revolvers have 5 or 6 chambers, hence the common names of \"six-gun\" or \"six-shooter\".[21]However, some revolvers have 7, 8, 9, or 10 chambers,[21]often depending on thecaliber, and at least one revolver has 12 chambers (theUS Fire ArmsModel 12/22).[22]Each chamber has to be reloaded manually, which makes reloading a revolver a much slower procedure than reloading a semi-automatic pistol.[21]Compared to autoloading handguns, a revolver is often much simpler to operate and may have greater reliability.[21]For example, should asemiautomaticpistol fail to fire, clearing the chamber requires manually cycling the action to remove the errant round, as cycling the action normally depends on the energy of a cartridge firing.[21]With a revolver, this is not necessary as none of the energy for cycling the revolver comes from the firing of the cartridge, but is supplied by the user either through cocking the hammer or, in a double-action design, by just squeezing the trigger.[21]Another significant advantage of revolvers is superior ergonomics, particularly for users with small hands.[21]A revolver\'s grip does not hold a magazine, and it can be designed or customized much more than the grip of a typical semi-automatic.[21]Partially because of these reasons, revolvers still hold significant market share as concealed carry and home-defense weapons.[21]A revolver can be kept loaded and ready to fire without fatiguing any springs and is not very dependent on lubrication for proper firing.[21]Additionally, in the case of double-action-only revolvers there is no risk of accidental discharge from dropping alone, as the hammer is cocked by the trigger pull.[21]However, the revolver\'s clockwork-like internal parts are relatively delicate and can become misaligned after a severe impact, and its revolving cylinder can become jammed by excessive dirt or debris.[21]Over the long period of development of the revolver, many calibers have been used.[23]Some of these have proved more durable during periods of standardization and some have entered general public awareness. Among these are the.22 rimfire, a caliber popular for target shooting and teaching novice shooters;.38 Specialand.357 Magnum, known for police use; the.44 Magnum, famous fromClint Eastwood\'s \"Dirty Harry\" films; and the.45 Colt, used in the Colt revolver of theWild West. Introduced in 2003, theSmith & Wesson Model 500is one of the most powerful revolvers, utilizing the.500 S&W Magnumcartridge.[24]Because the rounds in a revolver areheadspacedon the rim, some revolvers are capable of chambering more than one type of ammunition. The .44 Magnum round will chamber the shorter .44 Special and shorter.44 Colt, likewise the .357 Magnum will safely chamber .38 Special and.38 Short Colt. In 1996 a revolver known as the Medusa M47 was made that could chamber 25 different cartridges with bullet diameters between .355\" and .357\".[25]LeMat Percussion Revolver, with 9 revolving chambers firing bullets and a center shotgun barrel firinglead shot, used by the Confederate Troupes in theAmerican Civil War.LeMat Revolver, an unusual pinfire cartridge modelRevolver technology lives on in other weapons used by the military. Someautocannonsandgrenade launchersuse mechanisms similar to revolvers, and someriot shotgunsuse spring-loaded cylinders holding up to 12 rounds.[26]In addition to serving as backup guns, revolvers still fill the specialized niche role as a shield gun; law enforcement personnel using a \"bulletproof\" ballistic shield (Gun shield) sometimes opt for a revolver instead of a self-loading pistol, because the slide of a pistol may strike the front of the shield when fired. Revolvers do not suffer from this disadvantage. A second revolver may be secured behind the shield to provide a quick means of continuity of fire. Many police also still use revolvers as their duty weapon due to their relative mechanical simplicity and user friendliness.[27]With the advancement of technology and design in 2010 major revolver manufacturers are coming out with polymer frame revolvers like theRuger LCR,Smith & WessonBodyguard 38, andTaurusProtector Polymer. The new innovative design incorporates advanced polymer technology that lowers weight significantly, helps absorbs recoil, and strong enough to handle+Pand.357 Magnumloads. The polymer is only used on the lower frame and joined to a metal alloy upper frame, barrel, and cylinder. Polymer technology is considered one of the major advancements in revolver history because the frame has always been metal alloy and mostly one piece frame design.[28]Another recent development in revolver technology is theRhino, a revolver introduced by Italian manufacturerChiappain 2009 and first sold in the U.S. in 2010. The Rhino, built with the U.S. concealed carry market in mind, is designed so that the bullet fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder instead of the top chamber as in standard revolvers. This is intended to reducemuzzle flip, allowing for faster and more accurate repeat shots. In addition, the cylinder cross-section is hexagonal instead of circular, further reducing the weapon\'s profile.[19]Loading and unloading[edit]Front loading[edit]The first revolvers werefront loading, and were a bit likemusketsin that the powder and bullet were loaded separately. These werecaplocksor \"cap and ball\" revolvers, because the caplock method of priming was the first to be compact enough to make a practical revolver feasible. When loading, each chamber in the cylinder was rotated out of line with the barrel, and charged from the front with loose powder and an oversized bullet. Next, the chamber was aligned with the ramming lever underneath the barrel. Pulling the lever would drive arammerinto the chamber, pushing the ball securely in place. Finally, the user would placepercussion capson the nipples on the rear face of the cylinder.[5]After each shot, a user was advised to raise his revolver vertically while cocking back the hammer so as to allow the fragments of the spent percussion cap to fall out safely. Otherwise, the fragments could fall into the revolver\'s mechanism and jam it. Caplock revolvers were vulnerable to \"chain fires\", wherein hot gas from a shot ignited the powder in the other chambers. This could be prevented by sealing the chambers with cotton, wax, or grease.[29]Loading a cylinder in this manner was a slow and awkward process and generally could not be done in the midst of battle.[30]Some soldiers solved this by carrying multiple revolvers in the field. Another solution was to use a revolver with a detachable cylinder design. These revolvers allowed the shooter to quickly remove a cylinder and replace it with a full one.[16]Colt 1851 Navy withpowder flask.Front reloading a cap and ball pistol.Remington Model 1858replica made by Pietta.Fixed cylinder designs[edit]A fixed-cylinderNagant M1895with gate open for loadingIn many of the first generation of cartridge revolvers (especially those that were converted after manufacture), the base pin on which the cylinder revolved was removed, and the cylinder taken from the revolver for loading. Most revolvers using this method of loading are single-action revolvers, althoughIver Johnsonproduced double-action models with removable cylinders. The removable-cylinder design is employed in some modern \"micro-revolvers\" (usually in.22 caliber), in order to simplify their design. These weapons are small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.[28]Later single-action revolver models with a fixed cylinder used a loading gate at the rear of the cylinder that allowed insertion of one cartridge at a time for loading, while a rod under the barrel could be pressed rearward to eject the fired case.[31]The loading gate on the original Colt designs (and on nearly all single-action revolvers since, such as the famousColt Single Action Army) is on the right side, which was done to facilitate loading while on horseback; with the revolver held in the left hand with the reins of the horse, the cartridges can be ejected and loaded with the right hand.[32]Because the cylinders in these types of revolvers are firmly attached at the front and rear of the frame, and the frame is typically full thickness all the way around, fixed cylinder revolvers are inherently strong designs. Accordingly, many modern large caliber hunting revolvers tend to be based on the fixed cylinder design. Fixed cylinder revolvers can fire the strongest and most powerful cartridges, but at the price of being the slowest to load and reload and they cannot use speedloaders or moon clips for loading, as only one chamber is exposed at a time to the loading gate.[33]Top break[edit]AnIOF .32top-break revolverIn atop-breakrevolver, the frame is hinged at the bottom front of the cylinder. Releasing the lock and pushing the barrel down exposes the rear face of the cylinder. In most top-break revolvers, this act also operates an extractor that pushes the cartridges in the chambers back far enough that they will fall free, or can be removed easily. Fresh rounds are then inserted into the cylinder. The barrel and cylinder are then rotated back and locked in place, and the revolver is ready to fire.[16]Top break revolvers can be loaded more rapidly than fixed-frame revolvers, especially with the aid of aspeedloaderormoon clip. However, this design is much weaker and cannot handle high pressure rounds. While this design is mostly obsolete today, supplanted by the stronger yet equally convenient swing-out design, manufacturers have begun making reproductions of late 19th century designs for use incowboy action shooting.[16]The most commonly found top-break revolvers were manufactured by Smith & Wesson, Webley & Scott, Iver Johnson, Harrington & Richardson, Manhattan Fire Arms,Meriden ArmsandForehand & Wadsworth.[34]Tip up[edit]Smith & Wesson Model 1 Third Issue openThe tip-up was the first revolver design for use with metallic cartridges in theSmith & Wesson Model 1. It is similar to the break-open design that had a hinge on the top rear of the frame, but in the case of the tip-up, the barrel release catch is located on the side of the frame in front of the trigger. Smith & Wesson discontinued it in the third series of theSmith & Wesson Model 1 1/2but it was fairly widely used in Europe in the 19th century, after a patent bySpirletin 1870, which also included an ejector.[35]Swing out cylinder[edit]A swing-out cylinder revolver.The most modern method of loading and unloading a revolver is by means of theswing out cylinder.[36]The cylinder is mounted on a pivot that is parallel to the chambers, and the cylinder swings out and down (to the left in most cases). An extractor is fitted, operated by a rod projecting from the front of the cylinder assembly. When pressed, it will push all fired rounds free simultaneously (as in top break models, the travel is designed to not completely extract longer, unfired rounds). The cylinder may then be loaded, singly or again with aspeedloader, closed, and latched in place.[16]The pivoting part that supports the cylinder is called the crane; it is the weak point of swing-out cylinder designs. Using the method often portrayed in movies and television of flipping the cylinder open and closed with a flick of the wrist can in fact cause the crane to bend over time, throwing the cylinder out of alignment with the barrel. Lack of alignment between chamber and barrel is a dangerous condition, as it can impede the bullet\'s transition from chamber to barrel. This gives rise to higher pressures in the chamber, bullet damage, and the potential for an explosion if the bullet becomes stuck.[37]The shock of firing can exert a great deal of stress on the crane, as in most designs the cylinder is only held closed at one point, the rear of the cylinder. Stronger designs, such as theRuger Super Redhawk, use a lock in the crane as well as the lock at the rear of the cylinder. This latch provides a more secure bond between cylinder and frame, and allows the use of larger, more powerful cartridges. Swing out cylinders are rather strong, but not as strong as fixed cylinders, and great care must be taken with the cylinder when loading, so as not to damage the Top: Replica of 1849 vintage. .44 Colt Revolving Holster Pistol (Dragoon); Colt Single Action Army Model 1873; Ruger (New Model) Super Blackhawk- Mid and late 20th Century.In a single-action revolver, the hammer is manually cocked, usually with the thumb of the firing or supporting hand. This action advances the cylinder to the next round and locks the cylinder in place with the chamber aligned with the barrel. The trigger, when pulled, releases the hammer, which fires the round in the chamber. To fire again, the hammer must be manually cocked again. This is called \"single-action\" because the trigger only performs a single action, of releasing the hammer. Because only a single action is performed and trigger pull is lightened, firing a revolver in this way allows most shooters to achieve greater accuracy. Additionally, the need to cock the hammer manually acts as a safety. TheColt PatersonRevolver, theWalker Colt, theColt\'s Dragoonand theColt Single Action Armypistol of the American Frontier era are all good examples of this system.[16]Double-action[edit]Colt Anaconda.44 Magnum double-action revolverIn double-action (DA), the stroke of the trigger pull generates three actions:The hammer is pulled back to the cocked position.At the same time, the cylinder isindexedto the next round.The hammer is released to strike thefiring pin.Thus, DA means that a cocking action separate from the trigger pull is unnecessary; every trigger pull will result in a complete cycle. This allows uncocked carry, while also allowing draw-and-fire using only the trigger. A longer and harder trigger stroke is the trade-off. However, this drawback can also be viewed as a safety feature, as the gun is safer against accidental discharges from being dropped.[16]Most double-action revolvers may be fired in two ways.[16]The first way is single-action; that is, exactly the same as a single-action revolver; the hammer is cocked with the thumb, which indexes the cylinder, and when the trigger is pulled, the hammer is tripped.The second way is double-action, or from a hammer-down position. In this case, the trigger first cocks the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then trips the hammer at the rear of the trigger stroke, firing the round in the chamber.Enfield No. 2 Mk I* double-action-only revolver. Note the spurless hammer.Certain revolvers, calleddouble-action-only(DAO) or, more correctly but less commonly,self-cocking, lack the latch that enables the hammer to be locked to the rear, and thus can only be fired in the double-action mode. With no way to lock the hammer back, DAO designs tend to havebobbedorspurlesshammers, and may even have the hammer completely covered by the revolver\'s frame (i.e., shrouded or hooded). These are generally intended for concealed carrying, where a hammer spur could snag when the revolver is drawn. The potential reduction in accuracy in aimed fire is offset by the increased capability for concealment.[38]DA and DAO revolvers were the standard-issue sidearm of countless police departments for many decades. Only in the 1990s did the semiautomatic pistol begin to make serious inroads after the advent ofsafe actions. The reasons for these choices are the modes of carry and use. Double action is good for high-stress situations because it allows a mode of carry in which \"draw and pull the trigger\" is the only requirement—no safety catch release nor separate cocking stroke is required.[38]Other[edit]In the cap-and-ball days of the mid 19th century, two revolver models, the EnglishTranterand the American Savage “Figure Eight”, used a method whereby the hammer was cocked by the shooter’s middle finger pulling on a second trigger below the main trigger.Iver Johnsonmade an unusual model from 1940 to 1947, called theTrigger Cocking Double Action. If the hammer was down, pulling the trigger would cock the hammer. If the trigger was pulled with the hammer cocked, it would then fire. This meant that to fire the revolver from a hammer down state, the trigger must be pulled twice.[39]3D printed revolver[edit]See also:List of 3D printed weapons and partsThe examples and perspective in this sectionmay not represent aworldwide viewof the subject.You mayimprove this article, discuss the issue on thetalk page, orcreate a new article, as appropriate.(February 2015)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)TheZig zag revolveris a 3D printed .38 Revolver made public in May 2014.[40][41][41]It was created using an $500 plastic 3D-printer used, the name of the printer was not revealed by the creator.[41]It was created by a Japanese citizen fromKawasakinamed Yoshitomo Imura[41]He was arrested in May 2014 after he had posted a video online of himself firing a 3D printed Zig Zag revolver.[40]It is the first 3D printed Japanese gun in the world which can discharge live cartridges.[41]Use with suppressors[edit]As a general rule, revolvers cannot be effective with asound suppressor(\"silencer\"), as there is usually a small gap between the revolving cylinder and the barrel which a bullet must traverse or jump when fired. From this opening, a rather loud report is produced. A suppressor can only suppress noise coming from the muzzle.[42]A suppressible revolver design does exist in theNagant M1895, a Belgian designed revolver used by Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union from 1895 throughWorld War II. This revolver uses a unique cartridge whose case extends beyond the tip of the bullet, and a cylinder that moves forward to place the end of the cartridge inside the barrel when ready to fire. This bridges the gap between the cylinder and the barrel, and expands to seal the gap when fired. While the tiny gap between cylinder and barrel on most revolvers is insignificant to theinternal ballistics, the seal is especially effective when used with a suppressor, and a number of suppressed Nagant revolvers have been used since its invention.[43]There is a modern revolver of Russian design, theOTs-38,[44]which uses ammunition that incorporates the silencing mechanism into the cartridge case, making the gap between cylinder and barrel irrelevant as far as the suppression issue is concerned. The OTs-38 does need an unusually close and precise fit between the cylinder and barrel due to the shape of bullet in the special ammunition (Soviet SP-4), which was originally designed for use in a semi-automatic.Additionally, the US Military experimented with designing a special version of theSmith & Wesson Model 29forTunnel Rats, called theQuiet Special Purpose Revolveror QSPR. Using special .40 caliber ammunition, it never entered official service.[45]Automatic revolvers[edit]Main article:Automatic revolverThe term \"automatic revolver\" has two different meanings, the first being used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when \"automatic\" referred not to the operational mechanism of firing, but of extraction and ejection of spent casings. An \"automatic revolver\" in this context is one which extracts empty fired cases \"automatically,\" i.e., upon breaking open the action, rather than requiring manual extraction of each case individually with a sliding rod or pin (as in the Colt Single Action Army design). This term was widely used in the advertising of the period as a way to distinguish such revolvers from the far more common rod-extraction types.[46]In the second sense, \"automatic revolver\" refers to the mechanism of firing rather than extraction. Double-action revolvers use a long trigger pull to cock the hammer, thus negating the need to manually cock the hammer between shots. The disadvantage of this is that the long, heavy pull cocking the hammer makes the double-action revolver much harder to shoot accurately than a single-action revolver (although cocking the hammer of a double-action reduces the length and weight of the trigger pull). A rare class of revolvers, called automatic for its firing design, attempts to overcome this restriction, giving the high speed of a double-action with the trigger effort of a single-action. TheWebley-Fosbery Automatic Revolveris the most famous commercial example. It was recoil-operated, and the cylinder and barrel recoiled backwards to cock the hammer and revolve the cylinder. Cam grooves were milled on the outside of the cylinder to provide a means of advancing to the next chamber—half a turn as the cylinder moved back, and half a turn as it moved forward. .38 caliber versions held eight shots, .455 caliber versions six. At the time, the few available automatic pistols were larger, less reliable, and more expensive. The automatic revolver was popular when it first came out, but was quickly superseded by the creation of reliable, inexpensivesemi-automatic pistols.[47]In 1997, theMatebacompany developed a type of recoil-operated automatic revolver, commercially named theMateba Autorevolver, which uses the recoil energy to auto-rotate a normal revolver cylinder holding six or seven cartridges, depending on the model. The company has made several versions of its Autorevolver, including longer-barrelled and carbine variations, chambered for.357 Magnum,.44 Magnumand.454 Casull.[48]ThePancor Jackhammeris acombat shotgunbased on a similar mechanism to an automatic revolver. It uses ablow-forwardaction to move the barrel forward (which unlocks it from the cylinder) and then rotate the cylinder and cock the hammer.[49]Arevolveris a repeatinghandgunthat has a revolvingcylindercontaining multiplechambersand at least onebarrelfor firing. Revolvers might be regarded as a subset ofpistols, or as an equal-ranking subset of handguns, distinct from pistols. Though the term \"revolver\" usually only refers to handguns, otherfirearmsmay also have a revolving chamber. These include some models ofgrenade launchers,shotguns, andrifles. Most revolvers contain five or six rounds in the cylinder.Though the original name wasrevolving gun, the short-hand \"revolver\" is universally used. (Cannonusing this mechanism are known asrevolver cannon.) Nearly all early revolvers and many modern ones have six chambers in the cylinder, giving rise to the slang termsix-shooter; however, revolvers with a number of different chambers have been made, with most modern revolvers having 5 or 6 chambers.The revolver allows the user to fire multiple rounds without reloading. Each time the user cocks thehammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name. In asingle-actionrevolver, the user pulls the hammer back with his free hand or thumb; the trigger pull only releases the hammer. In adouble-actionrevolver, pulling the trigger moves the hammer back, then releases it, which requires a longer and heavier trigger pull than single-action. Loading and unloading a double-action revolver requires the operator to swing out the cylinder and insert the proper ammunition, all while keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction.The first guns with multichambered cylinders that revolved to feed one barrel were made in the late 16th century in Europe. They were expensive and rare curiosities. Not until the 19th century would revolvers become common weapons of industrial production. One of the first was aflintlockrevolver patented byElisha Collierin 1814. The first percussion revolver was made by Lenormand of Paris in 1820[1]and the firstpercussion caprevolver was invented by the ItalianFrancesco Antonio Broccuin 1833. He received a prize of 300 francs for his invention; although he did not patent it, his revolver was shown to KingCharles Albert of Sardinia. However, in 1835 a similar handgun was patented bySamuel Colt, who would go on to make the first mass-produced revolver.The firstcartridgerevolvers were produced around 1854 by Eugene Lefaucheux.Revolvers soon became standard for nearly all uses. In the early 20th century,semi-automatic pistolswere developed, which can hold more rounds, and are faster to reload. \"Automatic\" pistols also have a flat profile, more suitable forconcealed carry. Semi-auto pistols were not considered reliable enough for serious police work or self-defense until the later half of the century, however, and revolvers were the dominant handgun for police and civilians until modern pistols such as theBeretta 92andGlock 17were developed in the 70s and 80s. Automatic pistols have almost completely replaced revolvers in military and law enforcement use (in military use, from 1910-1960; in law enforcement, in the 1980s and 1990s).Revolvers still remain popular as back-up and off-duty handguns among American law enforcement officers and security guards. Also, revolvers are still common in the American private sector as defensive and sporting/hunting firearms. Famous police and military revolvers include theWebley, theColt Single Action Army, theColt Police Special, theSmith & Wesson Model 36, theSmith & Wesson Model 10, theSmith & Wesson 1917, theSmith & Wesson Model 3, and theNagant M1895.Contents[hide]1 History1.1 Patents2 Design3 Loading and unloading3.1 Front loading3.2 Fixed cylinder designs3.3 Top break3.4 Tip up3.5 Swing out cylinder4 Action4.1 Single-action4.2 Double-action4.3 Other5 3D printed revolver6 Use with suppressors7 Automatic revolvers8 Revolving long guns8.1 Rifles8.2 Shotguns9 Six gun10 Notable brands and manufacturers11 Gallery12 See also13 References14 External linksHistory[edit]Detail of an 8-chamberedmatchlockrevolver (Germany c. 1580)In thedevelopment of firearms, an important limiting factor was the time it took to reload the weapon after it was fired. While the user was reloading, the weapon was useless, and an adversary might be able to take advantage of the situation and kill or wound the user. Several approaches to the problem of increasing the rate of fire were developed, the earliest being multi-barrelled weapons which allowed two or more shots without reloading.