Moore Teat-Fire Revolver
National Arms Company · Pistol · Discontinued · 1864
Also known as: Moore's Patent Front-Loading Revolver, National Arms Teat-Fire Revolver, Moore .32 Teat-Fire
Overview
The Moore Teat-Fire Revolver is a .32 caliber, six-shot, single-action pocket revolver produced by the National Arms Company of Brooklyn, New York from 1864 to 1870. Its cylinder was loaded from the front of the frame using a unique 'teat-fire' cartridge whose priming teat protruded through a small hole at the rear of each chamber, a design devised by Daniel Moore to circumvent the Rollin White bored-through-cylinder patent then held by Smith & Wesson. The revolver proved popular with soldiers and civilians during the American Civil War and immediately afterward.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 340 g (12.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 190 mm (7.48") |
| Barrel Length | 83 mm (3.27") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 180 m/s (591 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 52 J (38 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Nickel Plated |
Calibers
- .32 Teat-fire · primary — also known as .32 Teatfire, .32 Moore Teat-fire
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Revolver Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Front Loading Cylinder, Single Action, Spur Trigger, Rollin White Patent Workaround
Service history
Operators
- Union Army · adopted 1864
- American civilians
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 30,000 · Production years: 1864-1870
Roughly 20,000 of the ~30,000 produced lacked the hooked extractor; production ended when Colt acquired National Arms in 1870.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Daniel Moore
Discontinued: 1870
Notes
Loaded from the front of the cylinder rather than the rear; most examples have brass frames, often nickel- or silver-plated. About 20,000 of the roughly 30,000 produced were made without the hooked cartridge extractor. National Arms was acquired by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1870.
Background
Daniel Moore's teat-fire cartridge was one of several ingenious 1860s designs created to dodge the Rollin White patent, which gave Smith & Wesson a near-monopoly on bored-through revolver cylinders. By placing the priming teat at the rear and loading from the front, Moore sidestepped White's patent entirely.