Although highly regarded, the hand-crafted Adams revolver was more expensive than Colt's mass-produced guns. It lacked a recoil shield behind the cylinder, which left the shooter's hand subject to powder burns resulting from "blowback" caused by the sometimes unpredictable black powder of the era. The lack of a hammer spur was criticized since the longer trigger pull of the Adams made it less accurate than the Colt. Furthermore, the Adams' nipples, upon which the percussion caps were set, were unhardened and sometimes burst upon firing.