[2]Later weapons featured multiple barrels revolving along a single axis.The earliest examples of what today is called a revolver were made in Germany in the late 16th century. These weapons featured a single barrel with a revolving cylinder holding the powder and ball. They would soon be made by many European gun-makers, in numerous designs and configurations.[3]However, these weapons were difficult to use, complicated and prohibitively expensive to make, and as such they were not widely distributed.Colt Paterson 2nd Belt ModelIn 1836, an American,Samuel Coltpatented the mechanism that led to the widespread use of the revolver, the mechanically indexing cylinder. According to Samuel Colt, he came up with the idea for the revolver while at sea, inspired by thecapstan, which had aratchet and pawlmechanism on it, a version of which was used in his guns to rotate the cylinder by cocking the hammer. This provided a reliable and repeatable way to index each round and did away with the need to manually rotate the cylinder. Revolvers proliferated largely due to Colt\'s ability as asalesman[citation needed]. But his influence spread in other ways as well; the build quality ofhis company\'s guns became famous, and itsarmoriesin America and England trained several seminal generations oftoolmakersand othermachinists, who had great influence in other manufacturing efforts of the next half century.[4]Early revolvers werecaplocksand loaded as amuzzle-loader: the user pouredblack powderinto each chamber, rammed down a bullet on top of it, then placedpercussion capson the nipple at the rear of each chamber, where thehammerwould fall on it. This was similar to loading a traditional single-shot muzzle-loading pistol, except that the powder and shot could be loaded directly into the front of the cylinder rather than having to be loaded down the whole length of the barrel. Importantly, this allowed the barrel itself to berifled, since the user wasn\'t required to force the tight fitting bullet down the barrel in order to load it (a traditional muzzle-loading pistol had asmoothboreand relatively loose fitting shot, which allowed easy loading, but gave much less accuracy). When firing the next shot, the user would raise his pistol vertically as he cocked the hammer back so as to let the fragments of the burst percussion cap fall out so as to not jam the mechanism. Some of the most popular cap-and-ball revolvers were theColt Model 1851 \"Navy\"Mode,1860 \"Army\" Model, andColt Pocket Percussionrevolvers, all of which saw extensive use in theAmerican Civil War. Although American revolvers were the most common, European arms makers were making numerous revolvers by that time as well, many of which found their way into the hands of the American forces, including the single action Lefaucheux andLeMat revolverand theBeaumont–AdamsandTranterrevolvers, which were earlydouble-actionweapons, in spite of being muzzle-loaders.[5]A Smith & Wesson Model 1, 2nd Issue. This is a two patent date variety shown next to a period box of .22 short black powder cartridges.In 1854, Eugene Lefaucheux introduced the Lefaucheux Model 1854, the first revolver to use self-containedmetallic cartridgesrather than loosepowder,pistol ball, andpercussion caps. It is asingle-action,pinfirerevolver holding six rounds.[6]On November 17, 1856,Daniel B. WessonandHorace Smithsigned an agreement for the exclusive use of the Rollin White Patent at a rate of 25 cents for every revolver.Smith & Wessonbegan production late in 1857 and enjoyed years of exclusive production of rear-loading cartridge revolvers in America, due to their association withRollin White, who held the patent and vigorously defended it against any perceived infringement by other manufacturers (much as Colt had done with his original patent on the revolver). Although White held the patent, other manufacturers were able to sell firearms using the design, provided they were willing to pay royalties.[7][8]After White\'s patent expired in April 1869, a 3rd extension was refused. Other gun-makers were then allowed to produce their own weapons using the rear-loading method, without having to pay a royalty on each gun sold. Early guns were often conversions of earlier cap-and-ball revolvers, modified to accept metallic cartridges loaded from the rear, but later models, such as theColt Model 1872 \"Open Top\"and theSmith & Wesson Model 3, were designed from the start as cartridge revolvers.[7]Colt Single Action Army, serial No 5773 issued 7th Cavalry during the Indian War period.In 1873, Colt introduced the famous Model 1873, also known as theSingle Action Army, the \"Colt .45\" (not to be confused with Colt made models of theM1911semi-automatic) or simply, \"the Peacemaker\", one of the most famous handguns ever made.[9]This popular design, which was a culmination of many of the advances introduced in earlier weapons, fired 6 metallic cartridges and was offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths. It is still in production, along with numerousclonesand lookalikes, and its overall appearance has remained the same since 1873. Although originally made for theUnited States Army, the Model 1873 was widely distributed and popular with civilians,ranchers,lawmen, andoutlawsalike. Its design has influenced countless other revolvers. Colt has discontinued its production twice, but brought it back due to popular demand and continues to make it to this day.In the U.S. the traditional single-action revolver still reigned supreme until the late 19th century. In Europe, however, arms makers were quick to adopt the double-action trigger. While the US was producing weapons like the Model 1873, the Europeans were building double-action models like the FrenchMAS Modèle 1873and the somewhat later BritishEnfield Mk I and II revolvers(Britain relied on cartridge conversions of the earlierBeaumont–Adamsdouble-action prior to this). Colt\'s first attempt at a double action revolver to compete with the European manufacturers was the Colt Model 1877, which earned lasting notoriety for its overly complex, expensive and fragile trigger mechanism, which in addition to failing frequently, also had a terrible trigger pull unless given the attentions of a competent gunsmith.Iconic Smith & Wesson M&P revolverIn 1889, Colt introduced theModel 1889, the first truly modern double action revolver, which differed from earlier double action revolvers by having a \"swing-out\" cylinder, as opposed to a \"top-break\" or \"side-loading\" cylinder. Swing out cylinders quickly caught on, because they combined the best features of earlier designs. Top-break actions gave the ability to eject all empty shells simultaneously, and exposed all chambers for easy reloading, but having the frame hinged into two halves weakened the gun and negatively affected accuracy, due to lack of rigidity. \"Side-loaders\", like the earlier Colt Model 1871 and 1873, gave a rigid frame, but required the user to eject and load one cylinder at a time, as they rotated the cylinder to line each chamber up with the side-mounted loading gate.[10]Smith & Wesson followed 7 years later with the \'\'Hand Ejector, Model 1896\'\' in.32 S&W Longcaliber, followed by the very similar, yet improved,Model 1899(later known as the Model 10), which introduced the new .38 Special cartridge. The Model 10 went on to become the best selling handgun of the 20th century, at 6,000,000 units, and the.38 Specialis still the most popular chambering for revolvers in the world. These new guns were an improvement over the Colt 1889 design since they incorporated a combined center-pin and ejector rod to lock the cylinder in position. The 1889 did not use a center pin and the cylinder was prone to move out of alignment.[10]Revolvers have remained popular to the present day in many areas, although in the military and law enforcement, they have largely been supplanted by magazine-fedsemi-automatic pistolssuch as theBeretta M9, especially in circumstances where reload time and higher cartridge capacity are deemed important.[11]Patents[edit]Elisha Collierof Boston, Massachusetts patented a flintlock revolver in Britain in 1818, and significant numbers were being produced in London by 1822.[12]The origination of this invention is in doubt, as similar designs were patented in the same year byArtemus Wheelerin the United States and byCornelius Coolidgein France.[13]Samuel Coltsubmitted a British patent for his revolver in 1835 and an American patent (number 138) on February 25, 1836 for aRevolving gun, and made the first production model on March 5 of that year.[14]Another revolver patent was issued to Samuel Colt on August 29, 1839. The February 25, 1836 patent was then reissued asU.S. Patent RE00,124entitledRevolving gunon October 24, 1848. This was followed byU.S. Patent 0,007,613on September 3, 1850 for aRevolver, and byU.S. Patent 0,007,629on September 10, 1850 for aRevolver.U.S. Patent 5,333,531was issued toRoger C. Fieldfor an economical device for minimizing the flash gap of a revolver between the barrel and the cylinder. In 1855,Rollin Whitepatented the bored-through cylinder entitledImprovement in revolving fire-armsU.S. Patent 00,093,653. In 1856 Horace Smith & Daniel Wesson formed a partnership (S&W), developed and manufactured a revolver chambered for a self-contained metallic cartridge.[15]Design[edit]Details of aSchmidt M1882, showing the hammer, chambers for the ammunition in the cylinder, and the mechanism to rotate the cylinder. Revolver of the Gendarmerie ofVaud, on display atMorgescastle museum.A revolver works by having several firing chambers arranged in a circle in a cylindrical block that are brought into alignment with the firing mechanism and barrel one at a time. In contrast, other repeating firearms, such as bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action, and semi-automatic, have a single firing chamber and a mechanism to load and extract cartridges into it.[16]A single-action revolver requires the hammer to be pulled back by hand before each shot, which also revolves the cylinder. This leaves the trigger with just one \"single action\" left to perform - releasing the hammer to fire the shot - so the force and distance required to pull the trigger can be minimal. In contrast, with a self-cocking revolver, one long squeeze of the trigger pulls back the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then finally fires the shot. They can generally be fired faster than a single-action, but with reduced accuracy in the hands of most shooters.[16]Most modern revolvers are \"traditional double-action\", which means they may operate either in single-action or self-cocking mode. The accepted meaning of \"double-action\" has, confusingly, come to be the same as \"self-cocking\", so modern revolvers that cannot be pre-cocked are called \"double-action-only\".[16]These are intended for concealed carry, because the hammer of a traditional design is prone to snagging on clothes when drawn. Most revolvers do not come withaccessory rails, which are used for mountinglightsandlasers, except for theSmith & WessonM&P R8 (.357 Magnum),[17]Smith & Wesson Model 325 Thunder Ranch (.45 ACP),[18]and all versions of theChiappa Rhino(.357 Magnum,9×19mm,.40 S&W, or9×21mm) except for the 2\" model, respectively.[19]However, certain revolvers, such as theTaurus JudgeandCharter Armsrevolvers, can be fitted with accessory rails.[20]Advertisement forIver Johnsonrevolver claimed to be safe enough for babies to handleMost commonly, such revolvers have 5 or 6 chambers, hence the common names of \"six-gun\" or \"six-shooter\".[21]However, some revolvers have 7, 8, 9, or 10 chambers,[21]often depending on thecaliber, and at least one revolver has 12 chambers (theUS Fire ArmsModel 12/22).[22]Each chamber has to be reloaded manually, which makes reloading a revolver a much slower procedure than reloading a semi-automatic pistol.[21]Compared to autoloading handguns, a revolver is often much simpler to operate and may have greater reliability.[21]For example, should asemiautomaticpistol fail to fire, clearing the chamber requires manually cycling the action to remove the errant round, as cycling the action normally depends on the energy of a cartridge firing.[21]With a revolver, this is not necessary as none of the energy for cycling the revolver comes from the firing of the cartridge, but is supplied by the user either through cocking the hammer or, in a double-action design, by just squeezing the trigger.[21]Another significant advantage of revolvers is superior ergonomics, particularly for users with small hands.[21]A revolver\'s grip does not hold a magazine, and it can be designed or customized much more than the grip of a typical semi-automatic.[21]Partially because of these reasons, revolvers still hold significant market share as concealed carry and home-defense weapons.[21]A revolver can be kept loaded and ready to fire without fatiguing any springs and is not very dependent on lubrication for proper firing.[21]Additionally, in the case of double-action-only revolvers there is no risk of accidental discharge from dropping alone, as the hammer is cocked by the trigger pull.[21]However, the revolver\'s clockwork-like internal parts are relatively delicate and can become misaligned after a severe impact, and its revolving cylinder can become jammed by excessive dirt or debris.[21]Over the long period of development of the revolver, many calibers have been used.[23]Some of these have proved more durable during periods of standardization and some have entered general public awareness. Among these are the.22 rimfire, a caliber popular for target shooting and teaching novice shooters;.38 Specialand.357 Magnum, known for police use; the.44 Magnum, famous fromClint Eastwood\'s \"Dirty Harry\" films; and the.45 Colt, used in the Colt revolver of theWild West. Introduced in 2003, theSmith & Wesson Model 500is one of the most powerful revolvers, utilizing the.500 S&W Magnumcartridge.[24]Because the rounds in a revolver areheadspacedon the rim, some revolvers are capable of chambering more than one type of ammunition. The .44 Magnum round will chamber the shorter .44 Special and shorter.44 Colt, likewise the .357 Magnum will safely chamber .38 Special and.38 Short Colt. In 1996 a revolver known as the Medusa M47 was made that could chamber 25 different cartridges with bullet diameters between .355\" and .357\".[25]LeMat Percussion Revolver, with 9 revolving chambers firing bullets and a center shotgun barrel firinglead shot, used by the Confederate Troupes in theAmerican Civil War.LeMat Revolver, an unusual pinfire cartridge modelRevolver technology lives on in other weapons used by the military. Someautocannonsandgrenade launchersuse mechanisms similar to revolvers, and someriot shotgunsuse spring-loaded cylinders holding up to 12 rounds.[26]In addition to serving as backup guns, revolvers still fill the specialized niche role as a shield gun; law enforcement personnel using a \"bulletproof\" ballistic shield (Gun shield) sometimes opt for a revolver instead of a self-loading pistol, because the slide of a pistol may strike the front of the shield when fired. Revolvers do not suffer from this disadvantage. A second revolver may be secured behind the shield to provide a quick means of continuity of fire. Many police also still use revolvers as their duty weapon due to their relative mechanical simplicity and user friendliness.[27]With the advancement of technology and design in 2010 major revolver manufacturers are coming out with polymer frame revolvers like theRuger LCR,Smith & WessonBodyguard 38, andTaurusProtector Polymer. The new innovative design incorporates advanced polymer technology that lowers weight significantly, helps absorbs recoil, and strong enough to handle+Pand.357 Magnumloads. The polymer is only used on the lower frame and joined to a metal alloy upper frame, barrel, and cylinder. Polymer technology is considered one of the major advancements in revolver history because the frame has always been metal alloy and mostly one piece frame design.[28]Another recent development in revolver technology is theRhino, a revolver introduced by Italian manufacturerChiappain 2009 and first sold in the U.S. in 2010. The Rhino, built with the U.S. concealed carry market in mind, is designed so that the bullet fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder instead of the top chamber as in standard revolvers. This is intended to reducemuzzle flip, allowing for faster and more accurate repeat shots. In addition, the cylinder cross-section is hexagonal instead of circular, further reducing the weapon\'s profile.[19]Loading and unloading[edit]Front loading[edit]The first revolvers werefront loading, and were a bit likemusketsin that the powder and bullet were loaded separately. These werecaplocksor \"cap and ball\" revolvers, because the caplock method of priming was the first to be compact enough to make a practical revolver feasible. When loading, each chamber in the cylinder was rotated out of line with the barrel, and charged from the front with loose powder and an oversized bullet. Next, the chamber was aligned with the ramming lever underneath the barrel. Pulling the lever would drive arammerinto the chamber, pushing the ball securely in place. Finally, the user would placepercussion capson the nipples on the rear face of the cylinder.[5]After each shot, a user was advised to raise his revolver vertically while cocking back the hammer so as to allow the fragments of the spent percussion cap to fall out safely. Otherwise, the fragments could fall into the revolver\'s mechanism and jam it. Caplock revolvers were vulnerable to \"chain fires\", wherein hot gas from a shot ignited the powder in the other chambers. This could be prevented by sealing the chambers with cotton, wax, or grease.[29]Loading a cylinder in this manner was a slow and awkward process and generally could not be done in the midst of battle.[30]Some soldiers solved this by carrying multiple revolvers in the field. Another solution was to use a revolver with a detachable cylinder design. These revolvers allowed the shooter to quickly remove a cylinder and replace it with a full one.[16]Colt 1851 Navy withpowder flask.Front reloading a cap and ball pistol.Remington Model 1858replica made by Pietta.Fixed cylinder designs[edit]A fixed-cylinderNagant M1895with gate open for loadingIn many of the first generation of cartridge revolvers (especially those that were converted after manufacture), the base pin on which the cylinder revolved was removed, and the cylinder taken from the revolver for loading. Most revolvers using this method of loading are single-action revolvers, althoughIver Johnsonproduced double-action models with removable cylinders. The removable-cylinder design is employed in some modern \"micro-revolvers\" (usually in.22 caliber), in order to simplify their design. These weapons are small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.[28]Later single-action revolver models with a fixed cylinder used a loading gate at the rear of the cylinder that allowed insertion of one cartridge at a time for loading, while a rod under the barrel could be pressed rearward to eject the fired case.[31]The loading gate on the original Colt designs (and on nearly all single-action revolvers since, such as the famousColt Single Action Army) is on the right side, which was done to facilitate loading while on horseback; with the revolver held in the left hand with the reins of the horse, the cartridges can be ejected and loaded with the right hand.[32]Because the cylinders in these types of revolvers are firmly attached at the front and rear of the frame, and the frame is typically full thickness all the way around, fixed cylinder revolvers are inherently strong designs. Accordingly, many modern large caliber hunting revolvers tend to be based on the fixed cylinder design. Fixed cylinder revolvers can fire the strongest and most powerful cartridges, but at the price of being the slowest to load and reload and they cannot use speedloaders or moon clips for loading, as only one chamber is exposed at a time to the loading gate.[33]Top break[edit]AnIOF .32top-break revolverIn atop-breakrevolver, the frame is hinged at the bottom front of the cylinder. Releasing the lock and pushing the barrel down exposes the rear face of the cylinder. In most top-break revolvers, this act also operates an extractor that pushes the cartridges in the chambers back far enough that they will fall free, or can be removed easily. Fresh rounds are then inserted into the cylinder. The barrel and cylinder are then rotated back and locked in place, and the revolver is ready to fire.[16]Top break revolvers can be loaded more rapidly than fixed-frame revolvers, especially with the aid of aspeedloaderormoon clip. However, this design is much weaker and cannot handle high pressure rounds. While this design is mostly obsolete today, supplanted by the stronger yet equally convenient swing-out design, manufacturers have begun making reproductions of late 19th century designs for use incowboy action shooting.[16]The most commonly found top-break revolvers were manufactured by Smith & Wesson, Webley & Scott, Iver Johnson, Harrington & Richardson, Manhattan Fire Arms,Meriden ArmsandForehand & Wadsworth.[34]Tip up[edit]Smith & Wesson Model 1 Third Issue openThe tip-up was the first revolver design for use with metallic cartridges in theSmith & Wesson Model 1. It is similar to the break-open design that had a hinge on the top rear of the frame, but in the case of the tip-up, the barrel release catch is located on the side of the frame in front of the trigger. Smith & Wesson discontinued it in the third series of theSmith & Wesson Model 1 1/2but it was fairly widely used in Europe in the 19th century, after a patent bySpirletin 1870, which also included an ejector.