Stir

Smith & Wesson model 10, the 20th century iconic revolver

Compact Revólver S blindW 60

The revolver (from English revolver; to revolve: "to revolve around") is a firearm of repetition that is characterized by carrying the ammunition arranged in a drum or cylinder, unlike the pistol, which designates short semi-automatic firearms, which usually carry the ammunition housed in a magazine.

Currently, semiautomatic pistols have replaced the revolver in almost all activities corresponding to military, police or law enforcement use.

When comparing the performance of revolvers with those of semiautomatic pistols, two major disadvantages are noted:

• Portar less ammunition (commonly 5 to 9 rounds on the drum, depending on the weapon and caliber).
• The double action shot requires a considerable force on the trigger, as it must mount the percustor and spin the drum; in simple action it is similar to a conventional gun.

However, the advantages of the revolver are:

• His ease of use.
• La possibility of using more powerful ammunition (such as cartridges) Magnumand even rounds of rifles like the 223 Remington.
• Greater precision.
• They're not usually stuck.

Due to their previous advantages, they are still preferred by civilians for self-defense, hunting and shooting sports. The revolver is still used by various police forces around the world, but it is in the process of falling out of favor due to its disadvantages. The only police activity in which it is still necessary is in the rescue of hostages, using very powerful calibers. However, it can serve as an auxiliary service weapon in case the main weapon fails.

History

A number of early revolvers existed in the 19th century. Elisha Collier created one, probably in 1814, of which several were made in 1819 for the British Indian armed forces. In 1822 a significant number of these were made in London.

In 1833 the Italian Francesco Antonio Broccu invented the first percussion revolver with a four-chamber drum and after two barrels. Compared to weapons in use until then, it had a shorter barrel, which allowed the loaded breech to be aligned with the barrel and hammer thanks to rotation around its axis. His revolver was examined by King Carl Albert of Savoy during his second trip to Sardinia in 1843. Invited to Cagliari to show his invention and explain how it worked, he was awarded a prize of 300 francs, but never applied for a patent for his invention.

Two years later, in 1836, in the United States, Samuel Colt created a weapon that he patented and marketed.

Revólver LeMat with a drum of 9 rounds, 1865; was employed during the War of Secession.

Drum

The ammunition is housed in chambers that rotate around an axis, parallel to the barrel, located in a metal cylinder called a drum, which, as it is fired, places the next chamber in its firing position. shot, lined up with the barrel. Depending on its size, it allows five, six, seven, eight and up to ten shots without reloading the weapon. There are drums that can hold more than 10 rounds, but they are small caliber, for example 5.5mm or less. Traditionally, the caliber of revolvers is expressed in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and, even before, in parts of an ounce of lead, depending on the number of equal spheres that could be made with that amount of metal.

Operation of the revolver in single action

When the drum has ammo:

• It turns back hammer up to the top, driving the fastening trim, which is called amartillar. In doing so, the turn of the drum is caused by a nail attached to the hammer mechanism, to align the next chamber to the gun barrel.

• Finally, by pulling the trigger (disparator is the correct technical term) with the index finger, the trim is released and the hammer, which has at its end a sharp slip, called the index finger, percutor, abruptly returns to its original position, violently hitting the glowing of ass, which produces a high pressure that heats it until it explodes, energy that is transmitted to the gunpowder of the cartridge, which also explodes, causing much more energy and shooting the bullet.

Classification

Revolvers are classified according to the firing mechanism as:

Simple Action (AS): The trigger performs only one action, releasing the firing mechanism. They require cocking (with the thumb of the same hand or the edge of the hand opposite to the one holding the gun) before pulling the trigger. Keeping this pressed, you can fire continuous shots just by moving the hammer-firing back to the stop (which forces the drum to rotate simultaneously, given the finger attached to said mechanism) with the edge of the opposite hand, without hitting it. operate the ratchet, which would slow down the shots. Characteristic of the first revolvers and of some brands that follow the classic concept of the revolver.

Single Double Action (DAU): The trigger performs two actions, cocking the firing mechanism and releasing it. They can be fired just by pulling the trigger. The unique double action mechanism performs the entire cycle of rotating the barrel, cocking the hammer and releasing it, to firing the weapon, upon pulling the trigger, in two distinct stages of its travel, which can be controlled with sufficient training due to the varying resistance that opposes in each of them. Characteristic of revolvers that have a hidden hammer or misnamed "hammerless".

Double Action (DA): They can work indistinctly in both ways. Because the cocking is done directly on the hammer, like pressing the trigger. In both cases continuing to pull the trigger releases the firing mechanism. It is the common of modern revolvers.

Others Such as semi-automatics and automatics. This type of revolvers is usually of the (DA) type, but they also generally have a special drum and barrel. As in the case of the old Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver, capable of firing all 6 shots from its barrel with a single pull of the trigger, making it an automatic revolver. Another example is some revolvers manufactured by Mateba, which have the ability, after firing the shot, to leave the weapon cocked; thus, the revolver can be classified as a semi-automatic.

Some models of revolvers, especially the compact, small-bore, short-barreled ones that are generally used for concealed carry in bags or pockets, as an added security measure, had a folding trigger, without a trigger guard, which reduced the space needed for revolvers. put it away and only appeared when cocked. This mechanism is also used in shotguns, especially double-barreled ones.

Depending on the reloading mode, they can be tilting: the barrel, with its front sight, the drum, its support and its axis, forming a set, tilt vertically, with respect to a transversal axis, when a nearby ratchet is released to the hammer-firing, to his left, a little further forward, which can be activated with the thumb of the same hand that wields the weapon. In doing so, they leave the rear of the drum visible, which can be emptied of cartridges or shells by simply tipping it down, and refilled with others, either fully or partially removable, so that its axis can be withdrawn by pulling it forward., by means of a spring that makes it recover its initial position when released, with which the drum can be removed to change it for another, or empty and recharge it, as required or available. Most frequently, the drum is attached by means of a second, hollow axis, through which the clamping axis runs, attached to a rectangular structure that tilts with respect to another axis, also parallel to the previous ones and to the barrel, and below the barrel. them, so that the drum is available for emptying and reloading, without detaching from the weapon.

Another possibility is a tilting window, made in the hemisphere that covers the rear part of the drum, which allows you to see if there is any unfired ammunition (appreciating that the mixed or primer of the cap has not been hit), extract it one by one, and replace it. This allows you to continue aiming and with the revolver ready to shoot during almost the entire maneuver, except for the extraction of the scabbards or casings, which requires lifting the weapon from its front part, to drop them, but it poses the drawback of slow reloading.. All these inconveniences, in addition to the difficult perfect alignment, especially after repeated use, ageing, space between the drum and the barrel, and the mixed or percussion cap with the firing-hammer, especially in the tilting system, as well as the loss For such reasons, reducing the range and precision of the weapon, which had to be compensated by increasing the caliber, led to its progressive substitution by pistols with fixed internal magazines or removable magazines. Both fed the ammunition through springs. The drawback of such systems is that, with just one bullet jamming, the entire weapon has to be disassembled, while revolvers can continue to fire the rest of the ammunition, or reload it without any problem, even if some bullet failed to fire. for any cause or defect, of the weapon, of the aforementioned alignment, or of the cartridge.

Miscellaneous

Some revolvers formerly used by the armed forces of various countries were the Colt Single Action Army, the Smith & Wesson 1917 and the Webleys.

Brands and manufacturers of revolvers:

• Smith " Wesson ".
• Colt
• Taurus
• Rossi
• Sturm Ruger & Company
• Remington
• Harrington & Richardson
• FAMAE
• INDUMIL
• Kimber
• Charter Arms
• Magnum Research
• Enfield
• Korth Waffenfabrik
• Webley " Scott

Known cartridges used by revolvers:

• .22 Corto
• .22 Long Rifle
• .32 S blindW
• .32 S blindW Long
• 32 Long Colt
• .32 H fakeR Magnum
• .38 Smith & Wesson
• .38 Smith & Wesson Specialalias 38 spl)
• .38 Special +p (alias 38+p)
• 9 x 19 Parabellum (some need special combs called half moon or full moon, moon clips)
• .357 Magnum
• .44 Special
• .44 Magnum
• .45 Colt
• .45-70 Government
• .454 Casull
• .500 S blindW Magnum
• .410 shotgun
• 28 shotgun
• Griswold & Gunnison Confederate

Common cartridges during the Old West era:

• .32-20
• 38-40
• .44-40
• .45 Long colt
• .45-70

The Medusa M47 revolver can use all 9 mm cartridges for short arms.

Gallery

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  The Korth Combat.357 Magnum is a high-end revolver handmade in Germany.

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  The Nagant M1895 is a classic revolver of Belgian origin; it was used by the former Russian Empire.

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  The revolver Webley is a revolver with a canyon; it was a weapon of regulatory fire of the former British Empire from 1887 to 1963.

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  Details of an IOF.32 with a cannon.

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  The Lefaucheux M1858 is a classic revolver that was used by the former French Empire.

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  Revólver Colt Anaconda calibre.44 Magnum.

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  Two revolvers Colt Python calibre.357 Magnum.

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  Two Smith & Wesson Model 686 calibre.357 Magnum.

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  A Smith & Wesson Model 625 for effective magnum shot

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  A revolver with short cannon and long distance (American snubnose) Taurus Model 605 calibre.357 Magnum.