Daw Percussion Revolver
G. H. Daw & Co. · Revolver · Discontinued · 1855
Also known as: Pryse & Cashmore Patent Revolver, Daw Patent Revolver, 54-Bore Daw Revolver
Overview
The Daw Percussion Revolver is a British open-top, five-shot .442 (54-bore) cap-and-ball revolver built on the 1855 Pryse & Cashmore patent (British Patent 2018/1855) and famously retailed and finished by the London gunmaker George Henry Daw. Its distinctive double-action lockwork let it be fired self-cocking with one long pull of the trigger or thumb-cocked and fired conventionally in single action. Delivered from the Birmingham trade 'in the white' for finishing, casing, and engraving, Daw-marked examples became prized mid-Victorian gentleman's and officer's sidearms.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1050 g (37.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Barrel Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Action Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 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
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Five Shot Percussion Cylinder
- Features: Open Top Frame, Self Cocking Action, Single Action Option, Percussion Cap Ignition, Muzzle Loading Chambers, Five Shot Cylinder, Octagonal Barrel
Service history
Operators
- British civilian and colonial market
Production
Estimated total produced: 5,500 · Production years: 1855-1865
Approximately 5,500 Pryse & Cashmore patent percussion revolvers produced; most retailer-marked by George Daw of London
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Charles Pryse and Paul Cashmore
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Attributed to George Daw as retailer/finisher; the design and manufacture originate with Birmingham gunmaker Charles Pryse and West Bromwich maker Paul Cashmore. Produced in both 54-bore (.442) and smaller 90-bore pocket sizes. About 5,500 Pryse & Cashmore percussion revolvers are believed to have been made circa 1855-1865, the majority retailer-marked by Daw.
Background
Because George Daw received the revolvers 'in the white' from the Birmingham trade and finished, cased, and engraved them to order, no two Daw-marked examples are quite alike, making cased .442 Daw revolvers with their fitted accessories highly sought by collectors of Victorian English gunmaking.