[35]Swing out cylinder[edit]A swing-out cylinder revolver.The most modern method of loading and unloading a revolver is by means of theswing out cylinder.[36]The cylinder is mounted on a pivot that is parallel to the chambers, and the cylinder swings out and down (to the left in most cases). An extractor is fitted, operated by a rod projecting from the front of the cylinder assembly. When pressed, it will push all fired rounds free simultaneously (as in top break models, the travel is designed to not completely extract longer, unfired rounds). The cylinder may then be loaded, singly or again with aspeedloader, closed, and latched in place.[16]The pivoting part that supports the cylinder is called the crane; it is the weak point of swing-out cylinder designs. Using the method often portrayed in movies and television of flipping the cylinder open and closed with a flick of the wrist can in fact cause the crane to bend over time, throwing the cylinder out of alignment with the barrel. Lack of alignment between chamber and barrel is a dangerous condition, as it can impede the bullet\'s transition from chamber to barrel. This gives rise to higher pressures in the chamber, bullet damage, and the potential for an explosion if the bullet becomes stuck.[37]The shock of firing can exert a great deal of stress on the crane, as in most designs the cylinder is only held closed at one point, the rear of the cylinder. Stronger designs, such as theRuger Super Redhawk, use a lock in the crane as well as the lock at the rear of the cylinder. This latch provides a more secure bond between cylinder and frame, and allows the use of larger, more powerful cartridges. Swing out cylinders are rather strong, but not as strong as fixed cylinders, and great care must be taken with the cylinder when loading, so as not to damage the Top: Replica of 1849 vintage. .44 Colt Revolving Holster Pistol (Dragoon); Colt Single Action Army Model 1873; Ruger (New Model) Super Blackhawk- Mid and late 20th Century.In a single-action revolver, the hammer is manually cocked, usually with the thumb of the firing or supporting hand. This action advances the cylinder to the next round and locks the cylinder in place with the chamber aligned with the barrel. The trigger, when pulled, releases the hammer, which fires the round in the chamber. To fire again, the hammer must be manually cocked again. This is called \"single-action\" because the trigger only performs a single action, of releasing the hammer. Because only a single action is performed and trigger pull is lightened, firing a revolver in this way allows most shooters to achieve greater accuracy. Additionally, the need to cock the hammer manually acts as a safety. TheColt PatersonRevolver, theWalker Colt, theColt\'s Dragoonand theColt Single Action Armypistol of the American Frontier era are all good examples of this system.[16]Double-action[edit]Colt Anaconda.44 Magnum double-action revolverIn double-action (DA), the stroke of the trigger pull generates three actions:The hammer is pulled back to the cocked position.At the same time, the cylinder isindexedto the next round.The hammer is released to strike thefiring pin.Thus, DA means that a cocking action separate from the trigger pull is unnecessary; every trigger pull will result in a complete cycle. This allows uncocked carry, while also allowing draw-and-fire using only the trigger. A longer and harder trigger stroke is the trade-off. However, this drawback can also be viewed as a safety feature, as the gun is safer against accidental discharges from being dropped.[16]Most double-action revolvers may be fired in two ways.[16]The first way is single-action; that is, exactly the same as a single-action revolver; the hammer is cocked with the thumb, which indexes the cylinder, and when the trigger is pulled, the hammer is tripped.The second way is double-action, or from a hammer-down position. In this case, the trigger first cocks the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then trips the hammer at the rear of the trigger stroke, firing the round in the chamber.Enfield No. 2 Mk I* double-action-only revolver. Note the spurless hammer.Certain revolvers, calleddouble-action-only(DAO) or, more correctly but less commonly,self-cocking, lack the latch that enables the hammer to be locked to the rear, and thus can only be fired in the double-action mode. With no way to lock the hammer back, DAO designs tend to havebobbedorspurlesshammers, and may even have the hammer completely covered by the revolver\'s frame (i.e., shrouded or hooded). These are generally intended for concealed carrying, where a hammer spur could snag when the revolver is drawn. The potential reduction in accuracy in aimed fire is offset by the increased capability for concealment.[38]DA and DAO revolvers were the standard-issue sidearm of countless police departments for many decades. Only in the 1990s did the semiautomatic pistol begin to make serious inroads after the advent ofsafe actions. The reasons for these choices are the modes of carry and use. Double action is good for high-stress situations because it allows a mode of carry in which \"draw and pull the trigger\" is the only requirement—no safety catch release nor separate cocking stroke is required.[38]Other[edit]In the cap-and-ball days of the mid 19th century, two revolver models, the EnglishTranterand the American Savage “Figure Eight”, used a method whereby the hammer was cocked by the shooter’s middle finger pulling on a second trigger below the main trigger.Iver Johnsonmade an unusual model from 1940 to 1947, called theTrigger Cocking Double Action. If the hammer was down, pulling the trigger would cock the hammer. If the trigger was pulled with the hammer cocked, it would then fire. This meant that to fire the revolver from a hammer down state, the trigger must be pulled twice.[39]3D printed revolver[edit]See also:List of 3D printed weapons and partsThe examples and perspective in this sectionmay not represent aworldwide viewof the subject.You mayimprove this article, discuss the issue on thetalk page, orcreate a new article, as appropriate.(February 2015)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)TheZig zag revolveris a 3D printed .38 Revolver made public in May 2014.[40][41][41]It was created using an $500 plastic 3D-printer used, the name of the printer was not revealed by the creator.[41]It was created by a Japanese citizen fromKawasakinamed Yoshitomo Imura[41]He was arrested in May 2014 after he had posted a video online of himself firing a 3D printed Zig Zag revolver.[40]It is the first 3D printed Japanese gun in the world which can discharge live cartridges.[41]Use with suppressors[edit]As a general rule, revolvers cannot be effective with asound suppressor(\"silencer\"), as there is usually a small gap between the revolving cylinder and the barrel which a bullet must traverse or jump when fired. From this opening, a rather loud report is produced. A suppressor can only suppress noise coming from the muzzle.[42]A suppressible revolver design does exist in theNagant M1895, a Belgian designed revolver used by Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union from 1895 throughWorld War II. This revolver uses a unique cartridge whose case extends beyond the tip of the bullet, and a cylinder that moves forward to place the end of the cartridge inside the barrel when ready to fire. This bridges the gap between the cylinder and the barrel, and expands to seal the gap when fired. While the tiny gap between cylinder and barrel on most revolvers is insignificant to theinternal ballistics, the seal is especially effective when used with a suppressor, and a number of suppressed Nagant revolvers have been used since its invention.[43]There is a modern revolver of Russian design, theOTs-38,[44]which uses ammunition that incorporates the silencing mechanism into the cartridge case, making the gap between cylinder and barrel irrelevant as far as the suppression issue is concerned. The OTs-38 does need an unusually close and precise fit between the cylinder and barrel due to the shape of bullet in the special ammunition (Soviet SP-4), which was originally designed for use in a semi-automatic.Additionally, the US Military experimented with designing a special version of theSmith & Wesson Model 29forTunnel Rats, called theQuiet Special Purpose Revolveror QSPR. Using special .40 caliber ammunition, it never entered official service.[45]Automatic revolvers[edit]Main article:Automatic revolverThe term \"automatic revolver\" has two different meanings, the first being used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when \"automatic\" referred not to the operational mechanism of firing, but of extraction and ejection of spent casings. An \"automatic revolver\" in this context is one which extracts empty fired cases \"automatically,\" i.e., upon breaking open the action, rather than requiring manual extraction of each case individually with a sliding rod or pin (as in the Colt Single Action Army design). This term was widely used in the advertising of the period as a way to distinguish such revolvers from the far more common rod-extraction types.[46]In the second sense, \"automatic revolver\" refers to the mechanism of firing rather than extraction. Double-action revolvers use a long trigger pull to cock the hammer, thus negating the need to manually cock the hammer between shots. The disadvantage of this is that the long, heavy pull cocking the hammer makes the double-action revolver much harder to shoot accurately than a single-action revolver (although cocking the hammer of a double-action reduces the length and weight of the trigger pull). A rare class of revolvers, called automatic for its firing design, attempts to overcome this restriction, giving the high speed of a double-action with the trigger effort of a single-action. TheWebley-Fosbery Automatic Revolveris the most famous commercial example. It was recoil-operated, and the cylinder and barrel recoiled backwards to cock the hammer and revolve the cylinder. Cam grooves were milled on the outside of the cylinder to provide a means of advancing to the next chamber—half a turn as the cylinder moved back, and half a turn as it moved forward. .38 caliber versions held eight shots, .455 caliber versions six. At the time, the few available automatic pistols were larger, less reliable, and more expensive. The automatic revolver was popular when it first came out, but was quickly superseded by the creation of reliable, inexpensivesemi-automatic pistols.[47]In 1997, theMatebacompany developed a type of recoil-operated automatic revolver, commercially named theMateba Autorevolver, which uses the recoil energy to auto-rotate a normal revolver cylinder holding six or seven cartridges, depending on the model. The company has made several versions of its Autorevolver, including longer-barrelled and carbine variations, chambered for.357 Magnum,.44 Magnumand.454 Casull.[48]ThePancor Jackhammeris acombat shotgunbased on a similar mechanism to an automatic revolver. It uses ablow-forwardaction to move the barrel forward (which unlocks it from the cylinder) and then rotate the cylinder and cock the hammer.[49]Arevolveris a repeatinghandgunthat has a revolvingcylindercontaining multiplechambersand at least onebarrelfor firing. Revolvers might be regarded as a subset ofpistols, or as an equal-ranking subset of handguns, distinct from pistols. Though the term \"revolver\" usually only refers to handguns, otherfirearmsmay also have a revolving chamber. These include some models ofgrenade launchers,shotguns, andrifles. Most revolvers contain five or six rounds in the cylinder.Though the original name wasrevolving gun, the short-hand \"revolver\" is universally used. (Cannonusing this mechanism are known asrevolver cannon.) Nearly all early revolvers and many modern ones have six chambers in the cylinder, giving rise to the slang termsix-shooter; however, revolvers with a number of different chambers have been made, with most modern revolvers having 5 or 6 chambers.The revolver allows the user to fire multiple rounds without reloading. Each time the user cocks thehammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name. In asingle-actionrevolver, the user pulls the hammer back with his free hand or thumb; the trigger pull only releases the hammer. In adouble-actionrevolver, pulling the trigger moves the hammer back, then releases it, which requires a longer and heavier trigger pull than single-action. Loading and unloading a double-action revolver requires the operator to swing out the cylinder and insert the proper ammunition, all while keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction.The first guns with multichambered cylinders that revolved to feed one barrel were made in the late 16th century in Europe. They were expensive and rare curiosities. Not until the 19th century would revolvers become common weapons of industrial production. One of the first was aflintlockrevolver patented byElisha Collierin 1814. The first percussion revolver was made by Lenormand of Paris in 1820[1]and the firstpercussion caprevolver was invented by the ItalianFrancesco Antonio Broccuin 1833. He received a prize of 300 francs for his invention; although he did not patent it, his revolver was shown to KingCharles Albert of Sardinia. However, in 1835 a similar handgun was patented bySamuel Colt, who would go on to make the first mass-produced revolver.The firstcartridgerevolvers were produced around 1854 by Eugene Lefaucheux.Revolvers soon became standard for nearly all uses. In the early 20th century,semi-automatic pistolswere developed, which can hold more rounds, and are faster to reload. \"Automatic\" pistols also have a flat profile, more suitable forconcealed carry. Semi-auto pistols were not considered reliable enough for serious police work or self-defense until the later half of the century, however, and revolvers were the dominant handgun for police and civilians until modern pistols such as theBeretta 92andGlock 17were developed in the 70s and 80s. Automatic pistols have almost completely replaced revolvers in military and law enforcement use (in military use, from 1910-1960; in law enforcement, in the 1980s and 1990s).Revolvers still remain popular as back-up and off-duty handguns among American law enforcement officers and security guards. Also, revolvers are still common in the American private sector as defensive and sporting/hunting firearms. Famous police and military revolvers include theWebley, theColt Single Action Army, theColt Police Special, theSmith & Wesson Model 36, theSmith & Wesson Model 10, theSmith & Wesson 1917, theSmith & Wesson Model 3, and theNagant M1895.Contents[hide]1 History1.1 Patents2 Design3 Loading and unloading3.1 Front loading3.2 Fixed cylinder designs3.3 Top break3.4 Tip up3.5 Swing out cylinder4 Action4.1 Single-action4.2 Double-action4.3 Other5 3D printed revolver6 Use with suppressors7 Automatic revolvers8 Revolving long guns8.1 Rifles8.2 Shotguns9 Six gun10 Notable brands and manufacturers11 Gallery12 See also13 References14 External linksHistory[edit]Detail of an 8-chamberedmatchlockrevolver (Germany c. 1580)In thedevelopment of firearms, an important limiting factor was the time it took to reload the weapon after it was fired. While the user was reloading, the weapon was useless, and an adversary might be able to take advantage of the situation and kill or wound the user. Several approaches to the problem of increasing the rate of fire were developed, the earliest being multi-barrelled weapons which allowed two or more shots without reloading.[2]Later weapons featured multiple barrels revolving along a single axis.The earliest examples of what today is called a revolver were made in Germany in the late 16th century. These weapons featured a single barrel with a revolving cylinder holding the powder and ball. They would soon be made by many European gun-makers, in numerous designs and configurations.[3]However, these weapons were difficult to use, complicated and prohibitively expensive to make, and as such they were not widely distributed.Colt Paterson 2nd Belt ModelIn 1836, an American,Samuel Coltpatented the mechanism that led to the widespread use of the revolver, the mechanically indexing cylinder. According to Samuel Colt, he came up with the idea for the revolver while at sea, inspired by thecapstan, which had aratchet and pawlmechanism on it, a version of which was used in his guns to rotate the cylinder by cocking the hammer. This provided a reliable and repeatable way to index each round and did away with the need to manually rotate the cylinder. Revolvers proliferated largely due to Colt\'s ability as asalesman[citation needed]. But his influence spread in other ways as well; the build quality ofhis company\'s guns became famous, and itsarmoriesin America and England trained several seminal generations oftoolmakersand othermachinists, who had great influence in other manufacturing efforts of the next half century.[4]Early revolvers werecaplocksand loaded as amuzzle-loader: the user pouredblack powderinto each chamber, rammed down a bullet on top of it, then placedpercussion capson the nipple at the rear of each chamber, where thehammerwould fall on it. This was similar to loading a traditional single-shot muzzle-loading pistol, except that the powder and shot could be loaded directly into the front of the cylinder rather than having to be loaded down the whole length of the barrel. Importantly, this allowed the barrel itself to berifled, since the user wasn\'t required to force the tight fitting bullet down the barrel in order to load it (a traditional muzzle-loading pistol had asmoothboreand relatively loose fitting shot, which allowed easy loading, but gave much less accuracy). When firing the next shot, the user would raise his pistol vertically as he cocked the hammer back so as to let the fragments of the burst percussion cap fall out so as to not jam the mechanism. Some of the most popular cap-and-ball revolvers were theColt Model 1851 \"Navy\"Mode,1860 \"Army\" Model, andColt Pocket Percussionrevolvers, all of which saw extensive use in theAmerican Civil War. Although American revolvers were the most common, European arms makers were making numerous revolvers by that time as well, many of which found their way into the hands of the American forces, including the single action Lefaucheux andLeMat revolverand theBeaumont–AdamsandTranterrevolvers, which were earlydouble-actionweapons, in spite of being muzzle-loaders.[5]A Smith & Wesson Model 1, 2nd Issue. This is a two patent date variety shown next to a period box of .22 short black powder cartridges.In 1854, Eugene Lefaucheux introduced the Lefaucheux Model 1854, the first revolver to use self-containedmetallic cartridgesrather than loosepowder,pistol ball, andpercussion caps. It is asingle-action,pinfirerevolver holding six rounds.[6]On November 17, 1856,Daniel B. WessonandHorace Smithsigned an agreement for the exclusive use of the Rollin White Patent at a rate of 25 cents for every revolver.Smith & Wessonbegan production late in 1857 and enjoyed years of exclusive production of rear-loading cartridge revolvers in America, due to their association withRollin White, who held the patent and vigorously defended it against any perceived infringement by other manufacturers (much as Colt had done with his original patent on the revolver). Although White held the patent, other manufacturers were able to sell firearms using the design, provided they were willing to pay royalties.[7][8]After White\'s patent expired in April 1869, a 3rd extension was refused. Other gun-makers were then allowed to produce their own weapons using the rear-loading method, without having to pay a royalty on each gun sold. Early guns were often conversions of earlier cap-and-ball revolvers, modified to accept metallic cartridges loaded from the rear, but later models, such as theColt Model 1872 \"Open Top\"and theSmith & Wesson Model 3, were designed from the start as cartridge revolvers.[7]Colt Single Action Army, serial No 5773 issued 7th Cavalry during the Indian War period.In 1873, Colt introduced the famous Model 1873, also known as theSingle Action Army, the \"Colt .45\" (not to be confused with Colt made models of theM1911semi-automatic) or simply, \"the Peacemaker\", one of the most famous handguns ever made.[9]This popular design, which was a culmination of many of the advances introduced in earlier weapons, fired 6 metallic cartridges and was offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths. It is still in production, along with numerousclonesand lookalikes, and its overall appearance has remained the same since 1873. Although originally made for theUnited States Army, the Model 1873 was widely distributed and popular with civilians,ranchers,lawmen, andoutlawsalike. Its design has influenced countless other revolvers. Colt has discontinued its production twice, but brought it back due to popular demand and continues to make it to this day.In the U.S. the traditional single-action revolver still reigned supreme until the late 19th century. In Europe, however, arms makers were quick to adopt the double-action trigger. While the US was producing weapons like the Model 1873, the Europeans were building double-action models like the FrenchMAS Modèle 1873and the somewhat later BritishEnfield Mk I and II revolvers(Britain relied on cartridge conversions of the earlierBeaumont–Adamsdouble-action prior to this). Colt\'s first attempt at a double action revolver to compete with the European manufacturers was the Colt Model 1877, which earned lasting notoriety for its overly complex, expensive and fragile trigger mechanism, which in addition to failing frequently, also had a terrible trigger pull unless given the attentions of a competent gunsmith.Iconic Smith & Wesson M&P revolverIn 1889, Colt introduced theModel 1889, the first truly modern double action revolver, which differed from earlier double action revolvers by having a \"swing-out\" cylinder, as opposed to a \"top-break\" or \"side-loading\" cylinder. Swing out cylinders quickly caught on, because they combined the best features of earlier designs. Top-break actions gave the ability to eject all empty shells simultaneously, and exposed all chambers for easy reloading, but having the frame hinged into two halves weakened the gun and negatively affected accuracy, due to lack of rigidity. \"Side-loaders\", like the earlier Colt Model 1871 and 1873, gave a rigid frame, but required the user to eject and load one cylinder at a time, as they rotated the cylinder to line each chamber up with the side-mounted loading gate.[10]Smith & Wesson followed 7 years later with the \'\'Hand Ejector, Model 1896\'\' in.32 S&W Longcaliber, followed by the very similar, yet improved,Model 1899(later known as the Model 10), which introduced the new .38 Special cartridge. The Model 10 went on to become the best selling handgun of the 20th century, at 6,000,000 units, and the.38 Specialis still the most popular chambering for revolvers in the world. These new guns were an improvement over the Colt 1889 design since they incorporated a combined center-pin and ejector rod to lock the cylinder in position. The 1889 did not use a center pin and the cylinder was prone to move out of alignment.[10]Revolvers have remained popular to the present day in many areas, although in the military and law enforcement, they have largely been supplanted by magazine-fedsemi-automatic pistolssuch as theBeretta M9, especially in circumstances where reload time and higher cartridge capacity are deemed important.