Adams Revolver
Deane, Adams & Deane · Revolver · Discontinued · 1851
Also known as: Adams Self-Cocking Revolver, Adams Patent Revolver
Overview
The Adams Revolver, patented by Robert Adams in 1851, was the world's first successful double-action (self-cocking) revolver and the chief British rival to Samuel Colt's single-action designs. Built on a solid one-piece frame - stronger than Colt's open-top construction - it fired a heavy .442 (54-bore) percussion ball from a five-shot muzzle-loaded cylinder. Its rapid self-cocking action made it deadly at close quarters, and British officers prized its stopping power during the Crimean War and colonial campaigns. The later Beaumont-Adams development added a single-action option.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 850 g (30.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 292 mm (11.50") |
| Barrel Length | 159 mm (6.26") |
| Action Type | Double Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Double Action Only |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Effective Range | 30 m (33 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .442 (54-bore) Percussion Ball · primary — also known as 54-bore, .442 cal, 11.2mm
- .500 (38-bore) Percussion Ball — also known as 38-bore, .500 cal, 12.7mm, Dragoon
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Five Shot Percussion Cylinder
- Features: Solid Frame, Self Cocking Action, Percussion Cap Ignition, Muzzle Loading Chambers, Five Shot Cylinder
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1856
- Confederate States Army
Conflicts
- Crimean War (1853-1856)
- Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857-1858)
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Production years: 1851-1867
Manufactured by Deane, Adams & Deane and later licensees; the improved Beaumont-Adams was adopted by the British Army in 1856
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Robert Adams
Discontinued: 1867
Notes
Available in .442 (54-bore) and a larger .500 (38-bore) Dragoon caliber. The original 1851 Adams was double-action only; the 1855 Beaumont-Adams added selective single-action capability via Frederick Beaumont's patented lockwork. Adams' solid-frame design is credited with driving Colt's London factory out of business.
Background
When Robert Adams demonstrated his solid-frame double-action revolver against Colt at London's Great Exhibition of 1851, its single-pull rapid fire and superior strength so impressed observers that it is credited with helping drive Samuel Colt's British factory out of business by 1857.