H&R Aetna No. 1

Harrington & Richardson · Revolver · Discontinued · 1876

Also known as: Aetna No. 1, Aetna Model 1

Overview

The H&R Aetna No. 1 is a single-action, spur-trigger pocket revolver produced by Harrington & Richardson of Worcester, Massachusetts, in the late 19th century. Chambered for the .22 rimfire cartridge with a seven-shot fluted cylinder, it was the smallest of the Aetna line, an early trade name used by the firm for its inexpensive solid-frame, octagonal-barrel concealment revolvers. Typically nickel-plated with hard rubber grips, it was marketed to civilians as an affordable personal-defense pocket gun during the post-Civil War boom in American handgun manufacturing.

Specifications

Weight (empty)	200 g (7.1 oz)
Overall Length	165 mm (6.50")
Barrel Length	57 mm (2.24")
Action Type	Revolving
Firing Mechanism	Single Action
Trigger Type	Single Action
Magazine Capacity	7 rounds
Magazine Type	Revolving Cylinder
Muzzle Velocity	220 m/s (722 fps)
Muzzle Energy	45 J (33 ft·lbf)
Effective Range	10 m (11 yd)
Barrel Rifling	Right Hand
Frame Material	Steel
Barrel Material	Steel
Stock Material	Hard Rubber
Finish	Nickel

Calibers

.22 Short · primary — also known as .22 Short, .22 Rimfire, .22 RF

Features

Firing modes: Manual
Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
Features: Spur Trigger, Exposed Hammer, Octagonal Barrel, Fixed Sights, Fluted Cylinder

Service history

Operators

Civilian Market

Production

Production years: c. 1876-1900

Produced in large but unrecorded numbers alongside H&R's other inexpensive spur-trigger pocket revolvers

Origin

Country of origin: United States

Designer: Gilbert H. Harrington

Discontinued: 1900

Notes

The Aetna was a trade name H&R used on its early solid-frame spur-trigger revolvers; the line scaled up through the No. 2 (.32 rimfire) and No. 3 (.38 rimfire). Specifications are typical of the model; exact dimensions varied across production.

Background

Harrington & Richardson was founded in 1871 by Gilbert H. Harrington, a top-break revolver patent holder, and William A. Richardson. The 'Aetna' trade name placed H&R among the many Worcester-area makers flooding the late-1800s market with cheap, concealable pocket revolvers.