[11]Patents[edit]Elisha Collierof Boston, Massachusetts patented a flintlock revolver in Britain in 1818, and significant numbers were being produced in London by 1822.[12]The origination of this invention is in doubt, as similar designs were patented in the same year byArtemus Wheelerin the United States and byCornelius Coolidgein France.[13]Samuel Coltsubmitted a British patent for his revolver in 1835 and an American patent (number 138) on February 25, 1836 for aRevolving gun, and made the first production model on March 5 of that year.[14]Another revolver patent was issued to Samuel Colt on August 29, 1839. The February 25, 1836 patent was then reissued asU.S. Patent RE00,124entitledRevolving gunon October 24, 1848. This was followed byU.S. Patent 0,007,613on September 3, 1850 for aRevolver, and byU.S. Patent 0,007,629on September 10, 1850 for aRevolver.U.S. Patent 5,333,531was issued toRoger C. Fieldfor an economical device for minimizing the flash gap of a revolver between the barrel and the cylinder. In 1855,Rollin Whitepatented the bored-through cylinder entitledImprovement in revolving fire-armsU.S. Patent 00,093,653. In 1856 Horace Smith & Daniel Wesson formed a partnership (S&W), developed and manufactured a revolver chambered for a self-contained metallic cartridge.[15]Design[edit]Details of aSchmidt M1882, showing the hammer, chambers for the ammunition in the cylinder, and the mechanism to rotate the cylinder. Revolver of the Gendarmerie ofVaud, on display atMorgescastle museum.A revolver works by having several firing chambers arranged in a circle in a cylindrical block that are brought into alignment with the firing mechanism and barrel one at a time. In contrast, other repeating firearms, such as bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action, and semi-automatic, have a single firing chamber and a mechanism to load and extract cartridges into it.[16]A single-action revolver requires the hammer to be pulled back by hand before each shot, which also revolves the cylinder. This leaves the trigger with just one \"single action\" left to perform - releasing the hammer to fire the shot - so the force and distance required to pull the trigger can be minimal. In contrast, with a self-cocking revolver, one long squeeze of the trigger pulls back the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then finally fires the shot. They can generally be fired faster than a single-action, but with reduced accuracy in the hands of most shooters.[16]Most modern revolvers are \"traditional double-action\", which means they may operate either in single-action or self-cocking mode. The accepted meaning of \"double-action\" has, confusingly, come to be the same as \"self-cocking\", so modern revolvers that cannot be pre-cocked are called \"double-action-only\".[16]These are intended for concealed carry, because the hammer of a traditional design is prone to snagging on clothes when drawn. Most revolvers do not come withaccessory rails, which are used for mountinglightsandlasers, except for theSmith & WessonM&P R8 (.357 Magnum),[17]Smith & Wesson Model 325 Thunder Ranch (.45 ACP),[18]and all versions of theChiappa Rhino(.357 Magnum,9×19mm,.40 S&W, or9×21mm) except for the 2\" model, respectively.[19]However, certain revolvers, such as theTaurus JudgeandCharter Armsrevolvers, can be fitted with accessory rails.[20]Advertisement forIver Johnsonrevolver claimed to be safe enough for babies to handleMost commonly, such revolvers have 5 or 6 chambers, hence the common names of \"six-gun\" or \"six-shooter\".[21]However, some revolvers have 7, 8, 9, or 10 chambers,[21]often depending on thecaliber, and at least one revolver has 12 chambers (theUS Fire ArmsModel 12/22).[22]Each chamber has to be reloaded manually, which makes reloading a revolver a much slower procedure than reloading a semi-automatic pistol.[21]Compared to autoloading handguns, a revolver is often much simpler to operate and may have greater reliability.[21]For example, should asemiautomaticpistol fail to fire, clearing the chamber requires manually cycling the action to remove the errant round, as cycling the action normally depends on the energy of a cartridge firing.[21]With a revolver, this is not necessary as none of the energy for cycling the revolver comes from the firing of the cartridge, but is supplied by the user either through cocking the hammer or, in a double-action design, by just squeezing the trigger.[21]Another significant advantage of revolvers is superior ergonomics, particularly for users with small hands.[21]A revolver\'s grip does not hold a magazine, and it can be designed or customized much more than the grip of a typical semi-automatic.[21]Partially because of these reasons, revolvers still hold significant market share as concealed carry and home-defense weapons.[21]A revolver can be kept loaded and ready to fire without fatiguing any springs and is not very dependent on lubrication for proper firing.[21]Additionally, in the case of double-action-only revolvers there is no risk of accidental discharge from dropping alone, as the hammer is cocked by the trigger pull.[21]However, the revolver\'s clockwork-like internal parts are relatively delicate and can become misaligned after a severe impact, and its revolving cylinder can become jammed by excessive dirt or debris.[21]Over the long period of development of the revolver, many calibers have been used.[23]Some of these have proved more durable during periods of standardization and some have entered general public awareness. Among these are the.22 rimfire, a caliber popular for target shooting and teaching novice shooters;.38 Specialand.357 Magnum, known for police use; the.44 Magnum, famous fromClint Eastwood\'s \"Dirty Harry\" films; and the.45 Colt, used in the Colt revolver of theWild West. Introduced in 2003, theSmith & Wesson Model 500is one of the most powerful revolvers, utilizing the.500 S&W Magnumcartridge.[24]Because the rounds in a revolver areheadspacedon the rim, some revolvers are capable of chambering more than one type of ammunition. The .44 Magnum round will chamber the shorter .44 Special and shorter.44 Colt, likewise the .357 Magnum will safely chamber .38 Special and.38 Short Colt. In 1996 a revolver known as the Medusa M47 was made that could chamber 25 different cartridges with bullet diameters between .355\" and .357\".[25]LeMat Percussion Revolver, with 9 revolving chambers firing bullets and a center shotgun barrel firinglead shot, used by the Confederate Troupes in theAmerican Civil War.LeMat Revolver, an unusual pinfire cartridge modelRevolver technology lives on in other weapons used by the military. Someautocannonsandgrenade launchersuse mechanisms similar to revolvers, and someriot shotgunsuse spring-loaded cylinders holding up to 12 rounds.[26]In addition to serving as backup guns, revolvers still fill the specialized niche role as a shield gun; law enforcement personnel using a \"bulletproof\" ballistic shield (Gun shield) sometimes opt for a revolver instead of a self-loading pistol, because the slide of a pistol may strike the front of the shield when fired. Revolvers do not suffer from this disadvantage. A second revolver may be secured behind the shield to provide a quick means of continuity of fire. Many police also still use revolvers as their duty weapon due to their relative mechanical simplicity and user friendliness.[27]With the advancement of technology and design in 2010 major revolver manufacturers are coming out with polymer frame revolvers like theRuger LCR,Smith & WessonBodyguard 38, andTaurusProtector Polymer. The new innovative design incorporates advanced polymer technology that lowers weight significantly, helps absorbs recoil, and strong enough to handle+Pand.357 Magnumloads. The polymer is only used on the lower frame and joined to a metal alloy upper frame, barrel, and cylinder. Polymer technology is considered one of the major advancements in revolver history because the frame has always been metal alloy and mostly one piece frame design.[28]Another recent development in revolver technology is theRhino, a revolver introduced by Italian manufacturerChiappain 2009 and first sold in the U.S. in 2010. The Rhino, built with the U.S. concealed carry market in mind, is designed so that the bullet fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder instead of the top chamber as in standard revolvers. This is intended to reducemuzzle flip, allowing for faster and more accurate repeat shots. In addition, the cylinder cross-section is hexagonal instead of circular, further reducing the weapon\'s profile.[19]Loading and unloading[edit]Front loading[edit]The first revolvers werefront loading, and were a bit likemusketsin that the powder and bullet were loaded separately. These werecaplocksor \"cap and ball\" revolvers, because the caplock method of priming was the first to be compact enough to make a practical revolver feasible. When loading, each chamber in the cylinder was rotated out of line with the barrel, and charged from the front with loose powder and an oversized bullet. Next, the chamber was aligned with the ramming lever underneath the barrel. Pulling the lever would drive arammerinto the chamber, pushing the ball securely in place. Finally, the user would placepercussion capson the nipples on the rear face of the cylinder.[5]After each shot, a user was advised to raise his revolver vertically while cocking back the hammer so as to allow the fragments of the spent percussion cap to fall out safely. Otherwise, the fragments could fall into the revolver\'s mechanism and jam it. Caplock revolvers were vulnerable to \"chain fires\", wherein hot gas from a shot ignited the powder in the other chambers. This could be prevented by sealing the chambers with cotton, wax, or grease.[29]Loading a cylinder in this manner was a slow and awkward process and generally could not be done in the midst of battle.[30]Some soldiers solved this by carrying multiple revolvers in the field. Another solution was to use a revolver with a detachable cylinder design. These revolvers allowed the shooter to quickly remove a cylinder and replace it with a full one.[16]Colt 1851 Navy withpowder flask.Front reloading a cap and ball pistol.Remington Model 1858replica made by Pietta.Fixed cylinder designs[edit]A fixed-cylinderNagant M1895with gate open for loadingIn many of the first generation of cartridge revolvers (especially those that were converted after manufacture), the base pin on which the cylinder revolved was removed, and the cylinder taken from the revolver for loading. Most revolvers using this method of loading are single-action revolvers, althoughIver Johnsonproduced double-action models with removable cylinders. The removable-cylinder design is employed in some modern \"micro-revolvers\" (usually in.22 caliber), in order to simplify their design. These weapons are small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.[28]Later single-action revolver models with a fixed cylinder used a loading gate at the rear of the cylinder that allowed insertion of one cartridge at a time for loading, while a rod under the barrel could be pressed rearward to eject the fired case.[31]The loading gate on the original Colt designs (and on nearly all single-action revolvers since, such as the famousColt Single Action Army) is on the right side, which was done to facilitate loading while on horseback; with the revolver held in the left hand with the reins of the horse, the cartridges can be ejected and loaded with the right hand.[32]Because the cylinders in these types of revolvers are firmly attached at the front and rear of the frame, and the frame is typically full thickness all the way around, fixed cylinder revolvers are inherently strong designs. Accordingly, many modern large caliber hunting revolvers tend to be based on the fixed cylinder design. Fixed cylinder revolvers can fire the strongest and most powerful cartridges, but at the price of being the slowest to load and reload and they cannot use speedloaders or moon clips for loading, as only one chamber is exposed at a time to the loading gate.[33]Top break[edit]AnIOF .32top-break revolverIn atop-breakrevolver, the frame is hinged at the bottom front of the cylinder. Releasing the lock and pushing the barrel down exposes the rear face of the cylinder. In most top-break revolvers, this act also operates an extractor that pushes the cartridges in the chambers back far enough that they will fall free, or can be removed easily. Fresh rounds are then inserted into the cylinder. The barrel and cylinder are then rotated back and locked in place, and the revolver is ready to fire.[16]Top break revolvers can be loaded more rapidly than fixed-frame revolvers, especially with the aid of aspeedloaderormoon clip. However, this design is much weaker and cannot handle high pressure rounds. While this design is mostly obsolete today, supplanted by the stronger yet equally convenient swing-out design, manufacturers have begun making reproductions of late 19th century designs for use incowboy action shooting.[16]The most commonly found top-break revolvers were manufactured by Smith & Wesson, Webley & Scott, Iver Johnson, Harrington & Richardson, Manhattan Fire Arms,Meriden ArmsandForehand & Wadsworth.[34]Tip up[edit]Smith & Wesson Model 1 Third Issue openThe tip-up was the first revolver design for use with metallic cartridges in theSmith & Wesson Model 1. It is similar to the break-open design that had a hinge on the top rear of the frame, but in the case of the tip-up, the barrel release catch is located on the side of the frame in front of the trigger. Smith & Wesson discontinued it in the third series of theSmith & Wesson Model 1 1/2but it was fairly widely used in Europe in the 19th century, after a patent bySpirletin 1870, which also included an ejector.[35]Swing out cylinder[edit]A swing-out cylinder revolver.The most modern method of loading and unloading a revolver is by means of theswing out cylinder.[36]The cylinder is mounted on a pivot that is parallel to the chambers, and the cylinder swings out and down (to the left in most cases). An extractor is fitted, operated by a rod projecting from the front of the cylinder assembly. When pressed, it will push all fired rounds free simultaneously (as in top break models, the travel is designed to not completely extract longer, unfired rounds). The cylinder may then be loaded, singly or again with aspeedloader, closed, and latched in place.[16]The pivoting part that supports the cylinder is called the crane; it is the weak point of swing-out cylinder designs. Using the method often portrayed in movies and television of flipping the cylinder open and closed with a flick of the wrist can in fact cause the crane to bend over time, throwing the cylinder out of alignment with the barrel. Lack of alignment between chamber and barrel is a dangerous condition, as it can impede the bullet\'s transition from chamber to barrel. This gives rise to higher pressures in the chamber, bullet damage, and the potential for an explosion if the bullet becomes stuck.[37]The shock of firing can exert a great deal of stress on the crane, as in most designs the cylinder is only held closed at one point, the rear of the cylinder. Stronger designs, such as theRuger Super Redhawk, use a lock in the crane as well as the lock at the rear of the cylinder. This latch provides a more secure bond between cylinder and frame, and allows the use of larger, more powerful cartridges. Swing out cylinders are rather strong, but not as strong as fixed cylinders, and great care must be taken with the cylinder when loading, so as not to damage the Top: Replica of 1849 vintage. .44 Colt Revolving Holster Pistol (Dragoon); Colt Single Action Army Model 1873; Ruger (New Model) Super Blackhawk- Mid and late 20th Century.In a single-action revolver, the hammer is manually cocked, usually with the thumb of the firing or supporting hand. This action advances the cylinder to the next round and locks the cylinder in place with the chamber aligned with the barrel. The trigger, when pulled, releases the hammer, which fires the round in the chamber. To fire again, the hammer must be manually cocked again. This is called \"single-action\" because the trigger only performs a single action, of releasing the hammer. Because only a single action is performed and trigger pull is lightened, firing a revolver in this way allows most shooters to achieve greater accuracy. Additionally, the need to cock the hammer manually acts as a safety. TheColt PatersonRevolver, theWalker Colt, theColt\'s Dragoonand theColt Single Action Armypistol of the American Frontier era are all good examples of this system.[16]Double-action[edit]Colt Anaconda.44 Magnum double-action revolverIn double-action (DA), the stroke of the trigger pull generates three actions:The hammer is pulled back to the cocked position.At the same time, the cylinder isindexedto the next round.The hammer is released to strike thefiring pin.Thus, DA means that a cocking action separate from the trigger pull is unnecessary; every trigger pull will result in a complete cycle. This allows uncocked carry, while also allowing draw-and-fire using only the trigger. A longer and harder trigger stroke is the trade-off. However, this drawback can also be viewed as a safety feature, as the gun is safer against accidental discharges from being dropped.[16]Most double-action revolvers may be fired in two ways.[16]The first way is single-action; that is, exactly the same as a single-action revolver; the hammer is cocked with the thumb, which indexes the cylinder, and when the trigger is pulled, the hammer is tripped.The second way is double-action, or from a hammer-down position. In this case, the trigger first cocks the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then trips the hammer at the rear of the trigger stroke, firing the round in the chamber.Enfield No. 2 Mk I* double-action-only revolver. Note the spurless hammer.Certain revolvers, calleddouble-action-only(DAO) or, more correctly but less commonly,self-cocking, lack the latch that enables the hammer to be locked to the rear, and thus can only be fired in the double-action mode. With no way to lock the hammer back, DAO designs tend to havebobbedorspurlesshammers, and may even have the hammer completely covered by the revolver\'s frame (i.e., shrouded or hooded). These are generally intended for concealed carrying, where a hammer spur could snag when the revolver is drawn. The potential reduction in accuracy in aimed fire is offset by the increased capability for concealment.[38]DA and DAO revolvers were the standard-issue sidearm of countless police departments for many decades. Only in the 1990s did the semiautomatic pistol begin to make serious inroads after the advent ofsafe actions. The reasons for these choices are the modes of carry and use. Double action is good for high-stress situations because it allows a mode of carry in which \"draw and pull the trigger\" is the only requirement—no safety catch release nor separate cocking stroke is required.[38]Other[edit]In the cap-and-ball days of the mid 19th century, two revolver models, the EnglishTranterand the American Savage “Figure Eight”, used a method whereby the hammer was cocked by the shooter’s middle finger pulling on a second trigger below the main trigger.Iver Johnsonmade an unusual model from 1940 to 1947, called theTrigger Cocking Double Action. If the hammer was down, pulling the trigger would cock the hammer. If the trigger was pulled with the hammer cocked, it would then fire. This meant that to fire the revolver from a hammer down state, the trigger must be pulled twice.[39]3D printed revolver[edit]See also:List of 3D printed weapons and partsThe examples and perspective in this sectionmay not represent aworldwide viewof the subject.You mayimprove this article, discuss the issue on thetalk page, orcreate a new article, as appropriate.(February 2015)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)TheZig zag revolveris a 3D printed .38 Revolver made public in May 2014.[40][41][41]It was created using an $500 plastic 3D-printer used, the name of the printer was not revealed by the creator.[41]It was created by a Japanese citizen fromKawasakinamed Yoshitomo Imura[41]He was arrested in May 2014 after he had posted a video online of himself firing a 3D printed Zig Zag revolver.[40]It is the first 3D printed Japanese gun in the world which can discharge live cartridges.[41]Use with suppressors[edit]As a general rule, revolvers cannot be effective with asound suppressor(\"silencer\"), as there is usually a small gap between the revolving cylinder and the barrel which a bullet must traverse or jump when fired. From this opening, a rather loud report is produced. A suppressor can only suppress noise coming from the muzzle.[42]A suppressible revolver design does exist in theNagant M1895, a Belgian designed revolver used by Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union from 1895 throughWorld War II. This revolver uses a unique cartridge whose case extends beyond the tip of the bullet, and a cylinder that moves forward to place the end of the cartridge inside the barrel when ready to fire. This bridges the gap between the cylinder and the barrel, and expands to seal the gap when fired. While the tiny gap between cylinder and barrel on most revolvers is insignificant to theinternal ballistics, the seal is especially effective when used with a suppressor, and a number of suppressed Nagant revolvers have been used since its invention.[43]There is a modern revolver of Russian design, theOTs-38,[44]which uses ammunition that incorporates the silencing mechanism into the cartridge case, making the gap between cylinder and barrel irrelevant as far as the suppression issue is concerned. The OTs-38 does need an unusually close and precise fit between the cylinder and barrel due to the shape of bullet in the special ammunition (Soviet SP-4), which was originally designed for use in a semi-automatic.Additionally, the US Military experimented with designing a special version of theSmith & Wesson Model 29forTunnel Rats, called theQuiet Special Purpose Revolveror QSPR. Using special .40 caliber ammunition, it never entered official service.[45]Automatic revolvers[edit]Main article:Automatic revolverThe term \"automatic revolver\" has two different meanings, the first being used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when \"automatic\" referred not to the operational mechanism of firing, but of extraction and ejection of spent casings. An \"automatic revolver\" in this context is one which extracts empty fired cases \"automatically,\" i.e., upon breaking open the action, rather than requiring manual extraction of each case individually with a sliding rod or pin (as in the Colt Single Action Army design). This term was widely used in the advertising of the period as a way to distinguish such revolvers from the far more common rod-extraction types.[46]In the second sense, \"automatic revolver\" refers to the mechanism of firing rather than extraction. Double-action revolvers use a long trigger pull to cock the hammer, thus negating the need to manually cock the hammer between shots. The disadvantage of this is that the long, heavy pull cocking the hammer makes the double-action revolver much harder to shoot accurately than a single-action revolver (although cocking the hammer of a double-action reduces the length and weight of the trigger pull). A rare class of revolvers, called automatic for its firing design, attempts to overcome this restriction, giving the high speed of a double-action with the trigger effort of a single-action. TheWebley-Fosbery Automatic Revolveris the most famous commercial example. It was recoil-operated, and the cylinder and barrel recoiled backwards to cock the hammer and revolve the cylinder. Cam grooves were milled on the outside of the cylinder to provide a means of advancing to the next chamber—half a turn as the cylinder moved back, and half a turn as it moved forward. .38 caliber versions held eight shots, .455 caliber versions six. At the time, the few available automatic pistols were larger, less reliable, and more expensive. The automatic revolver was popular when it first came out, but was quickly superseded by the creation of reliable, inexpensivesemi-automatic pistols.