Beaumont-Adams Model 1862
Deane, Adams & Deane · Revolver · Discontinued · 1862
Also known as: Adams Model 1862, Beaumont-Adams Percussion Revolver
Overview
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 is a British double-action percussion revolver, a refinement of Robert Adams's solid-frame design with Lieutenant Frederick Beaumont's double-action lockwork that allowed the hammer to be thumb-cocked or fired by a single trigger pull. Chambered as a .442 (54-bore) cap-and-ball five-shooter, it was a robust military and self-defense revolver widely used by British forces and privately purchased on both sides of the American Civil War; later examples were converted to fire the .450 Adams centre-fire cartridge.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1100 g (38.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Barrel Length | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Action Type | Double Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 230 m/s (755 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 240 J (177 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .44 Percussion (cap-and-ball) · primary — also known as .442 cap and ball, 54-bore, .44 Ball
- .450 Adams — also known as .450 Boxer, .450 Revolver
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Solid Frame, Self Cocking Action, Rammer Loading Lever, Fixed Sights
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1856
- Confederate States Army
Conflicts
- Crimean War (1853-1856)
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857-1858)
Production
Production years: 1862-1880
Adams-pattern revolvers were made under licence by multiple British and Continental firms
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Robert Adams
Discontinued: 1880
Notes
The 1862 pattern was the percussion form; many were later converted to .450 centre-fire. Manufactured in Britain by Adams's firms and the London Armoury Company, and used by Confederate purchasers during the American Civil War.
Background
The Adams revolver's true double-action lockwork let a soldier fire as fast as he could pull the trigger, a decisive advantage over the single-action Colt at close range that was demonstrated in colonial fighting across the British Empire.