Wesson & Leavitt Dragoon Revolver
Massachusetts Arms Company · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1850
Also known as: Wesson & Leavitt Revolver, Leavitt Dragoon, Massachusetts Arms Dragoon Revolver
Overview
The Wesson & Leavitt Dragoon Revolver is a large .40-caliber, six-shot single-action percussion revolver produced around 1850-1851 by the Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. Built on Daniel Leavitt's patented design with input from Edwin Wesson, it featured a roughly 6.75-inch octagonal tip-up barrel and a cylinder mechanically rotated by cocking the hammer. Its beveled cylinder face was intended to direct ignition flash away from adjacent chambers to prevent chain-fire. Production was cut short when Samuel Colt won a patent-infringement injunction against the company.
Specifications
| Barrel Length | 171 mm (6.73") |
| Action Type | Single Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
Calibers
- .40 Caliber Round Ball (Percussion) · primary — also known as .40 cal, .40 caliber cap-and-ball, .40 percussion
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Beveled Cylinder Face, Hammer Actuated Cylinder Rotation, Single Action Percussion Lock
Production
Estimated total produced: 800 · Production years: 1850-1851
Approximately 800 large Dragoon-model revolvers made before Samuel Colt's successful patent-infringement injunction stopped production; roughly 1,000 smaller belt-model revolvers were also produced.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Daniel Leavitt
Discontinued: 1851
Notes
Roughly 800 of the large Dragoon-size model were made before Colt's injunction halted production; a smaller .31-caliber belt model was also produced in larger numbers.
Background
The revolver's hammer-actuated cylinder rotation put the Massachusetts Arms Company in Samuel Colt's crosshairs: Colt sued for patent infringement and won an injunction in the early 1850s, effectively ending production and reinforcing Colt's near-monopoly on mechanically-indexed revolvers in America.