[47]In 1997, theMatebacompany developed a type of recoil-operated automatic revolver, commercially named theMateba Autorevolver, which uses the recoil energy to auto-rotate a normal revolver cylinder holding six or seven cartridges, depending on the model. The company has made several versions of its Autorevolver, including longer-barrelled and carbine variations, chambered for.357 Magnum,.44 Magnumand.454 Casull.[48]ThePancor Jackhammeris acombat shotgunbased on a similar mechanism to an automatic revolver. It uses ablow-forwardaction to move the barrel forward (which unlocks it from the cylinder) and then rotate the cylinder and cock the hammer.[49]Arevolveris a repeatinghandgunthat has a revolvingcylindercontaining multiplechambersand at least onebarrelfor firing. Revolvers might be regarded as a subset ofpistols, or as an equal-ranking subset of handguns, distinct from pistols. Though the term \"revolver\" usually only refers to handguns, otherfirearmsmay also have a revolving chamber. These include some models ofgrenade launchers,shotguns, andrifles. Most revolvers contain five or six rounds in the cylinder.Though the original name wasrevolving gun, the short-hand \"revolver\" is universally used. (Cannonusing this mechanism are known asrevolver cannon.) Nearly all early revolvers and many modern ones have six chambers in the cylinder, giving rise to the slang termsix-shooter; however, revolvers with a number of different chambers have been made, with most modern revolvers having 5 or 6 chambers.The revolver allows the user to fire multiple rounds without reloading. Each time the user cocks thehammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name. In asingle-actionrevolver, the user pulls the hammer back with his free hand or thumb; the trigger pull only releases the hammer. In adouble-actionrevolver, pulling the trigger moves the hammer back, then releases it, which requires a longer and heavier trigger pull than single-action. Loading and unloading a double-action revolver requires the operator to swing out the cylinder and insert the proper ammunition, all while keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction.The first guns with multichambered cylinders that revolved to feed one barrel were made in the late 16th century in Europe. They were expensive and rare curiosities. Not until the 19th century would revolvers become common weapons of industrial production. One of the first was aflintlockrevolver patented byElisha Collierin 1814. The first percussion revolver was made by Lenormand of Paris in 1820[1]and the firstpercussion caprevolver was invented by the ItalianFrancesco Antonio Broccuin 1833. He received a prize of 300 francs for his invention; although he did not patent it, his revolver was shown to KingCharles Albert of Sardinia. However, in 1835 a similar handgun was patented bySamuel Colt, who would go on to make the first mass-produced revolver.The firstcartridgerevolvers were produced around 1854 by Eugene Lefaucheux.Revolvers soon became standard for nearly all uses. In the early 20th century,semi-automatic pistolswere developed, which can hold more rounds, and are faster to reload. \"Automatic\" pistols also have a flat profile, more suitable forconcealed carry. Semi-auto pistols were not considered reliable enough for serious police work or self-defense until the later half of the century, however, and revolvers were the dominant handgun for police and civilians until modern pistols such as theBeretta 92andGlock 17were developed in the 70s and 80s. Automatic pistols have almost completely replaced revolvers in military and law enforcement use (in military use, from 1910-1960; in law enforcement, in the 1980s and 1990s).Revolvers still remain popular as back-up and off-duty handguns among American law enforcement officers and security guards. Also, revolvers are still common in the American private sector as defensive and sporting/hunting firearms. Famous police and military revolvers include theWebley, theColt Single Action Army, theColt Police Special, theSmith & Wesson Model 36, theSmith & Wesson Model 10, theSmith & Wesson 1917, theSmith & Wesson Model 3, and theNagant M1895.Contents[hide]1 History1.1 Patents2 Design3 Loading and unloading3.1 Front loading3.2 Fixed cylinder designs3.3 Top break3.4 Tip up3.5 Swing out cylinder4 Action4.1 Single-action4.2 Double-action4.3 Other5 3D printed revolver6 Use with suppressors7 Automatic revolvers8 Revolving long guns8.1 Rifles8.2 Shotguns9 Six gun10 Notable brands and manufacturers11 Gallery12 See also13 References14 External linksHistory[edit]Detail of an 8-chamberedmatchlockrevolver (Germany c. 1580)In thedevelopment of firearms, an important limiting factor was the time it took to reload the weapon after it was fired. While the user was reloading, the weapon was useless, and an adversary might be able to take advantage of the situation and kill or wound the user. Several approaches to the problem of increasing the rate of fire were developed, the earliest being multi-barrelled weapons which allowed two or more shots without reloading.[2]Later weapons featured multiple barrels revolving along a single axis.The earliest examples of what today is called a revolver were made in Germany in the late 16th century. These weapons featured a single barrel with a revolving cylinder holding the powder and ball. They would soon be made by many European gun-makers, in numerous designs and configurations.[3]However, these weapons were difficult to use, complicated and prohibitively expensive to make, and as such they were not widely distributed.Colt Paterson 2nd Belt ModelIn 1836, an American,Samuel Coltpatented the mechanism that led to the widespread use of the revolver, the mechanically indexing cylinder. According to Samuel Colt, he came up with the idea for the revolver while at sea, inspired by thecapstan, which had aratchet and pawlmechanism on it, a version of which was used in his guns to rotate the cylinder by cocking the hammer. This provided a reliable and repeatable way to index each round and did away with the need to manually rotate the cylinder. Revolvers proliferated largely due to Colt\'s ability as asalesman[citation needed]. But his influence spread in other ways as well; the build quality ofhis company\'s guns became famous, and itsarmoriesin America and England trained several seminal generations oftoolmakersand othermachinists, who had great influence in other manufacturing efforts of the next half century.[4]Early revolvers werecaplocksand loaded as amuzzle-loader: the user pouredblack powderinto each chamber, rammed down a bullet on top of it, then placedpercussion capson the nipple at the rear of each chamber, where thehammerwould fall on it. This was similar to loading a traditional single-shot muzzle-loading pistol, except that the powder and shot could be loaded directly into the front of the cylinder rather than having to be loaded down the whole length of the barrel. Importantly, this allowed the barrel itself to berifled, since the user wasn\'t required to force the tight fitting bullet down the barrel in order to load it (a traditional muzzle-loading pistol had asmoothboreand relatively loose fitting shot, which allowed easy loading, but gave much less accuracy). When firing the next shot, the user would raise his pistol vertically as he cocked the hammer back so as to let the fragments of the burst percussion cap fall out so as to not jam the mechanism. Some of the most popular cap-and-ball revolvers were theColt Model 1851 \"Navy\"Mode,1860 \"Army\" Model, andColt Pocket Percussionrevolvers, all of which saw extensive use in theAmerican Civil War. Although American revolvers were the most common, European arms makers were making numerous revolvers by that time as well, many of which found their way into the hands of the American forces, including the single action Lefaucheux andLeMat revolverand theBeaumont–AdamsandTranterrevolvers, which were earlydouble-actionweapons, in spite of being muzzle-loaders.[5]A Smith & Wesson Model 1, 2nd Issue. This is a two patent date variety shown next to a period box of .22 short black powder cartridges.In 1854, Eugene Lefaucheux introduced the Lefaucheux Model 1854, the first revolver to use self-containedmetallic cartridgesrather than loosepowder,pistol ball, andpercussion caps. It is asingle-action,pinfirerevolver holding six rounds.[6]On November 17, 1856,Daniel B. WessonandHorace Smithsigned an agreement for the exclusive use of the Rollin White Patent at a rate of 25 cents for every revolver.Smith & Wessonbegan production late in 1857 and enjoyed years of exclusive production of rear-loading cartridge revolvers in America, due to their association withRollin White, who held the patent and vigorously defended it against any perceived infringement by other manufacturers (much as Colt had done with his original patent on the revolver). Although White held the patent, other manufacturers were able to sell firearms using the design, provided they were willing to pay royalties.[7][8]After White\'s patent expired in April 1869, a 3rd extension was refused. Other gun-makers were then allowed to produce their own weapons using the rear-loading method, without having to pay a royalty on each gun sold. Early guns were often conversions of earlier cap-and-ball revolvers, modified to accept metallic cartridges loaded from the rear, but later models, such as theColt Model 1872 \"Open Top\"and theSmith & Wesson Model 3, were designed from the start as cartridge revolvers.[7]Colt Single Action Army, serial No 5773 issued 7th Cavalry during the Indian War period.In 1873, Colt introduced the famous Model 1873, also known as theSingle Action Army, the \"Colt .45\" (not to be confused with Colt made models of theM1911semi-automatic) or simply, \"the Peacemaker\", one of the most famous handguns ever made.[9]This popular design, which was a culmination of many of the advances introduced in earlier weapons, fired 6 metallic cartridges and was offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths. It is still in production, along with numerousclonesand lookalikes, and its overall appearance has remained the same since 1873. Although originally made for theUnited States Army, the Model 1873 was widely distributed and popular with civilians,ranchers,lawmen, andoutlawsalike. Its design has influenced countless other revolvers. Colt has discontinued its production twice, but brought it back due to popular demand and continues to make it to this day.In the U.S. the traditional single-action revolver still reigned supreme until the late 19th century. In Europe, however, arms makers were quick to adopt the double-action trigger. While the US was producing weapons like the Model 1873, the Europeans were building double-action models like the FrenchMAS Modèle 1873and the somewhat later BritishEnfield Mk I and II revolvers(Britain relied on cartridge conversions of the earlierBeaumont–Adamsdouble-action prior to this). Colt\'s first attempt at a double action revolver to compete with the European manufacturers was the Colt Model 1877, which earned lasting notoriety for its overly complex, expensive and fragile trigger mechanism, which in addition to failing frequently, also had a terrible trigger pull unless given the attentions of a competent gunsmith.Iconic Smith & Wesson M&P revolverIn 1889, Colt introduced theModel 1889, the first truly modern double action revolver, which differed from earlier double action revolvers by having a \"swing-out\" cylinder, as opposed to a \"top-break\" or \"side-loading\" cylinder. Swing out cylinders quickly caught on, because they combined the best features of earlier designs. Top-break actions gave the ability to eject all empty shells simultaneously, and exposed all chambers for easy reloading, but having the frame hinged into two halves weakened the gun and negatively affected accuracy, due to lack of rigidity. \"Side-loaders\", like the earlier Colt Model 1871 and 1873, gave a rigid frame, but required the user to eject and load one cylinder at a time, as they rotated the cylinder to line each chamber up with the side-mounted loading gate.[10]Smith & Wesson followed 7 years later with the \'\'Hand Ejector, Model 1896\'\' in.32 S&W Longcaliber, followed by the very similar, yet improved,Model 1899(later known as the Model 10), which introduced the new .38 Special cartridge. The Model 10 went on to become the best selling handgun of the 20th century, at 6,000,000 units, and the.38 Specialis still the most popular chambering for revolvers in the world. These new guns were an improvement over the Colt 1889 design since they incorporated a combined center-pin and ejector rod to lock the cylinder in position. The 1889 did not use a center pin and the cylinder was prone to move out of alignment.[10]Revolvers have remained popular to the present day in many areas, although in the military and law enforcement, they have largely been supplanted by magazine-fedsemi-automatic pistolssuch as theBeretta M9, especially in circumstances where reload time and higher cartridge capacity are deemed important.[11]Patents[edit]Elisha Collierof Boston, Massachusetts patented a flintlock revolver in Britain in 1818, and significant numbers were being produced in London by 1822.[12]The origination of this invention is in doubt, as similar designs were patented in the same year byArtemus Wheelerin the United States and byCornelius Coolidgein France.[13]Samuel Coltsubmitted a British patent for his revolver in 1835 and an American patent (number 138) on February 25, 1836 for aRevolving gun, and made the first production model on March 5 of that year.[14]Another revolver patent was issued to Samuel Colt on August 29, 1839. The February 25, 1836 patent was then reissued asU.S. Patent RE00,124entitledRevolving gunon October 24, 1848. This was followed byU.S. Patent 0,007,613on September 3, 1850 for aRevolver, and byU.S. Patent 0,007,629on September 10, 1850 for aRevolver.U.S. Patent 5,333,531was issued toRoger C. Fieldfor an economical device for minimizing the flash gap of a revolver between the barrel and the cylinder. In 1855,Rollin Whitepatented the bored-through cylinder entitledImprovement in revolving fire-armsU.S. Patent 00,093,653. In 1856 Horace Smith & Daniel Wesson formed a partnership (S&W), developed and manufactured a revolver chambered for a self-contained metallic cartridge.[15]Design[edit]Details of aSchmidt M1882, showing the hammer, chambers for the ammunition in the cylinder, and the mechanism to rotate the cylinder. Revolver of the Gendarmerie ofVaud, on display atMorgescastle museum.A revolver works by having several firing chambers arranged in a circle in a cylindrical block that are brought into alignment with the firing mechanism and barrel one at a time. In contrast, other repeating firearms, such as bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action, and semi-automatic, have a single firing chamber and a mechanism to load and extract cartridges into it.[16]A single-action revolver requires the hammer to be pulled back by hand before each shot, which also revolves the cylinder. This leaves the trigger with just one \"single action\" left to perform - releasing the hammer to fire the shot - so the force and distance required to pull the trigger can be minimal. In contrast, with a self-cocking revolver, one long squeeze of the trigger pulls back the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then finally fires the shot. They can generally be fired faster than a single-action, but with reduced accuracy in the hands of most shooters.[16]Most modern revolvers are \"traditional double-action\", which means they may operate either in single-action or self-cocking mode. The accepted meaning of \"double-action\" has, confusingly, come to be the same as \"self-cocking\", so modern revolvers that cannot be pre-cocked are called \"double-action-only\".[16]These are intended for concealed carry, because the hammer of a traditional design is prone to snagging on clothes when drawn. Most revolvers do not come withaccessory rails, which are used for mountinglightsandlasers, except for theSmith & WessonM&P R8 (.357 Magnum),[17]Smith & Wesson Model 325 Thunder Ranch (.45 ACP),[18]and all versions of theChiappa Rhino(.357 Magnum,9×19mm,.40 S&W, or9×21mm) except for the 2\" model, respectively.[19]However, certain revolvers, such as theTaurus JudgeandCharter Armsrevolvers, can be fitted with accessory rails.[20]Advertisement forIver Johnsonrevolver claimed to be safe enough for babies to handleMost commonly, such revolvers have 5 or 6 chambers, hence the common names of \"six-gun\" or \"six-shooter\".[21]However, some revolvers have 7, 8, 9, or 10 chambers,[21]often depending on thecaliber, and at least one revolver has 12 chambers (theUS Fire ArmsModel 12/22).[22]Each chamber has to be reloaded manually, which makes reloading a revolver a much slower procedure than reloading a semi-automatic pistol.[21]Compared to autoloading handguns, a revolver is often much simpler to operate and may have greater reliability.[21]For example, should asemiautomaticpistol fail to fire, clearing the chamber requires manually cycling the action to remove the errant round, as cycling the action normally depends on the energy of a cartridge firing.[21]With a revolver, this is not necessary as none of the energy for cycling the revolver comes from the firing of the cartridge, but is supplied by the user either through cocking the hammer or, in a double-action design, by just squeezing the trigger.[21]Another significant advantage of revolvers is superior ergonomics, particularly for users with small hands.[21]A revolver\'s grip does not hold a magazine, and it can be designed or customized much more than the grip of a typical semi-automatic.[21]Partially because of these reasons, revolvers still hold significant market share as concealed carry and home-defense weapons.[21]A revolver can be kept loaded and ready to fire without fatiguing any springs and is not very dependent on lubrication for proper firing.[21]Additionally, in the case of double-action-only revolvers there is no risk of accidental discharge from dropping alone, as the hammer is cocked by the trigger pull.[21]However, the revolver\'s clockwork-like internal parts are relatively delicate and can become misaligned after a severe impact, and its revolving cylinder can become jammed by excessive dirt or debris.[21]Over the long period of development of the revolver, many calibers have been used.[23]Some of these have proved more durable during periods of standardization and some have entered general public awareness. Among these are the.22 rimfire, a caliber popular for target shooting and teaching novice shooters;.38 Specialand.357 Magnum, known for police use; the.44 Magnum, famous fromClint Eastwood\'s \"Dirty Harry\" films; and the.45 Colt, used in the Colt revolver of theWild West. Introduced in 2003, theSmith & Wesson Model 500is one of the most powerful revolvers, utilizing the.500 S&W Magnumcartridge.[24]Because the rounds in a revolver areheadspacedon the rim, some revolvers are capable of chambering more than one type of ammunition. The .44 Magnum round will chamber the shorter .44 Special and shorter.44 Colt, likewise the .357 Magnum will safely chamber .38 Special and.38 Short Colt. In 1996 a revolver known as the Medusa M47 was made that could chamber 25 different cartridges with bullet diameters between .355\" and .357\".[25]LeMat Percussion Revolver, with 9 revolving chambers firing bullets and a center shotgun barrel firinglead shot, used by the Confederate Troupes in theAmerican Civil War.LeMat Revolver, an unusual pinfire cartridge modelRevolver technology lives on in other weapons used by the military. Someautocannonsandgrenade launchersuse mechanisms similar to revolvers, and someriot shotgunsuse spring-loaded cylinders holding up to 12 rounds.[26]In addition to serving as backup guns, revolvers still fill the specialized niche role as a shield gun; law enforcement personnel using a \"bulletproof\" ballistic shield (Gun shield) sometimes opt for a revolver instead of a self-loading pistol, because the slide of a pistol may strike the front of the shield when fired. Revolvers do not suffer from this disadvantage. A second revolver may be secured behind the shield to provide a quick means of continuity of fire. Many police also still use revolvers as their duty weapon due to their relative mechanical simplicity and user friendliness.[27]With the advancement of technology and design in 2010 major revolver manufacturers are coming out with polymer frame revolvers like theRuger LCR,Smith & WessonBodyguard 38, andTaurusProtector Polymer. The new innovative design incorporates advanced polymer technology that lowers weight significantly, helps absorbs recoil, and strong enough to handle+Pand.357 Magnumloads. The polymer is only used on the lower frame and joined to a metal alloy upper frame, barrel, and cylinder. Polymer technology is considered one of the major advancements in revolver history because the frame has always been metal alloy and mostly one piece frame design.[28]Another recent development in revolver technology is theRhino, a revolver introduced by Italian manufacturerChiappain 2009 and first sold in the U.S. in 2010. The Rhino, built with the U.S. concealed carry market in mind, is designed so that the bullet fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder instead of the top chamber as in standard revolvers. This is intended to reducemuzzle flip, allowing for faster and more accurate repeat shots. In addition, the cylinder cross-section is hexagonal instead of circular, further reducing the weapon\'s profile.[19]Loading and unloading[edit]Front loading[edit]The first revolvers werefront loading, and were a bit likemusketsin that the powder and bullet were loaded separately. These werecaplocksor \"cap and ball\" revolvers, because the caplock method of priming was the first to be compact enough to make a practical revolver feasible. When loading, each chamber in the cylinder was rotated out of line with the barrel, and charged from the front with loose powder and an oversized bullet. Next, the chamber was aligned with the ramming lever underneath the barrel. Pulling the lever would drive arammerinto the chamber, pushing the ball securely in place. Finally, the user would placepercussion capson the nipples on the rear face of the cylinder.[5]After each shot, a user was advised to raise his revolver vertically while cocking back the hammer so as to allow the fragments of the spent percussion cap to fall out safely. Otherwise, the fragments could fall into the revolver\'s mechanism and jam it. Caplock revolvers were vulnerable to \"chain fires\", wherein hot gas from a shot ignited the powder in the other chambers. This could be prevented by sealing the chambers with cotton, wax, or grease.[29]Loading a cylinder in this manner was a slow and awkward process and generally could not be done in the midst of battle.[30]Some soldiers solved this by carrying multiple revolvers in the field. Another solution was to use a revolver with a detachable cylinder design. These revolvers allowed the shooter to quickly remove a cylinder and replace it with a full one.