Hood Robin Hood No. 1
Hood Firearms Company · Revolver · Discontinued · 1875
Also known as: Robin Hood No. 1, Hood Robin Hood .22
Overview
The Hood Robin Hood No. 1 is a single-action, spur-trigger pocket revolver produced by the Hood Firearms Company of Norwich, Connecticut in the late 1870s. Chambered for the .22 Short rimfire cartridge, it housed a seven-shot cylinder in a compact brass frame with an octagonal barrel, nickel finish, and bird's-head walnut grips. It belongs to the inexpensive class of late-19th-century American pocket revolvers later nicknamed 'Suicide Specials', and 'Robin Hood' was one of roughly eighteen trade names Hood used to market its arms.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 200 g (7.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Barrel Length | 64 mm (2.52") |
| Height | 70 mm (2.76") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 240 m/s (787 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 54 J (40 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 10 m (11 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| 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, Bird Head Grip, Octagonal Barrel, Fixed Sights
Service history
Operators
- American civilian market · adopted 1875
Production
Production years: 1875-1880
Several thousand of the .22-caliber Robin Hood models were made; exact figures are not recorded.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Freeman W. Hood
Discontinued: 1880
Notes
Many examples are stamped with the patent date 'PAT MAR 14 1878' on the barrel. Hood Firearms reportedly employed about 65 workers and produced roughly 2,500 guns a month across its various trade names.
Background
The Robin Hood was a budget 'Suicide Special' sold cheaply through hardware stores and mail order during the post-Civil War handgun boom. Such pistols were named for their dubious reliability and low cost rather than any actual association with their romantic trade names.