Forehand & Wadsworth Revolver
Forehand & Wadsworth · Revolver · Discontinued · 1871
Also known as: Forehand & Wadsworth Double Action
Overview
The Forehand & Wadsworth Revolver is a late-19th-century American double-action pocket revolver produced in Worcester, Massachusetts. Built by the sons-in-law of gunmaker Ethan Allen, it was an inexpensive five- or six-shot revolver chambered in .38 S&W and .32 S&W that closely imitated the popular Smith & Wesson designs of the era, sold widely as an affordable personal-defense arm.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 425 g (15.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Barrel Length | 89 mm (3.50") |
| Action Type | Double Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Double Action |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 190 m/s (623 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 235 J (173 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 18 m (20 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 90 m (98 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .38 S&W · primary — also known as .38/200, .380 Revolver Mk I, 9x20mmR
- .32 S&W — also known as .32 S&W Short
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Fluted Cylinder, Fixed Sights, Birds Head Grip
Service history
Operators
- American civilian market
Production
Production years: 1871-1902
Company merged into Hopkins & Allen in 1902; total output not precisely recorded
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Sullivan Forehand
Discontinued: 1902
Notes
Forehand & Wadsworth offered solid-frame and top-break models in both spur-trigger single-action and double-action forms, and also chambered .32 and .38 rimfire variants.
Background
Sullivan Forehand and Henry Wadsworth married the daughters of famed gunmaker Ethan Allen and took over his firm after his death in 1871, building a reputation for low-cost revolvers that openly copied Smith & Wesson's best sellers.