[16]Colt 1851 Navy withpowder flask.Front reloading a cap and ball pistol.Remington Model 1858replica made by Pietta.Fixed cylinder designs[edit]A fixed-cylinderNagant M1895with gate open for loadingIn many of the first generation of cartridge revolvers (especially those that were converted after manufacture), the base pin on which the cylinder revolved was removed, and the cylinder taken from the revolver for loading. Most revolvers using this method of loading are single-action revolvers, althoughIver Johnsonproduced double-action models with removable cylinders. The removable-cylinder design is employed in some modern \"micro-revolvers\" (usually in.22 caliber), in order to simplify their design. These weapons are small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.[28]Later single-action revolver models with a fixed cylinder used a loading gate at the rear of the cylinder that allowed insertion of one cartridge at a time for loading, while a rod under the barrel could be pressed rearward to eject the fired case.[31]The loading gate on the original Colt designs (and on nearly all single-action revolvers since, such as the famousColt Single Action Army) is on the right side, which was done to facilitate loading while on horseback; with the revolver held in the left hand with the reins of the horse, the cartridges can be ejected and loaded with the right hand.[32]Because the cylinders in these types of revolvers are firmly attached at the front and rear of the frame, and the frame is typically full thickness all the way around, fixed cylinder revolvers are inherently strong designs. Accordingly, many modern large caliber hunting revolvers tend to be based on the fixed cylinder design. Fixed cylinder revolvers can fire the strongest and most powerful cartridges, but at the price of being the slowest to load and reload and they cannot use speedloaders or moon clips for loading, as only one chamber is exposed at a time to the loading gate.[33]Top break[edit]AnIOF .32top-break revolverIn atop-breakrevolver, the frame is hinged at the bottom front of the cylinder. Releasing the lock and pushing the barrel down exposes the rear face of the cylinder. In most top-break revolvers, this act also operates an extractor that pushes the cartridges in the chambers back far enough that they will fall free, or can be removed easily. Fresh rounds are then inserted into the cylinder. The barrel and cylinder are then rotated back and locked in place, and the revolver is ready to fire.[16]Top break revolvers can be loaded more rapidly than fixed-frame revolvers, especially with the aid of aspeedloaderormoon clip. However, this design is much weaker and cannot handle high pressure rounds. While this design is mostly obsolete today, supplanted by the stronger yet equally convenient swing-out design, manufacturers have begun making reproductions of late 19th century designs for use incowboy action shooting.[16]The most commonly found top-break revolvers were manufactured by Smith & Wesson, Webley & Scott, Iver Johnson, Harrington & Richardson, Manhattan Fire Arms,Meriden ArmsandForehand & Wadsworth.[34]Tip up[edit]Smith & Wesson Model 1 Third Issue openThe tip-up was the first revolver design for use with metallic cartridges in theSmith & Wesson Model 1. It is similar to the break-open design that had a hinge on the top rear of the frame, but in the case of the tip-up, the barrel release catch is located on the side of the frame in front of the trigger. Smith & Wesson discontinued it in the third series of theSmith & Wesson Model 1 1/2but it was fairly widely used in Europe in the 19th century, after a patent bySpirletin 1870, which also included an ejector.[35]Swing out cylinder[edit]A swing-out cylinder revolver.The most modern method of loading and unloading a revolver is by means of theswing out cylinder.[36]The cylinder is mounted on a pivot that is parallel to the chambers, and the cylinder swings out and down (to the left in most cases). An extractor is fitted, operated by a rod projecting from the front of the cylinder assembly. When pressed, it will push all fired rounds free simultaneously (as in top break models, the travel is designed to not completely extract longer, unfired rounds). The cylinder may then be loaded, singly or again with aspeedloader, closed, and latched in place.[16]The pivoting part that supports the cylinder is called the crane; it is the weak point of swing-out cylinder designs. Using the method often portrayed in movies and television of flipping the cylinder open and closed with a flick of the wrist can in fact cause the crane to bend over time, throwing the cylinder out of alignment with the barrel. Lack of alignment between chamber and barrel is a dangerous condition, as it can impede the bullet\'s transition from chamber to barrel. This gives rise to higher pressures in the chamber, bullet damage, and the potential for an explosion if the bullet becomes stuck.[37]The shock of firing can exert a great deal of stress on the crane, as in most designs the cylinder is only held closed at one point, the rear of the cylinder. Stronger designs, such as theRuger Super Redhawk, use a lock in the crane as well as the lock at the rear of the cylinder. This latch provides a more secure bond between cylinder and frame, and allows the use of larger, more powerful cartridges. Swing out cylinders are rather strong, but not as strong as fixed cylinders, and great care must be taken with the cylinder when loading, so as not to damage the Top: Replica of 1849 vintage. .44 Colt Revolving Holster Pistol (Dragoon); Colt Single Action Army Model 1873; Ruger (New Model) Super Blackhawk- Mid and late 20th Century.In a single-action revolver, the hammer is manually cocked, usually with the thumb of the firing or supporting hand. This action advances the cylinder to the next round and locks the cylinder in place with the chamber aligned with the barrel. The trigger, when pulled, releases the hammer, which fires the round in the chamber. To fire again, the hammer must be manually cocked again. This is called \"single-action\" because the trigger only performs a single action, of releasing the hammer. Because only a single action is performed and trigger pull is lightened, firing a revolver in this way allows most shooters to achieve greater accuracy. Additionally, the need to cock the hammer manually acts as a safety. TheColt PatersonRevolver, theWalker Colt, theColt\'s Dragoonand theColt Single Action Armypistol of the American Frontier era are all good examples of this system.[16]Double-action[edit]Colt Anaconda.44 Magnum double-action revolverIn double-action (DA), the stroke of the trigger pull generates three actions:The hammer is pulled back to the cocked position.At the same time, the cylinder isindexedto the next round.The hammer is released to strike thefiring pin.Thus, DA means that a cocking action separate from the trigger pull is unnecessary; every trigger pull will result in a complete cycle. This allows uncocked carry, while also allowing draw-and-fire using only the trigger. A longer and harder trigger stroke is the trade-off. However, this drawback can also be viewed as a safety feature, as the gun is safer against accidental discharges from being dropped.[16]Most double-action revolvers may be fired in two ways.[16]The first way is single-action; that is, exactly the same as a single-action revolver; the hammer is cocked with the thumb, which indexes the cylinder, and when the trigger is pulled, the hammer is tripped.The second way is double-action, or from a hammer-down position. In this case, the trigger first cocks the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then trips the hammer at the rear of the trigger stroke, firing the round in the chamber.Enfield No. 2 Mk I* double-action-only revolver. Note the spurless hammer.Certain revolvers, calleddouble-action-only(DAO) or, more correctly but less commonly,self-cocking, lack the latch that enables the hammer to be locked to the rear, and thus can only be fired in the double-action mode. With no way to lock the hammer back, DAO designs tend to havebobbedorspurlesshammers, and may even have the hammer completely covered by the revolver\'s frame (i.e., shrouded or hooded). These are generally intended for concealed carrying, where a hammer spur could snag when the revolver is drawn. The potential reduction in accuracy in aimed fire is offset by the increased capability for concealment.[38]DA and DAO revolvers were the standard-issue sidearm of countless police departments for many decades. Only in the 1990s did the semiautomatic pistol begin to make serious inroads after the advent ofsafe actions. The reasons for these choices are the modes of carry and use. Double action is good for high-stress situations because it allows a mode of carry in which \"draw and pull the trigger\" is the only requirement—no safety catch release nor separate cocking stroke is required.[38]Other[edit]In the cap-and-ball days of the mid 19th century, two revolver models, the EnglishTranterand the American Savage “Figure Eight”, used a method whereby the hammer was cocked by the shooter’s middle finger pulling on a second trigger below the main trigger.Iver Johnsonmade an unusual model from 1940 to 1947, called theTrigger Cocking Double Action. If the hammer was down, pulling the trigger would cock the hammer. If the trigger was pulled with the hammer cocked, it would then fire. This meant that to fire the revolver from a hammer down state, the trigger must be pulled twice.[39]3D printed revolver[edit]See also:List of 3D printed weapons and partsThe examples and perspective in this sectionmay not represent aworldwide viewof the subject.You mayimprove this article, discuss the issue on thetalk page, orcreate a new article, as appropriate.(February 2015)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)TheZig zag revolveris a 3D printed .38 Revolver made public in May 2014.[40][41][41]It was created using an $500 plastic 3D-printer used, the name of the printer was not revealed by the creator.[41]It was created by a Japanese citizen fromKawasakinamed Yoshitomo Imura[41]He was arrested in May 2014 after he had posted a video online of himself firing a 3D printed Zig Zag revolver.[40]It is the first 3D printed Japanese gun in the world which can discharge live cartridges.[41]Use with suppressors[edit]As a general rule, revolvers cannot be effective with asound suppressor(\"silencer\"), as there is usually a small gap between the revolving cylinder and the barrel which a bullet must traverse or jump when fired. From this opening, a rather loud report is produced. A suppressor can only suppress noise coming from the muzzle.[42]A suppressible revolver design does exist in theNagant M1895, a Belgian designed revolver used by Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union from 1895 throughWorld War II. This revolver uses a unique cartridge whose case extends beyond the tip of the bullet, and a cylinder that moves forward to place the end of the cartridge inside the barrel when ready to fire. This bridges the gap between the cylinder and the barrel, and expands to seal the gap when fired. While the tiny gap between cylinder and barrel on most revolvers is insignificant to theinternal ballistics, the seal is especially effective when used with a suppressor, and a number of suppressed Nagant revolvers have been used since its invention.[43]There is a modern revolver of Russian design, theOTs-38,[44]which uses ammunition that incorporates the silencing mechanism into the cartridge case, making the gap between cylinder and barrel irrelevant as far as the suppression issue is concerned. The OTs-38 does need an unusually close and precise fit between the cylinder and barrel due to the shape of bullet in the special ammunition (Soviet SP-4), which was originally designed for use in a semi-automatic.Additionally, the US Military experimented with designing a special version of theSmith & Wesson Model 29forTunnel Rats, called theQuiet Special Purpose Revolveror QSPR. Using special .40 caliber ammunition, it never entered official service.[45]Automatic revolvers[edit]Main article:Automatic revolverThe term \"automatic revolver\" has two different meanings, the first being used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when \"automatic\" referred not to the operational mechanism of firing, but of extraction and ejection of spent casings. An \"automatic revolver\" in this context is one which extracts empty fired cases \"automatically,\" i.e., upon breaking open the action, rather than requiring manual extraction of each case individually with a sliding rod or pin (as in the Colt Single Action Army design). This term was widely used in the advertising of the period as a way to distinguish such revolvers from the far more common rod-extraction types.[46]In the second sense, \"automatic revolver\" refers to the mechanism of firing rather than extraction. Double-action revolvers use a long trigger pull to cock the hammer, thus negating the need to manually cock the hammer between shots. The disadvantage of this is that the long, heavy pull cocking the hammer makes the double-action revolver much harder to shoot accurately than a single-action revolver (although cocking the hammer of a double-action reduces the length and weight of the trigger pull). A rare class of revolvers, called automatic for its firing design, attempts to overcome this restriction, giving the high speed of a double-action with the trigger effort of a single-action. TheWebley-Fosbery Automatic Revolveris the most famous commercial example. It was recoil-operated, and the cylinder and barrel recoiled backwards to cock the hammer and revolve the cylinder. Cam grooves were milled on the outside of the cylinder to provide a means of advancing to the next chamber—half a turn as the cylinder moved back, and half a turn as it moved forward. .38 caliber versions held eight shots, .455 caliber versions six. At the time, the few available automatic pistols were larger, less reliable, and more expensive. The automatic revolver was popular when it first came out, but was quickly superseded by the creation of reliable, inexpensivesemi-automatic pistols.[47]In 1997, theMatebacompany developed a type of recoil-operated automatic revolver, commercially named theMateba Autorevolver, which uses the recoil energy to auto-rotate a normal revolver cylinder holding six or seven cartridges, depending on the model. The company has made several versions of its Autorevolver, including longer-barrelled and carbine variations, chambered for.357 Magnum,.44 Magnumand.454 Casull.[48]ThePancor Jackhammeris acombat shotgunbased on a similar mechanism to an automatic revolver. It uses ablow-forwardaction to move the barrel forward (which unlocks it from the cylinder) and then rotate the cylinder and cock the hammer.[49]TheMauser C96(Construktion 96)[4]is asemi-automatic pistolthat was originally produced byGermanarms manufacturerMauserfrom 1896 to 1937.[5]Unlicensed copies of the gun were also manufactured inSpainandChinain the first half of the 20th century.[5][6]The distinctive characteristics of the C96 are the integralbox magazinein front of the trigger, the long barrel, the woodenshoulder stockwhich gives it the stability of a short-barreled rifle and doubles as a holster or carrying case, and a unique grip shaped like the handle of abroom. The grip earned the gun the nickname \"Broomhandle\" in the English-speaking world because of its round wooden handle, and in China the C96 was nicknamed the \"box cannon\" (Chinese:盒子炮;pinyin:hézipào) because of its rectangularinternal magazineand the fact it could be holstered in its wooden box-like detachable stock.[7]With its long barrel and high-velocity cartridge, the Mauser C96 had superior range and better penetration than most other pistols; the7.63×25mm Mausercartridge was the highest velocity commercially manufactured pistol cartridge until the advent of the.357 Magnumcartridge in 1935.[8]Mauser manufactured approximately 1 million C96 pistols,[9]while the number produced in Spain and China was large but unknown due to the loss, non-existence or poor preservation of production records from those countries.[5]Contents[hide]1 Service2 Contract variants2.1 1897 Turkish Army Mauser2.2 1899 Italian Navy Mauser2.3 1910 Persian Contract Mauser2.4 M1916 Austrian Contract2.5 M1916 Prussian \"Red 9\"2.6 M1920 French Police Contract2.7 WW2 Luftwaffe contract3 Major variants3.1 M1896Kavallerie Karabiner3.2 M1896 Compact Mauser3.3 M1896 Officer\'s Model3.4 M1898 Pistol Carbine3.5 M1912 Mauser Export Model3.6 M1920 Mauser Rework3.7 M1921 \"Bolo\" Mauser3.8 M1930 Mauser3.9 M1932/M712Schnellfeuer3.10 9 OBI3.11 PASAM machine pistol4 Notable copies4.1 Shanxi Type 17 (.45 ACP)4.2 Type 80 (7.62mm Type 51)4.3 Hanyang C.96 (7.63mm Mauser)4.4 Astra Model 9004.5 ETAI / Royal MM31 (Model 1)4.6 Royal MM31 (Model 2)4.7 Royal MM344.8 Azul and Super Azul4.9 Federal Ordnance M713 and M7145 Users5.1 Non-state actors6 Cultural significance7 See also8 Notes9 Bibliography10 External linksService[edit]An early C96 prototype.Within a year of its introduction in 1896, the C96 had been sold to governments and commercially to civilians and individual military officers.The Mauser C96 pistol was extremely popular with British officers at the time and many purchased it privately. Mauser supplied the C96 toWestley Richardsin the UK for resale. By the onset of World War I, the C96\'s popularity with the British military had waned.[10]As a military sidearm, the pistols saw service in various colonial wars, as well asWorld War I,The Easter Rising, theEstonian War of Independence, theSpanish Civil War, theChinese Civil WarandWorld War II. The C96 also became a staple of Bolshevik Commissars and various warlords and gang leaders in theRussian Civil War, known simply as \"the Mauser\".Communist revolutionariesYakov YurovskyandPeter Ermakovused Mausers tomurderthe Russian imperial family in July 1918.[11]Winston Churchillwas fond of the Mauser C96 and used one at the 1898Battle of Omdurmanand during theSecond Boer War;Lawrence of Arabiacarried a Mauser C96 for a period, during his time in the Middle East.[5][12]Indian RevolutionaryRam Prasad Bismiland his partymen used these Mauser pistols in the historicKakori train robberyin August 1925. Chinese Communist GeneralZhu Decarried a Mauser C96 during hisNanchang Uprisingand later conflicts; his gun (with his name printed on it) can be viewed in the Beijing war museum.Imported and domestic copies of the C96 were used extensively by the Chinese in theSecond Sino-Japanese Warand theChinese Civil War, as well as by the Spanish during theSpanish Civil Warand the Germans in World War II.[6][13]Besides the standard 7.63×25mm chambering, C96 pistols were also commonly chambered for9×19mm Parabellumwith a small number also being produced in9 mm Mauser Export. Lastly, there was a Chinese-manufactured model chambered for.45 ACP.[5]Despite the pistol\'s worldwide popularity and fame, China was the only nation to use the C96 as the primaryservice pistolof its military and police.Contract variants[edit]1897 Turkish Army Mauser[edit]Mauser\'s first military contract was with theOttomanTurkish government in 1897. They ordered 1,000 pistols; they had their own serial number range, running from 1 to 1000.[6]They differ in that they use a non-Arabic number system on the tangent sight and the weapon is designated in this number system in theIslamic calendaryear \"1314\" rather than theGregorian calendaryear \"1896 / 1897\". Markings include a six-pointed star on both sides of the chamber andthe crestof SultanAbdul Hamid II(a trophy of crossed Turkish Flags, various polearms, and a collection of his royal awards and honors) and the Muslim year 1314 on the square left rear frame panel.1899 Italian Navy Mauser[edit]In 1899, the Italian government ordered Mauser\'s first major military contract; an order for 5,000 C96 pistols for theItalian Royal Navy.[9]They differ in that their receivers were \"slab-sided\" (i.e., lacked the milling on the sides found on commercial Mausers). They also have a \"ring hammer\" (spurless hammer with a hole through its head) instead of the early \"cone hammer\" (spurless hammer with ribbed cone-like projections on the sides of its head). These guns had their own serial number range, running from 1 to 5000.1910 Persian Contract Mauser[edit]The Persian government ordered 1,000 pistols. They have the Persian government\'s \"Lion and Sun\" insignia on the rectangular milled panel on the left side of the receiver and the serial numbers range from 154000 to 154999. It is often confused with the Turkish Contract Mauser.M1916 Austrian Contract[edit]Austria-Hungaryordered 50,000 Mausers in the standard 7.63×25mm. A small number were rebarreled to8mm Gasser[8.11x27mm] for an unknown reason.[14]Mauser \"Red 9\" C96 withstripper clipM1916 Prussian \"Red 9\"[edit]DuringWorld War I, theImperial German Armycontracted with Mauser for 150,000 C96 pistols chambered in9mm Parabellumto offset the slow production of the standard-issueLuger P08pistol. This variant of the C96 was named the \"Red 9\", after a large number \"9\" burned and painted in red into the grip panels,[15]to warn the pistols\' users not to incorrectly load them with 7.63mm ammunition. Of the 150,000 pistols commissioned, approximately 137,000 were delivered before the war ended.[6]Because the army delegated the branding to unit armourers, not all 9mm pistols carry the nine.M1920 French Police Contract[edit]The French government set up an order for 1,000 pistols with 99 millimetres (3.9in) barrels for theGendarmerie Nationale. The pistol had blackebonitegrips rather than wooden ones.WW2 Luftwaffe contract[edit]The German government purchased 7,800 commercialM30pistols in 1940 for use by theLuftwaffe. They haveWehrmachtproof marks and the Mauser serial numbers come from the early- to mid-1930s. The weapon had ceased production in 1937 but the order was filled from remaining stocks.Major variants[edit]There were many variants of the C96 besides the standard Commercial model; the most common are detailed below.M1896Kavallerie Karabiner[edit]One of the experimental ideas was the creation of a pistol-carbine for use by light cavalry. They had a \"slab-sided\" receiver, standard 10-round magazine, a permanently affixed wooden stock and forend, and a lengthened 300 millimetres (12in) (early production) or 370 millimetres (15in) (late production) barrel. They were dropped from production after 1899 due to poor sales and little military interest.There was limited sporting interest in the carbine version and due to small production numbers it is a highly prized collectible priced at about twice the value of the pistol version.[16]Recently, importers like Navy Arms imported late-model Mauser carbines with 16-inch or longer barrels for sale in the US.M1896 Compact Mauser[edit]A version of the Mauser pistol with a full-sized grip, six-shot internal magazine, and a 120-millimetre (4.7in) barrel. Production was phased out by 1899.M1896 Officer\'s Model[edit]This is the unofficial term for a variant Compact Mauser with a curved wooden orhard-rubbergrip, like that of arevolver. The name comes from the US Army designation of the Mauser pistol sent to participate in their self-loading pistol trials.M1898 Pistol Carbine[edit]This is the first model to come cut for a combination wooden stock / holster. The stock doubled as a case or holster and attached to a slot cut in the grip frame.M1912 Mauser Export Model[edit]This model was the first to chamber the9×25mm MauserExport cartridge. It was designed to capitalize on the arms market in South America and China. Mauser C96 pistols in this caliber usually have an indentation milled into the upper surface of the magazine\'s follower to facilitate feeding of the straight-cased 9×25mm cartridge cases. The rifling in the barrel has a unique 13:8 twist. In addition, the flat surfaces extending around the chamber are longer to accommodate the higher pressures of the 9×25mm cartridge. Examples of Mauser C96s in this caliber are rare, but are still occasionally found on the private collector\'s market. The 9×25mm Mauser Export caliber receded from the market as the armaments industry reoriented itself towards military manufacture during World War I, but the round enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as a submachine gun caliber in the 1930s.M1920 Mauser Rework[edit]TheTreaty of Versailles(signed in 1919) imposed a number of restrictions on pistol barrel lengths and calibres on German arms manufacturers.