Forehand & Wadsworth British Bull Dog
Forehand & Wadsworth · Revolver · Discontinued · 1878
Also known as: Forehand & Wadsworth Improved British Bull-Dog, F&W British Bulldog
Overview
The Forehand & Wadsworth British Bull Dog is a late-19th-century American solid-frame, double-action pocket revolver built in Worcester, Massachusetts. An almost-identical copy of P. Webley & Son's No. 1 British Bull Dog, it was a compact five-shot revolver chambered for the powerful .44 Webley (.442) centerfire cartridge, with a short 2½-inch barrel, bird's-head grip and rebounding hammer that made it a popular and affordable large-caliber personal-defense arm.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 397 g (14.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Barrel Length | 64 mm (2.52") |
| Action Type | Double Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Double Action |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 210 m/s (689 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 324 J (239 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 14 m (15 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Hard Rubber |
| Finish | Nickel |
Calibers
- .442 Webley · primary — also known as .442 Revolver Centre Fire, .442 R.I.C., .44 Webley, 10.5x17mmR, .442 Kurz
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Solid Frame, Fluted Cylinder, Fixed Sights, Birds Head Grip, Rebounding Hammer
Service history
Operators
- American civilian market
Production
Production years: 1878-1890
No factory production records survive; sold new for about $3.12. Production ended when the firm reorganized as Forehand Arms Company around 1890, before the 1902 Hopkins & Allen acquisition.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Sullivan Forehand
Discontinued: 1890
Notes
Marketed as the 'Improved British Bull-Dog' from 1878; the same pattern was also offered in seven-shot .32 S&W and six-shot .38 S&W. Standard finish was nickel plate with checkered gutta-percha bird's-head grips; ivory and pearl grips plus engraving were available at extra cost. The barrel was marked with a dog's-head trademark and a Maltese cross.
Background
Sullivan Forehand and Henry Wadsworth, sons-in-law of gunmaker Ethan Allen, took over his Worcester works in 1871 and built a name on inexpensive copies of popular designs. Their British Bull Dog rode the wave of the Webley original's success, and such cheap, hard-hitting pocket revolvers were far more commonplace in the Old West than is often remembered, favored by men and women alike for concealable, large-caliber protection.