Remington-Beals Pocket Revolver
E. Remington & Sons · Revolver · Discontinued · 1857
Also known as: Beals Pocket Revolver, Remington Beals Patent Pocket Revolver, Remington-Beals Pocket Model
Overview
The Remington-Beals 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, in the late 1850s. It is a compact five-shot single-action arm built on a solid frame with a short octagonal barrel and a spur (sheath) trigger rather than a guarded trigger. Produced in three successive models between roughly 1857 and 1860, it was Remington's first successful revolver line for the civilian pocket-pistol market: the earliest models loaded by removing the cylinder from the frame, while the final Third Model introduced the attached hinged loading lever that became a hallmark of Remington's later Civil War percussion revolvers. The Beals pocket line preceded and led directly to 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
Variants
- Remington-Beals First Model Pocket Revolver - Early Model
- Remington-Beals Third Model Pocket Revolver - Late Model
Service history
Operators
- American civilian market
Production
Production years: 1857-1860
The three Beals pocket revolver models combined amounted to only a few thousand units before Remington moved to the larger Beals Navy and Army models.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Fordyce Beals
Discontinued: 1860
Notes
Based on Fordyce Beals' pocket-revolver patents of the mid-1850s. The line comprises the First, Second, and Third Models; barrel length grew from about 3 inches on the early models to roughly 4 inches on the Third Model. Overall length and weight vary by model, barrel length, and grip, and are not consistently documented. See remington-beals-1st-model and remington-beals-3rd-model for individual-model entries.
Background
The Beals pocket revolvers were Fordyce Beals' first designs to reach production at Remington, and their rugged solid-frame layout foreshadowed the top-strap frame that would make Remington's Civil War percussion revolvers famous rivals to Colt.