QU201 Technology: 1836 - The Revolver

The Revolver – 1836

http://media.photobucket.com/image/samuel%20colt%20revolver%20advertisements/alandp/vintage%20gun%20ads/1906_colt_revolvers.jpg

Early Revolvers
* The earliest example of a revolver is a revolving arquebus
-----produced by Hans Stopler in 1597
* In the middle 1600s a flintlock was created containing 6 chambers
-----The cylinder is rotated by hand, and locks in place for firing
-----Was never perfected
-----destroyed by a misfire
-----created by John Dafte of London
-----Elisha Collier patented a flintlock revolver in Britain in 1818
* In 1718, James Puckle patented a revolving chamber gun
-----was tripod mounted, and the 11-shot cylinder was operated by a hand crank
-----cited as the first machine gun
-----You would change the entire cylinder to reload

Samuel Colt
* In 1836, Samuel Colt patented a revolver mechanism
-----Revolvers sales grew largely due to Colt's ability as a salesman
-----still popular to the present day in many areas
-----despite military and law enforcement have replaced the revolvers with magazine-fed semi-automatic pistols
-----A single action revolver requires the hammer to be pulled back by hand before each shot
-----A double action revolver, squeezing the trigger can pull back the hammer to cock the gun as well as serving to release the hammer.

* Single Action Revolvers
-----the hammer is manually cocked, usually with the thumb of the firing or supporting hand
-----This will advance the cylinder to the next round and locks the cylinder in place with the chamber aligned with the barrel
-----When the trigger is pulled it will release the hammer, which fires the round in the chamber.
-----To fire again, the hammer must be cocked manually
-----Because of the single action the trigger pull is lightened, thus making firing a revolver in this way more accurate
-----the need to cock the hammer manually acts as a safety.

* Double Action Revolvers
can be fired in two ways
-----First way
----------same as a single action revolver
-----Also they can be fired from a hammer down position
----------by pulling the trigger. It will cock the hammer itself, which advances the cylinder, pulls the hammer, and releases it all by pulling the trigger