They can generally be fired faster than a single-action, but at the cost of reduced accuracy in the hands of most shooters. 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. 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, other repeating firearms, such as lever-action, pump-action, and semi-automatic, have a single firing chamber and a mechanism to load and extract cartridges into it.Ī single-action revolver requires the hammer to be pulled back by hand before each shot, which also revolves the cylinder. Revolver of the Gendarmerie of Vaud, on display at Morges castle museum.Ī 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. Famous police and military revolvers include the Webley, the Colt Single Action Army, the Smith & Wesson Model 29, the Smith & Wesson Model 10, the Smith & Wesson 1917 and the Nagant M1895.ĭetails of a Schmidt M1882, showing the hammer, chambers for the ammunition in the cylinder, and the mechanism to rotate the cylinder. Also, revolvers are still common in the American private sector as defensive and sporting/hunting firearms. Revolvers still remain popular in the role of back-up and off-duty guns among American law enforcement officers and security guards. Additionally, the flat profile of semi-automatics make them more suitable for concealed carry. Their lower ammunition capacities and relatively longer reload times compared to autoloading pistols are the main reasons for the switchover, which occurred over the first half of the 20th century for military applications, and in the 1980s and 1990s for police forces. Revolvers have been largely replaced by semi-automatic pistols in military and law enforcement applications. These include some models of grenade launchers, shotguns, and some rifles. Revolvers are most often handguns, but other weapons may also have a revolving chamber.
The hammer-cocking happens either directly (via the shooter pulling it back) or indirectly (via the first portion of the trigger pull in double-action revolvers.) In modern revolvers, the revolving cylinder typically chambers five or six rounds, but some models hold 10 rounds or more. Though the original name was "revolving gun", the short-form "revolver" is universally used.Īs the user cocks the hammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name. The first cartridge revolvers were produced around 1856 by Smith and Wesson.
This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson.
The percussion cap revolver was invented by the French shortly before the American Revolution. The first true revolver - a flintlock - was made by Elisha Collier in 1814. 357 Magnum revolver modeled after the Colt Single Action ArmyĪ revolver or six-shooter,as most revolvers have a maximim capacity of six bullets, is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing.