Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a very nice British Adams model 1851 percussion revolver, which were exported in some number during the U.S. Civil war. These were quite popular as private purchase arms, particularly among Confederate officers, who did not have access to the many revolvers being made in the North.

This is a double action only 5 shot percussion revolver in about .442 caliber, the standard bore size. It does have a hammer spur, however we do not see any evidence that it was set up for single action use. At present there are some issues with the mechanics, so it does not dry fire regardless of how hard the trigger is pulled.

This example was made by Adams and then retailed by Benjamin Cogswell, as indicated by the markings on the top strap:

The company operated under this name from 1850 to 1862, nicely placing this in the civil war period. The company changed its name to Cogswell & Harrison, and continued to operate until 1880.

In 1851, English designer Robert Adams offered his “improved” repeater. Like the Colt, it had a cylinder and single barrel, but the shooter had merely to pull the trigger in one smooth action to cock the piece, rotate its cylinder and fire it. In fact, the revolver could only be fired double-action and lacked a hammer spur. Adams formed a partnership with the father-and-son team of George and John Deane, and established a London manufacturing facility and salesroom.

This revolver is correctly marked with ADAMS PATENT on the right side of the revolver, which is next to serial number 20,519 R, also found on the cylinder. There is also B. 5050 marked over these markings, which we do not know the significance of. The barrel and cylinder are both marked with the correct CROWN / GP "Gunmaker's Proof" and CROWN / V "Viewed" marks from the London proof house. The inside of the trigger guard and the back of the loading rammer are both marked with assembly number 3529, and the rammer itself is marked with RIGBY'S PATENT.

The revolver is in good service worn condition, with the original blued finish mostly worn away to a dull patina, with some areas of light peppering. The barrel has three groove rifling, which is still visible towards the muzzle, but quite worn near the breech cone. The cylinder stop safety is present, though very stiff, and requires a lot of effort to move it. The revolver does still correctly break down, though as stated before, it does not function correctly. The checkered wooden grip is in good shape, without any major wear to the texture, though there is some chipping near the hammer.

This is a fascinating example that could well be included in any U.S. Civil War Collection. Just splendid and ready to display!

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: circa 1860
Caliber: .442
Ammunition Type: Cap & Ball
Barrel Length: 5 7/8 inches
Overall Length: 12 inches
Action: Double Action Only
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

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