[17]Pistols for German government issue or domestic market sales could not have a barrel longer than 4inches and could not be chambered for 9mm cartridges.TheWeimar Republicbanned the private ownership of military-issue or military-style weapons in an attempt to recover valuable arms from returning soldiers. The confiscated weapons were then used to arm government forces, leaving them with a hodge-podge of military and civilian arms. To meet the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, a major reworking project was begun that set about converting these weapons.To be compliant, \"pre-war\" C.96 models belonging to the Weimar government had to have their barrels cut down to 99 millimetres (3.9in). This meant that their tangent sights had to be replaced with fixed sights. They also had to be converted to the standard 7.63×25mm Mauser round, though a few hybrid Mausers were made with salvaged Luger barrels that were chambered for7.65×21mm Parabellum. Compliant confiscated government-issue guns were markedM1920. This practice was continued on German service pistols even after the ban was ignored and the conversions had stopped.M1921 \"Bolo\" Mauser[edit]Mauser began manufacturing a compliant version of the C.96 for commercial sale from 1920 to 1921. It featured smaller grips, a shorter 99 millimetres (3.9in) barrel,[7]and was chambered for the standard 7.63×25mm Mauser. An experimental 8.15×25.2mm Mauser cartridge was used to replace the banned 9×19mm Parabellum and 9×25mm Mauser Export cartridges for domestic sales but it never caught on.Mass-production of the weapon was from 1921 to 1930. It was sold in quantity to armies in the contested Baltic region and was carried by the Poles, Lithuanians, GermanFreikorpsandWhite Russians. TheBolshevikgovernment (and later the newRed Army) of the embryonicSoviet Union, purchased large numbers of this model in the 1920s or appropriated them from their defeated enemies.[18]The distinctive pistol became associated with the Bolsheviks and was thus nicknamed the \"Bolo\".[18]The \"Bolo\" model was also popular elsewhere, as the shorter barrel and smaller overall size made the gun easier to conceal.[19]There was also a transitional version in 1930 that used the \"Bolo\" frame but with a longer 132 millimetres (5.2in) barrel.M1930 Mauser[edit]Also known as theM30by collectors, it was a simplification and improvement of the M1921 Mauser. It simplified production by removing several fine-machining details and reverted to the\"pre-war\"large grip and long barrel. The early model M30s had a 132 millimetres (5.2in) barrel, but later models had the traditional 140 millimetres (5.5in) barrel. It was made from 1930 until 1937.Joseph Nickl designed a selective-fire conversion in 1930. It tended to \"cook off\" (fire by spontaneous ignition of the propellant when overheated) when fired in long bursts. Only 4,000 of this model were made between 1930 and 1931.[20]Since the M1932 / M712 variant was full-auto, the semi-auto M1930 it was derived from was sometimes called theM711by war surplus dealers and M712SchnellfeuerThe Spanish gunmaking firms ofBeistegui HermanosandAstrabegan producing detachable magazine-fed,select-fireversions of the C96 in 1927 and 1928 respectively, intended for export to the Far East.[6]Mauser began production of theSchnellfeuer(\"Fast Fire\"), their own select-fire, detachable magazine version of the M30 designed by Karl Westinger. Production started in 1932 and ended in 1936,[6]which has led to its unofficial designation of \"M1932\" by collectors. An extremely successful design, around 98,000 guns were made overall and they had their own series of serial numbers.[20]It was largely intended for export to South America and China or to the opposing sides in the laterSpanish Civil War. Small numbers of M1932s were also supplied to the GermanWehrmachtduringWorld War II, who designated it the M712.[6]The USNational Firearms Actof 1934 placed a $200 tax on machine guns, making exports of theSchnellfeuerguns to the US impractical. After World War II, importers sold a semi-automatic conversion of the detachable magazineSchnellfeuerthat was made for the US surplus market. The versions imported from China were built on new semi-auto-only frames; the ATF treats them under the law as new guns and not under Curio & Relic exemption.9 OBI[edit]Oyster Bay Industries was an American company that made a detachable magazine conversion kit for the Mauser. It removed the floor plate, spring and follower and added a small magazine catch mechanism that allowed it to feed its own brand of proprietary 14 round 9mm magazines. The conversion could either be performed on a \"Red 9\" pistol or a new 9mm upper receiver could be sold that would convert a standard C.96 7.63mm pistol.PASAM machine pistol[edit]The Brazilian government bought 500 7.63mmM1932Schnellfeuermachine pistols for thePolicia Militar do Distrito Federal(Portuguese: \"Federal District Military Police\") during the mid-1930s. ThePASAM(Pistola Automática Semi-Automática Mauser,[21]or \"Semi-Automatic / Automatic Military Pistol\") used the M1932 as its base but made a few alterations. The controls were the same as the standard model, except the markings were inPortuguese. The selector switch (found on the left side, above the trigger guard) was markedNforNormal(\"Normal\" for semi-automatic) andRforRápido(\"Rapid\" for fully automatic). The safety control lever (found to the left of the hammer) was markedSforSeguro(\"Safe\") andFforFogo(\"Fire\").[22]It was used withBrazilian State Military Police(Polícia Militar) forces in the 1980s. They preferred to use it as a semi-automatic carbine and reserved its full-auto setting for emergencies due to its recoil and muzzle-climb.[22]In 1970, thePolicia Militar do Rio de Janeiro(PMRJ)asked the services of Jener Damau Arroyo, a Spanish-born gunsmith, to make modifications on their PASAMs in order to improve their handling. The first modification (PASAM MOD-1), of which 101 were modified, received a metal frame extension welded to the magazine housing. It was fitted with a metal forward grip well ahead of the gun under the muzzle.[21]The original grip was left alone, making it compatible with the wooden holster/stock.[21]The second modification (PASAM MOD-2), involving 89 pistols, featured a similar frame extension, but the forward grip had wooden panels and was of different shape. The pistol grip frame used thicker rectangular wooden grips and had a 1.5-foot (460mm) \"t-bar\" metal shoulder stock welded to it. A metal frame attached to the receiver supported a rectangular wooden foregrip, taking pressure off the barrel. In both models, of course, the barrel was left free so as to enable it to do its short recoil during firing. For the record, 295 PASAMs were left in the original condition.[21]It took standard detachable 10-round box magazines,[22]although they can also take the extended 20- and 40-round magazines.[21]Notable copies[edit]Shanxi Type 17 (.45 ACP)[edit]During theWarlord eraof Chinese history in the early 20th century, the province ofShanxiwas ruled by warlordYen Hsi-shan, who had established a modern arms factory in his capital city ofTaiyuan. Yen was equipping his troops with a locally produced copy of theThompson submachine gun, chambered for the.45 ACPcartridge, but was experiencing supply difficulties as his troops\' sidearms were 7.63mm calibre C96 handguns.[23]Yen\'s solution was to produce a .45 ACP caliber version of the C96, thus standardizing ammunition and making supply logistics easier.[23]DesignatedType 17, production of the .45 caliber handgun began in 1929 at theTaiyuan Arsenaland ended in 1931. They are inscribed (in Chinese) \"Type 17\" on the left hand side of the gun, and \"Republic Year Eighteen, Made inShansi\" on the right hand side.[23]They were issued (along with Thompson SMGs) to railway guards in the province as defense against bandits and other warlords.Besides being chambered for a larger cartridge, the Shanxi .45 pistols use a noticeably larger frame than their 7.63mm counterparts, with the 10-round magazine extending below the trigger guard and a 155mm (6.1in) barrel. It was loaded using two five-round stripper clips rather than the single 10-round stripper clips of the standard 7.63mm Mauser. Because of the overall increase in size, Type 17 pistols share no interchangeable parts with any other C96 variant.Most of the Shanxi .45 pistols were melted down after the Communist victory in theChinese Civil War, largely due to their odd caliber for Chinese Communist standards, but a few examples were exported overseas for sale on the commercial market.[23]Approximately 8,500 Shanxi .45 caliber Broomhandle pistols are believed to have been produced by the Taiyuan Arsenal, but there is some debate as to how many of the Shanxi .45 caliber Broomhandle pistols currently on the commercial market were actually produced for Yen\'s troops, and how many are more recent productions for the US collectors\' market.Type 80 (7.62mm Type 51)[edit]Main article:Type 80 (pistol)The Type 80 is a machine pistol intended for officers developed by thePeople\'s Liberation Armyof theCommunist China. The design drew heavy inspiration from the M712 Schnellfeuer, but the pistol grip is the same as that of theType 64, and the gun is chambered for the7.62×25mm Tokarevround.[24]Hanyang C.96 (7.63mm Mauser)[edit]In 1923 the Hanyang Munitions Works began making a copy of the Mauser C96. The result was the Hanyang C.96, about 13,000 copies being produced, it is sometimes described as the \"fancier\" of the two Chinese copies. Like the Shansi Type 17, it is unknown of how many originals are currently left on the market.[25]Astra Model 900[edit]Main article:Astra Model 900The Spanish gunmakerAstra-Unceta y Ciabegan producing a copy of the Mauser C.96 in 1927 that was externally similar to the C96 (including the presence of a detachable shoulder stock/holster) but with non-interlocking internal parts. It was produced until 1941, with a production hiatus in 1937 and 1938, and a final batch assembled from spare parts in 1951.[6]The Spanish copies of the C96 were generally intended for export to China,[6]but after the commencement of theSino-Japanese war(which blocked supply of guns to Chinese forces) the remaining Astra 900s were used in theSpanish Civil War, and numbers were also sold to Germany in the period 1940–1943.[6]ETAI / Royal MM31 (Model 1)[edit]Produced by Beistegui Hermanos inEibar, Spain, this was the first pseudo-Mauser on the market, a relatively crude semi-auto appearing in 1926 and full-auto variants appearing in 1927. Mechanically, it was laid out approximately like the Mauser original, but without the removable lock frame. Internal parts (trigger, hammer, safety lever, etc.) pivoted on pins and screws extending through the frame. The screws also held the frame together. The bolt was of round cross-section, unlike the square Mauser bolt. The weapon was stamped with either \"Royal\" or \"ETAI\".[26][27][28]Royal MM31 (Model 2)[edit]This was a much closer copy of the Mauser original than the ETAI/Royal model and variants, with the full separate lock frame and all. It was of much better quality than the earlier gun, though still not at Mauser level. The MM31 was manufactured until 1934. A total of about 10,000 were made, in perhaps four successive variants. These models came in semi-auto and semi-auto/full auto selective fire variants.[26][27]Royal MM34[edit]This model was much like the MM31, but added a mechanical rate reducer inside the grip area, a three-position lever to select the firing rate. It also had a ribbed barrel to help prevent the barrel from overheating during sustained full auto fire. Only a few hundred of these weapons were made and are very rare today.[26][27]Azul and Super Azul[edit]The Azul and Super Azul pistols were also manufactured by Beistegui Hermanos in Eibar, Spain, but sold by Eulogio Arostegui. The Azul was a copy of the standard C96 while the Super Azul was a semi auto/full auto select fire variant. Each accepted detachable box magazines instead of having an internal box magazine.[29][30]Federal Ordnance M713 and M714[edit]In the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the Federal Ordnance firearms company in South El Monte, U.S.A. made reproductions of the Mauser 1917 Trench Carbine and C96 pistol, named the M713 and M714 respectively. The M713 came in a standard variant with a fixed stock and magazine, as well as a \"Deluxe\" variant which had a detachable stock and detachable box magazines. The M714 supported detachable box magazines, unlike the original C96, and a \"Bolo\" variant, with the \"Bolo\" model having a shorter barrel and grip. All variants of the M713 and M714 were available in 7.63x25mm and 9x19mm Used in theFinnish Civil Warand in theSecond World War.[33]German Empire: Army issued 137,000 of the \"Red 9\" variant during World War I.[6]Kingdom of Italy: 5,000 bought from Germany in 1899 for the navy.[9]Nazi Germany: 8,000 of theSchnellfeuervariant was issued to theLuftwaffeduring World War II. Also bought thousands of the Spanish-madeAstra Model 900and 903 variants.[6]Ottoman Empire: 1,000 ordered from Germany in 1896.[6]Republic of China: Hundreds of thousands were used byKuomintang,Communist, andwarlordforces.[34]Second Spanish Republic[6]Soviet Union: \"Bolo\" variant bought from Germany during the 1920s.[18]North Vietnam: used by North Vietnamese Army andViet CongduringVietnam Warsince captured from Germany by Soviet provide aid to Vietminh duringFirst Indochina Waralso provided byCommunist Chinacaptured fromNationalist ChinaduringChinese Civil War.Non-state actors[edit]Jungle Movement of Gilan, IranIrish Republican Army[35]Many were privately bought by British officers in the period before World War I.[10]The Brazilian social banditLampião.Cultural significance[edit]The BroomhandleMauseris a popular collector\'s gun.[5]It was popularized in Soviet films as the iconic weapon of the Russian revolution and civil war. The C96 frequently appears as a \"foreign\" or \"exotic\" pistol in a number of films (such asThe Great Silence, whereJean-Louis Trintignant\'s use of the C96 intentionally contrasts with theColt Single Action Armyrevolvers used by the other characters in the film)[36]and TV shows, owing to its distinctive and instantly recognisable shape. AuthorIan Flemingoutfitted agents ofSMERSHin theJames Bondseries with Mausers on the advice of firearms expertGeoffrey Boothroyd.[37]The C96 was the inspiration for the Buck Rogers Atomic Pistol in the movie serial and the comic,[38]and a popular toy version was produced in 1934 by the Daisy Manufacturing Company.[39]A C96 was modified to formHan Solo\'s propblasterpistol for theStar Warsfilms.[5]Reproductions of the blaster became so popular in thecosplaycommunity that gun collectors became aware that fans were buying and altering increasingly rare original Mausers to make blaster replicas.[40]TheWebley Revolver(also known as theWebley Top-Break RevolverorWebley Self-Extracting Revolver) was, in variousmarks, a standard issueservice pistolfor the armed forces of the United Kingdom, and theBritish EmpireandCommonwealth, from 1887 until 1963.The Webley is atop-breakrevolver and breaking the revolver operates theextractor, which removescartridgesfrom thecylinder. TheWebley Mk Iservice revolver was adopted in 1887 and theMk IV, rose to prominence during theBoer War of 1899–1902. TheMk VI, introduced in 1915 during theFirst World War, is perhaps the best-known model.Firing large.455 Webleycartridges, Webley service revolvers are among the most powerful top-break revolvers ever produced. The .455 calibre Webley is no longer in military service but the.38/200Webley Mk IV variant is still in use as a police sidearm in a number of countries.[1]With a modified, \"shaved\" cylinder and the use of a halfmoon clip, theWebley Mk VIcan fire the45 ACPcartridge,[2]althoughoverpressureor +P .45 ACP cartridges exceed Webley proof loads and should not be used.[3]Many Webley Mk VIs were converted to fire 45 ACP ammunition after the remaining .455 Webley ammunition dwindled.Contents[hide]1 History2 Webley revolvers in military service2.1 Boer War2.2 First World War2.3 Second World War2.4 Post-war2.5 Police use2.6 Military service .455 Webley revolver marks and models3 The Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver4 Other well-known Webley Revolvers4.1 Webley RIC4.2 British Bull Dog4.3 Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver5 Users6 Notes7 References8 External linksHistory[edit]The British companyWebley & Scott(P. Webley & Son before merger with W & C Scott in 1897) produced a range ofrevolversfrom the mid 19th to late 20th centuries. As early as 1853 P. Webley and J. Webley began production of their first patented single action cap and ball revolvers. Later under the trade name of P. Webley and Son, manufacturing included their own .44-caliber rim-fire solid frame revolver as well as licensed copies of Smith & Wesson\'s Tip up break action revolvers. The quintessential hinged frame, centre-fire revolvers for which the Webley name is best known first began production/development in the early 1870s most notably with the Webley-Pryse (1877) and Webley-Kaufman (1881) models. The W.G. or Webley-Government models produced from 1885 through to the early 1900s, (often incorrectly referred to as the Webley-Green) are the most popular of the commercial top break revolvers and many were the private purchase choice of English military officers and target shooters in the period, coming in a .476/.455 calibre. However other short-barrel solid-frame revolvers, including theWebley RIC(Royal Irish Constabulary) model and theBritish Bulldog revolver, designed to be carried in a coat pocket for self-defence were far more commonplace during the period. Today, undoubtedly best-known are the range of military revolvers, which were in service use across two World Wars and numerous colonial conflicts.[4][5]In 1887, theBritish Armywas searching for a revolver to replace the largely unsatisfactory .476Enfield Mk I & Mk II Revolvers, the Enfield having only replaced the solid frameAdams .450revolver which was a late 1860s conversion of the cap and ballBeaumont–Adams revolverin 1880. Webley & Scott, who were already very well known makers of quality guns and had sold many pistols on a commercial basis to military officers and civilians alike, tendered the .455 calibre Webley Self-Extracting Revolver for trials. The military was suitably impressed with the revolver (it was seen as a vast improvement over the Enfield revolvers then in service, which American designed Owen extraction system did not prove particularly satisfactory in service), and it was adopted on 8 November 1887 as the \"Pistol, Webley, Mk I\".[6]The initial contract called for 10,000 Webley revolvers, at a price of£3/1/1each, with at least 2,000 revolvers to be supplied within eight months.[7]The Webley revolver went through a number of changes, culminating in the Mk VI, which was in production between 1915 and 1923. The large .455 Webley revolvers were retired in 1947, although the Webley Mk IV .38/200 remained in service until 1963 alongside the Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver. Commercial versions of all Webley service revolvers were also sold on the civilian market, along with a number of similar designs (such as that were not officially adopted for service, but were nonetheless purchased privately by military officers.A Webley Mark I Revolver, circa 1887, from Canada, cal .455 (Mk I) WebleyWebley Mark VI .455 service revolverClose up of the cylinder (including thumb catch) on a Webley Mk VI service revolverWebley RIC 1868 cal.450 CFWebley WG (a.k.a. Webley Government) Revolver cal .455/476 (.476 Enfield)A Webley Revolver, openedIOF .32 RevolverCopy of Webley Pocket Pistol in .38 S&W, atBagram Airfield, Afghanistan.455 in SAA Ball ammunition.A box of Second World War dated .380\" Revolver Mk IIz cartridgesWebley revolvers in military service[edit]Boer War[edit]The Webley Mk IV, chambered in .455 Webley, was introduced in 1899 and soon became known as the \"Boer WarModel\",[8]on account of the large numbers of officers andnon-commissioned officerswho purchased it on their way to take part in the conflict. The Webley Mk IV served alongside a large number of other handguns, including theMauser C96 \"Broomhandle\"(as used byWinston Churchillduring the War), earlierBeaumont–Adamscartridge revolvers, and other top-break revolvers manufactured by gunmakers such asWilliam Tranter, andKynoch.First World War[edit]The standard-issue Webley revolver at the outbreak of the First World War was the Webley Mk V (adopted 9 December 1913[9]), but there were considerably more Mk IV revolvers in service in 1914,[10]as the initial order for 20,000 Mk V revolvers had not been completed when hostilities began.[11]On 24 May 1915, the Webley Mk VI was adopted as the standard sidearm forBritish and Commonwealthtroops[11]and remained so for the duration of the First World War, being issued to officers, airmen, naval crews, boarding parties,trench raiders, machine-gun teams, andtankcrews. The Mk VI proved to be a very reliable and hardy weapon, well suited to the mud and adverse conditions of trench warfare, and several accessories were developed for the Mk VI, including abayonet(made from a converted French Gras bayonet),[12]speedloaderdevices (the \"Prideaux Device\" and the Watson design),[13][14][15]and a stock allowing for the revolver to be converted into acarbine.[16]Demand exceeded production, which was already behind as the war began. This forced the British government to buy substitute weapons chambered in .455 Webley from neutral countries. America provided theSmith & Wesson 2nd Model \"Hand Ejector\"andColt New Service Revolvers. Spanish gunsmiths inEibarmade decent-quality copies of popular guns and were tapped to cheaply close the gap by making a .455 variant of their 11mmM1884or\"S&W Model 7 ONÁ\"revolver, a copy of theSmith & Wesson.44 Double Action First Model. ThePistol, Revolver, Old Pattern, No. 1 Mk. 1was byGarate, Anitua y Cia.and thePistol, Revolver, Old Pattern, No.2 Mk.1was byTrocaola, Aranzabal y Cia..Orbea Hermanos y Cia.made 10,000 pistols.Rexach & Urgoitewas tapped for an initial order of 500 revolvers, but they were rejected due to defects.Second World War[edit]Webley Mk IV in .38The official service pistol for the British military during theSecond World Warwas theEnfield No. 2 Mk I.38/200 calibre revolver,.[17]Owing to a critical shortage of handguns, a number of other weapons were also adopted (first practically, then officially) to alleviate the shortage. As a result, both the Webley Mk IV in .38/200 and Webley Mk VI in .455 calibre were issued to personnel during the war.[18]Post-war[edit]The Webley Mk VI (.455) and Mk IV (.38/200) revolvers were still issued to British and Commonwealth Forces after the Second World War; there were now extensive stockpiles of the revolvers in military stores. An armourer stationed inWest Germanyrecalled (admittedly tongue-in-cheek) that by the time they were officially retired in 1963, the ammunition allowance was \"two cartridges per man, per year.