Remington-Beals First Model Pocket Revolver
E. Remington & Sons · Revolver · Discontinued · 1857
Also known as: Beals First Model Pocket Revolver, Remington Beals Pocket Model 1857, Beals Patent Pocket Revolver
Overview
The Remington-Beals First Model Pocket Revolver is an American .31 caliber cap-and-ball percussion revolver designed by Fordyce Beals and manufactured by E. Remington & Sons of Ilion, New York. It was the earliest of Remington's Beals-patent pocket revolvers, a compact five-shot single-action arm with a solid frame, a short octagonal barrel, and a spur (sheath) trigger rather than a guarded trigger. The First Model lacked an attached loading lever, so its cylinder was removed from the frame for charging with loose powder and ball. Produced in modest numbers in the late 1850s for the civilian pocket-pistol market, it preceded the improved Second and Third Model Beals pockets and Remington's larger Beals Navy and Army revolvers.
Specifications
| Barrel Length | 76 mm (2.99") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 230 m/s (755 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 86 J (63 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 20 m (22 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 55 m (60 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 10 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 5 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .31 Caliber Cap & Ball · primary — also known as .31 Black Powder, .31 Percussion, .31 Pocket
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Percussion Cap And Ball
- Safety mechanisms: Hammer Safety Notches
- Features: Solid Frame, Octagonal Barrel, Spur Trigger, Single Action Only, Removable Cylinder For Loading
Service history
Operators
- Civilian
Production
Production years: 1857-1858
Produced in small numbers; the three Beals pocket revolver models combined amounted to only a few thousand units before the Navy and Army models followed.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Fordyce Beals
Discontinued: 1858
Notes
Based on Fordyce Beals' pocket-revolver patents of the mid-1850s. The First Model is distinguished from the later Beals pocket revolvers by the absence of an attached loading lever, requiring cylinder removal to reload. Overall length and weight vary with barrel length and grip and are not reliably documented for this early model.
Background
The Beals pocket revolvers were Fordyce Beals' first designs to reach production at Remington, and their solid-frame layout foreshadowed the rugged top-strap frame that would make Remington's later Civil War percussion revolvers famous rivals to Colt.