Forehand & Wadsworth Terror
Forehand & Wadsworth · Revolver · Discontinued · 1871
Also known as: F&W Terror, Forehand & Wadsworth Terror .32
Overview
The Forehand & Wadsworth Terror is a late-19th-century American single-action solid-frame pocket revolver, one of the inexpensive 'suicide special' spur-trigger guns made in Worcester, Massachusetts. Chambered for the .32 rimfire short cartridge in a six-shot cylinder, it was a small, concealable and affordable personal-defense arm sold under the catchy 'Terror' trade name alongside the firm's similar Bulldozer and Swamp Angel models.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 280 g (9.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Barrel Length | 64 mm (2.52") |
| Action Type | Single Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 210 m/s (689 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 119 J (88 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 14 m (15 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 70 m (77 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Nickel Plated |
Calibers
- .32 Short Rimfire · primary — also known as .32 Short, .32 RF Short, .32 RF
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Spur Trigger, Fixed Sights, Fluted Cylinder, Bird Head Grip
Service history
Operators
- American civilian market
Production
Production years: c. 1871-1890
One of several Forehand & Wadsworth suicide-special trade names; exact output not recorded
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Sullivan Forehand
Discontinued: 1890
Notes
Center-hammer single-action spur-trigger design with no trigger guard; barrel typically 2.5 inches, overall length about 6.5 inches, six-shot .32 rimfire cylinder. Sold new for roughly $1.25 against $8-12 for Colt/S&W. Like most 'suicide specials' of the period the frames were inexpensive iron suited only to black-powder pressures; modern .32 rimfire ammunition is considered too hot for these antique frames, so surviving examples are collector pieces.
Background
Sullivan Forehand and Henry Wadsworth, sons-in-law of gunmaker Ethan Allen, marketed a family of cheap pocket revolvers under fearsome names. The Terror, Bulldozer and Swamp Angel were the affordable self-defense pistols of frontier and city America, the kind of gun a shopkeeper might keep in a till drawer.