Revolver many European gun-makers, in numerous designs and configurations. However, these weapons were difficult to use, complicated and prohibitively expensive to make, and as such they were not widely distributed. In 1836, an American, Samuel Colt patented the mechanism which led to the widespread use of the revolver, the mechanically indexing cylinder. According to Samuel Colt, he came up with the idea for the revolver while at sea, inspired by the capstan, which had a ratchet and pawl mechanism on it, a version of which was used in his guns to rotate the cylinder by cocking the hammer. This provided a
Colt Open Top Pocket Model Revolver them by 1877. The Open Top Pocket Model was chambered in .22 Short and .22 Long, both using black powder as the propellant. It was equipped with a 7-shot non-fluted cylinder and two different barrel lengths: 2-3/8″ and 2-7/8″. NOTE: It is highly questionable that modern .22 ammunition would be safe to use in antique firearms. Colt Open Top Pocket Model Revolver The Colt Open Top Pocket Model Revolver was a single action pocket revolver introduced by the Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in 1871. Introduced a year before the Colt Open Top (a model from 1872) and two