Remington-Beals Second Model Pocket Revolver
E. Remington & Sons · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1858
Also known as: Beals Second Model Pocket Revolver, Remington-Beals Second Model, Beals Patent Pocket Revolver
Overview
The Remington-Beals Second 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, around 1858-1859. It is a compact five-shot single-action arm with a solid frame, a short octagonal barrel of roughly three inches, and a spur (sheath) trigger. The Second Model refined the frame and loading arrangement of the earlier First Model but, like it, still lacked an attached loading lever, so the cylinder was removed from the frame to charge each chamber with loose powder and ball. Produced in modest numbers for the civilian pocket-pistol market, it sits between Remington's First and Third Model Beals pockets in the evolution that led to the company'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
Estimated total produced: 1,000 · Production years: 1858-1859
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: 1859
Notes
Based on Fordyce Beals' pocket-revolver patents of the mid-1850s. The Second Model is a refinement of the First Model and, unlike the later Third Model, has no attached hinged 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, low-production model.
Background
The Beals pocket revolvers were Fordyce Beals' first designs to reach production at Remington, and their sturdy solid-frame layout foreshadowed the rugged top-strap frame that would make Remington's Civil War percussion revolvers famous rivals to Colt.