\" This lack of ammunition was instrumental in keeping the Enfield and Webley revolvers in use so long: they were not wearing out because they were not being used.[19]The Webley Mk IV .38 revolver was not completely replaced by theBrowning Hi-Poweruntil 1963, and saw use in the Korean War, theSuez Crisis,Malayan Emergency, and theRhodesian Bush War. Many Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolvers were still circulating in British Military service as late as 1970.[20]Police use[edit]TheHong Kong PoliceandRoyal Singaporean Policewere issued Webley Mk III & Mk IV (38S&W then.38/200 - Never use 38/200 in a Webley Mark III proofed for black powder 38S&W only) revolvers from the 1930s. Singaporean police (and some other \"officials\") Webleys were equipped with safety catches, a rather unusual feature in a revolver. These were gradually retired in the 1970s as they came in for repair, and were replaced withSmith & Wesson Model 10.38 revolvers. TheLondon Metropolitan Policewere also known to use Webley revolvers, as were most colonial police units until just after the Second World War. There may still be some police units with Webley Mk IV revolvers that, whilst not issued, are still present in the armoury.TheOrdnance Factory Board of Indiastill manufactures .380 Revolver Mk IIz cartridges,[21]as well as a.32 calibrerevolver (theIOF .32 Revolver) with 2-inch (51mm) barrel which is clearly based on the Webley Mk IV .38 service pistol.[22]Military service .455 Webley revolver marks and models[edit]There were six different marks of .455 calibre Webley British Government Model revolvers approved for British military service at various times between 1887 and the end of the First World War:Mk I: The first Webley self-extracting revolver adopted for service, officially adopted 8 November 1887, with a 4-inch (100mm) barrel and \"bird\'s beak\" style grips.Mk I*was a factory upgrade of Mk I revolvers to match the Mk II.Mk II: Similar to the Mk I, with modifications to the hammer and grip shape, as well as a hardened steel shield for the blast-shield. Officially adopted 21 May 1895, with a 4-inch (100mm) barrel.[23]Mk III: Identical to Mk II, but with modifications to the cylinder cam and related parts. Officially adopted 5 October 1897, most not issued, with exception of a number that were marked with the \"broad arrow\" acceptance stamp on the top strap. These few went to Royal Navy Service.[24]Mk IV: The \"Boer War\" Model. Manufactured using much higher quality steel and case hardened parts, with the cylinder axis being a fixed part of the barrel and modifications to various other parts, including a re-designed blast-shield. Officially adopted 21 July 1899, with a 4-inch (100mm) barrel.[25]Mk V: Similar to the Mk IV, but with cylinders 0.12-inch (3.0mm) wider to allow for the use of nitrocellulose propellant-based cartridges. Officially adopted 9 December 1913, with a 4-inch (100mm) barrel, although some models produced in 1915 had 5-inch (130mm) and 6-inch (150mm) barrels.[26]Mk VI: Similar to the Mk V, but with a squared-off \"target\" style grip (as opposed to the \"bird\'s-beak\" style found on earlier marks and models) and a 6-inch (150mm) barrel. Officially adopted 24 May 1915,[27]and also manufactured by RSAF Enfield under the designationPistol, Revolver, Webley, No. 1 Mk VI1921–1926.[28]The Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver[edit]Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service RevolverType Service revolverPlaceoforigin British EmpireService historyInservice 1932–1963Usedby United Kingdom & Colonies,British Commonwealth,Wars Second World War, Korean War, British colonial conflicts, numerous othersProduction historyDesigner Webley & ScottDesigned 1932Manufacturer Webley & ScottProduced 1932–1978No.built approx. 500,000SpecificationsWeight 2.4 lb (1.1 kg), unloadedLength 10.25 in (266 mm)Cartridge .380\" Revolver Mk IIzCalibre .38 (9 mm)Action Double Action revolverRateoffire 20–30 rounds/minuteMuzzlevelocity 620 ft/s (190 m/s)Effectivefiringrange 50yd (46m)Maximumfiringrange 300yd (270m)Feedsystem 6-round cylinderSights fixed front post and rear notchAt the end of the First World War, the British military decided that the .455 calibre gun and cartridge was too large for modern military use and—after numerous tests and extensive trials—that a pistol in .38 calibre firing a 200-grain (13g) bullet would be just as effective as the .455 for stopping an enemy.[29]Webley & Scott immediately tendered the.38/200calibre Webley Mk IV revolver, which as well as being nearly identical in appearance to the .455 calibre Mk VI revolver (albeit scaled down for the smaller cartridge), was based on their .38 calibre Webley Mk III pistol, designed for the police and civilian markets.[30]Much to their surprise, the British Government took the design to theRoyal Small Arms FactoryatEnfield Lock, which came up with a revolver that was externally very similar looking to the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV, but was internally different enough that no parts from the Webley could be used in the Enfield and vice versa.The Enfield-designed pistol was quickly accepted under the designationPistol, Revolver, No. 2 Mk I, and was adopted in 1932,[31]followed in 1938 by the Mk I* (spurless hammer, double action only),[32]and finally the Mk I** (simplified for wartime production) in 1942.[33]Webley & Scott sued the British Government over the incident, claiming £2250 as \"costs involved in the research and design\" of the revolver.This was contested by RSAF Enfield, which quite firmly stated that theEnfield No. 2 Mk Iwas designed by Captain Boys (the Assistant Superintendent of Design, later ofBoys Anti-Tank Riflefame) with assistance from Webley & Scott, and not the other way around. Accordingly, their claim was denied.By way of compensation, the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors eventually awarded Webley & Scott £1250 for their work.[34]RSAF Enfield proved unable to manufacture enough No. 2 revolvers to meet the military\'s wartime demands, and as a result Webley\'s Mk IV was also widely used within theBritish Armyin World War Two.Other well-known Webley Revolvers[edit]Whilst the top-break, self-extracting revolvers used by the British and Commonwealth militaries are the best-known examples of Webley Revolvers, the company produced a number of other highly popular revolvers largely intended for the police and civilian markets.Webley RIC[edit]Webley Royal Irish Constabulary RevolverThe Webley RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) model was Webley\'s first double-action revolver, and adopted by the RIC in 1868,[35]hence the name. It was a solid frame, gate-loaded revolver, chambered in .442 Webley. GeneralGeorge Armstrong Custerwas known to have owned a pair, which he is believed to have used at theBattle of the Little Bighornin 1876.[36][37]A small number of early examples were produced in the huge .500 Tranter calibre, and later models were available chambered for the .450 Adams and other cartridges. They were also widely copied in Belgium.British Bull Dog[edit]Main article:British Bull Dog revolverThe British Bull Dog model was an enormously successful solid-frame design introduced by Webley in 1872. It featured a 2.5-inch (64mm) barrel and was chambered for five .44 Short Rimfire, .442 Webley, or .450 Adams cartridges. A .44 calibre Belgian-made British Bulldog revolver was used to assassinate US PresidentJames Garfieldon July 2, 1881 byCharles Guiteau. (Webley later added smaller scaled five chambered versions in .320 and .380 calibres, but did not mark them British Bull Dog.)It was designed to be carried in a coat pocket or kept on a night-stand, and many have survived to the present day in good condition, having seen little actual use.[38]Numerous copies of this design were made during the late 19th century inBelgium, with smaller numbers also produced in Spain, France and the USA.[39]They remained reasonably popular until the Second World War, but are now generally sought after only as collectors\' pieces, since ammunition for them is for the most part no longer commercially manufactured.Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver[edit]Main article:Webley-Fosbery Automatic RevolverA highly unusual example of an \"automatic revolver\", the Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver was produced between 1900 and 1915, and available in both a six-shot .455 Webley version, and an eight-shot.38 ACP(not to be confused with.380 ACP) version.[40]Unusually for a revolver, the Webley-Fosbery had a safety catch, and the light trigger pull, solid design, and reputation for accuracy ensured that the Webley-Fosbery remained popular with target shooters long after production had finished.[41][42]ThePistole Parabellum 1908—orParabellum-Pistole(Pistol Parabellum)[2]—is a pistol. The design was patented byGeorg J. Lugerin 1898 and produced byGermanarms manufacturerDeutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken(DWM) starting in 1900 with other manufacturers such as W+F Bern, Krieghoff, Simson, Mauser, and Vickers;[3]it was an evolution of the 1893Hugo Borchardt–designedC-93. The first Parabellum pistol was adopted by the Swiss army in May 1900. In German Army service, it was succeeded and partly replaced by theWalther P38in caliber9×19mm Parabellum.The Luger is well known from its use by Germans duringWorld War IandWorld War II, along with the interwarWeimar Republicand the postwar East GermanVolkspolizei. Although the P.08 was introduced in7.65mm Parabellum, it is notable for being the pistol for which the9×19mm Parabellum(also known as the 9×19mm Luger) cartridge was developed. Because of its association withNazi Germany, the pistol has been used in fictional works by many villainous characters over the past several decades.Contents[hide]1 Design details2 Service3 Luger Rifle M19064 Usage today5 Users5.1 Non-state entities6 See also7 References8 Further reading9 External linksDesign details[edit]Swiss Parabellum Model 1900. Flat breech block and extractorLuger Model 1900 pistol carbineSwiss Parabellum Model 1900 with breech opened, showing the jointed arm in its most bent positionLuger 04 Pistol of theGerman Navy\'Artillery Luger\' Lange Pistole 08 with 32-round Trommel-Magazin 08 and removable stock.One of the firstsemi-automatic pistols, the Luger was designed to use a toggle-lock action, which uses a jointed arm to lock, as opposed to the slide actions of almost every other semi-automatic pistol. After a round is fired, the barrel and toggle assembly (both locked together at this point) travel rearward due to recoil. After moving roughly 13mm (0.5in) rearward, the toggle strikes a cam built into the frame, causing the knee joint to hinge and the toggle and breech assembly to unlock. At this point the barrel impacts the frame and stops its rearward movement, but the toggle assembly continues moving (bending the knee joint) due to momentum, extracting the spent casing from the chamber and ejecting it. The toggle and breech assembly subsequently travel forward under spring tension and the next round from the magazine is loaded into the chamber. The entire sequence occurs in a fraction of a second. This mechanism works well for higher-pressure cartridges, but cartridges loaded to a lower pressure can cause the pistol tomalfunctionbecause they do not generate enough recoil to work the action fully. This results in either the breech block not clearing the top cartridge of the magazine, or becoming jammed open on the cartridge\'s base.[4]In World War I, assubmachine gunswere found to be effective intrench warfare, experiments with converting various types of pistols tomachine pistols(Reihenfeuerpistolen, literally \"row-fire pistols\" or \"consecutive fire pistols\") were conducted. Among those the Luger pistol (German Army designationPistole 08) was examined; however, unlike theMauser C96, which was later manufactured in a selective-fire version (Schnellfeuer) orReihenfeuerpistolen, the Luger proved to have an excessiverate of firein full-automatic mode.The Luger pistol was manufactured to exacting standards and had a long service life.William B. \"Bill\" Rugerpraised the Luger\'s 145° (55° for Americans) grip angle and duplicated it in his.22 LR pistol.[citation needed]Service[edit]Swiss Pistol 06/29, 7,65x21mmTheSwiss Armyevaluated the Luger pistol in7.65×21mm Parabellumand adopted it in 1900 as its standard side arm, designatedPistole 1900, in 1901. This model uses a 120mm (4.7in) barrel.The Luger pistol was accepted by theImperial German Navyin 1904. TheNavymodel had a 150mm (5.9in) barrel and a two-position ( 100 meters (110yd) or 200 meters (220yd) ) rear sight. This version is known asPistole 04.In 1908, the German Army adopted the Luger to replace theReichsrevolverin front-line service. ThePistole 08(orP.08) had a 100mm (3.9in) barrel and was chambered in9×19mm Parabellum. TheP.08was the usualside armforGerman Armypersonnel in both world wars, though it was being replaced by theWalther P38starting in 1938. In 1930,Mausertook over manufacture of the P.08 (until 1943).[2]TheBolivian Armyadopted the DWM Luger in 9×19mm Parabellum as the main officer\'s sidearm in 1908; a few hundred were bought, starting with a batch of about 250 that were included in an order of 4,000 Mauser DWM 1907 rifles and 1,000 Mauser DWM 1907 short rifles, both in caliber 7.65×53mm, and continued with smaller batches every year until 1913. Only the first batch wore crests and the Legend \"Ejercito Boliviano\" stamped in the receiver.A P-08, BYF-41, 1941, 9×19mm caliber Parabellum Luger Mauser pistol—with the safety on, and with breech opened, showing the jointed arm in its most bent and locked positionTheLange Pistole 08(German: \"Long Pistol 08\") orArtillery Lugerwas a pistol carbine for use by German Army artillerymen as a sort of earlyPersonal Defense Weapon. It had a 200mm (7.9in) barrel, an 8-position tangent rear sight (calibrated to 800 meters (870yd)) and a shoulder stock with holster. When set for long range use the rear sight element visibly moves to the left to compensate forspin drift. It was sometimes used with a 32-rounddrum magazine(Trommelmagazin 08). Early issue LP08s had micrometer adjustable front and rear sights which required a 2-pin tool for adjustment. It was also available in various commercialcarbineversions with yet longer barrels.The firm Armeria Belga of Santiago (Chile) manufactured the Benke Thiemann retractable stock that could fold out from the grip section.The United States evaluated several semi-automatic pistols in the late 19th century, including theColt M1900,Steyr Mannlicher M1894, and an entry fromMauser. In 1900 the US purchased 10007.65×21mm ParabellumLugers for field trials. Later, a small number were sampled in the then-new, more powerful 9×19mm round. Field experience with.38 caliberrevolvers inthe Philippinesand ballistic tests would result in a requirement for still-larger rounds.The .45 ACP Luger and the Colt Model 1905, from a 1907 report on testing in the US.Cutaway drawing of 1900 Luger design from Georg Luger\'s patent.In 1906 and 1907, the US Army held trials for a large-caliber semi-automatic. DWM provided two sample Luger pistols chambered in.45 ACPfor testing, with serial numbers 1 and 2. The fate of serial number 1 is unknown, as it was not returned. The serial number 2 Luger .45 passed the tests, and survived to be traded among collectors. Its rarity gives its value of around US$1 million at the time the \"Million Dollar Guns\" episode ofHistory Channel\'s \"Tales of the Gun\" was filmed,[5]recheck byGuns & Ammoas of 1994.[6]At least two pistols were manufactured later for possible commercial or military sales, and one is exhibited at theNorton Gallery, inShreveport, Louisiana. The other was sold in 2010 and remains in a private collection. After initial trials, DWM, Savage, and Colt were asked to provide further samples for evaluation. DWM withdrew for reasons that are still debated, though the Army did place an order for 200 more samples. A single .45 Luger carbine is also known to exist.[7]Towards the end of 1937 (beginning with \'t\' & \'u\' block pistols) Mauser phased out rust blue process and \"straw finishing\" the small parts and levers on their pistols, choosing to salt blue them with the rest of the weapon. When in combination with black Bakelite grip panels, used on some examples starting in 1941, these pistols were named the \"Black Widow\" model by a postwar US arms dealer as a marketing ploy.Captured Lugers were much prized by Allied soldiers during both of the world wars as war trophies.[8]However, during World War II, German soldiers were aware of this and would use Lugers as \"bait\", rigging them to detonate land mines or hiddenbooby trapswhen disturbed.[9]This tactic was common enough to make experienced Allied soldiers deeply suspicious of an apparently discarded Luger that they discovered.[10]Luger Rifle M1906[edit]A rifle, serial number 4, was found and put on sale and was said to be made by Georg Luger. The rifle uses the same mechanism as the pistol. The description mentioned a German patent No. 4126 of 1906 - the patent applied specifically to serial number 4. The rifle was chambered in7.92x57mm Mauser, and the stock resembled the laterK98kstyle.[citation needed]Usage today[edit]Although outdated, the Luger is still sought after by collectors both for its sleek design and accuracy, and for its connection toImperialandNazi Germany. Limited production of the P.08 by its original manufacturer resumed whenMauserrefurbished a quantity of them in 1999 for the pistol\'s centennial. More recently, Krieghoff announced[11]the continuation of its Parabellum Model 08 line with 200 examples at $17,545.00 apiece.In 1923,Stoeger, Inc.obtained the American trademark for the \"Luger\" name for the import of German-built parabellum pistols into the United States. The 1923 commercial models, in .30 Luger and 9mm, and with barrel lengths from 75mm to 600mm were the first pistols to bear the name \"Luger\", roll stamped on the right side of the receiver. Stoeger has retained the rights to the \"Luger\" name. Over the past seven decades, Stoeger imported a number of different handguns under the \"Luger\" mark, including an Erma-built.380version and an American-manufacture .22 which only remotely resembled the original design.[12]In 1991, the Houston, Texas firm of Aimco, Inc. began making an all new remake of the original Georg Luger design. At that time Mitchell Arms, Inc., under the \"Mitchell\" name marketed Aimco’s \"new\" parabellum. Stoeger, Inc. bought the rights to market the Texas-built pistols in 1994, and since that time the \"Luger\" name is once again on these toggle-action autoloaders.Stoeger’s current offering is named the \"American Eagle\" model. This refers to the U.S. eagle roll-stamped above the chamber, closely resembling the eagle used to mark the original pistols designated for U.S. import. The \"American Eagle\" is available in 4-inch and 6-inch barrel lengths in 9×19mm Luger only.[13]Thousands were taken home by returning Allied soldiers during both wars, and are still in circulation today. ColonelDavid Hackworthmentions in his autobiography that it was still a sought-after sidearm in theVietnam War.[14]In 1945 Mauser set up again the Luger production under the control of the French forces. In 1969, Mauser Werke in Oberndorf restarted the production until 1986 when the last commemorative model was produced.[15]Users[edit]Austria: Armed forces used Lugers after 1945, supplied from the French controlled Mauser factory[16]Bolivia[16]Brazil[17]Kingdom of Bulgaria[18]Empire of Japan: Used Luger pistols in a semi-official capacity taken from disarmed Dutch forces in Indonesia.[3]France: The French occupied and operated the Mauser factory 1945–46, producing Lugers for French forces in Empire[8]Weimar Republic[8]Nazi Germany[8]East Germany: Used by State of Iran[3]Netherlands: Dutch armed forces from 1912 including Vickers made Lugers bythe Dutch East Indies Army.[16]Indonesia: Widely used during theIndonesian National RevolutionNew Zealand: Captured Lugers issued to RNZAF ADS officers 1942-45.[21]Norway: In use from 1945 and phased out in 1987.[22]Portugal[23][24]Republic of China: Used by Chang Tso-lin\'s warlord army.[25]Spain[19]Switzerland: The Swiss Army was the first to adopt the Luger. 1900-1950[19]Turkey[24]Non-state entities[edit]Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army[26]Lebanese Forces[27]Irish Republican ArmySee also[edit]Borchardt C-93Mauser C96Lahti L-35Walther P38Stoeger LugerNambu pistolTable of handgun and rifle cartridgesTheBeretta M1935is a compact.32 ACPcaliberblowbackpistolthat was manufactured byBeretta.Contents[hide]1 History2 Specifications3 Intended market4 Design advantages5 Limitations6 Production7 World War II prize guns8 See also9 External linksHistory[edit]In the early 1930s, theItalianarmy was impressed by theWaltherPP pistol. Beretta did not want to lose a big Italian military contract and designed the compactM1934for the Italianarmy, which accepted it in 1937. The M1935 is simply an M1934, modified to fire .32ACP ammunition.Specifications[edit]The M1935 is asingle-actionsemi-automaticblowback pistol that fires the .32 ACPammunition. It is made out of carbonsteelwithplasticgrips. It is fitted with a manualsafetyand another safety on the hammer and when the last shot has been fired theslideis retained open by the emptymagazine. The magazine capacity is 8rounds. As this pistol was built for the Italian army, all parts were interchangeable, which simplified maintenance and manufacturing: a first at the time.Intended market[edit]The M1935 was purpose built and designed for the Italian armed forces; however, it was also sold to the civilian market and issued to the German forces in 1944 and 1945.Design advantages[edit]Fitted with the Beretta style open slide, the M1935 has a very reliable feeding and extraction cycle. It was made with few parts and is very simple to maintain. The M1935 is a very robust construction with long service life if properly maintained.Limitations[edit]The .32 ACP ammunition is somewhat under-powered for combat use. The magazine capacity of only 8 rounds and short effective range reduces the M1935 to a last resort self-defense weapon. The slide is not of the self-catching type; the magazine retains the action to the rear. When the magazine is removed the action returns forward on an empty chamber. This slows down reloading of the pistol. However, if the safety is thumbed into the safe position it also acts as a slide catch, the magazine can then be released and a full magazine can be inserted, the slide release / safety can then be released, loading a round, then the pistol can now be fired in single action.Production[edit]From 1935 to 1967, about 525,000 units.Mod. 1935 cal. 7.65 / .32ACPStart / end of production from 1935 to 1967Quantity produced about 525,000Start - End -Serial numbers1935 - 1959 from about 410000 to 9230481962 - 1963 from A10001 to A141301966 - 1967 from H14131 to H14673World War II prize guns[edit]The Beretta M1935 was captured in huge numbers duringWorld War IIfrom Italian and German armed forces by allied soldiers, who liked it because of its small size, rugged design and good construction. Many of these captured pistols are operational to this day and widespread in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France and in the United Kingdom. The M1935 is compact and easy to hide, with ammunition available for it.
1938 Palestine PISTOL MANUAL Israel POLICE BOOK Parabellum BERETTA Mauser WEBLEY:
$125.00