Revolver - Forgotten Weapons

Guns for the Pope’s Police: Mazzocchi Pinfire Revolver

January 22, 2024 Ian McCollum 14

The revolver we are looking at today is a 9mm pinfire revolver adopted for the Papal Gendarmerie in 1868. At that time, the Papal States controlled roughly the same amount of territory as Switzerland today, […]

The 1950 Marketing Contest to Name the S&W Chiefs Special

January 19, 2024 Ian McCollum 2

Today we’re taking a look at a Smith & Wesson Chiefs Special, but not just any Chiefs Special. This is serial number 29, factory engraved and gifted to Chief Edward Book of Passaic New Jersey […]

“Hill’s Patent” Stanley Bull-Dog Revolver: Blatant Patent Theft in 1878

September 25, 2023 Ian McCollum 9

The Stanley Bull-Dog revolver is an English-production revolver which is marked as being “Hill’s Patent”. The gun uses an interesting simultaneous ejection system similar to the Fagnus – which one assume was the subject of […]

Mateba Unica 6: A Semiauto Revolver in .44 Magnum

September 9, 2023 Ian McCollum 7

The Mateba 6 Unica is the culmination of a series of revolver development by Italian designer Emilio Ghisoni (1937-2008). The Unica 6 is one of only a few self-cocking revolvers to see commercial production and […]

“Le Formidable” Pre-WW1 Pocket Revolver at the BUG Match

May 13, 2023 Ian McCollum 7

“The Formidable” was the name given to one of many different civilian pocket-carry revolvers made by the French Manufrance firm in St Etienne. This particular model was introduced in 1895, although it went through a […]

Cutting Edge Military Hardware for Civilians: Manufrance Mle 1892

March 31, 2023 Ian McCollum 12

When the French Army adopted the Mle 1892 revolver, it was a huge improvement over the previous standard from 1873. The new sidearm has a swing-out cylinder, simultaneous ejection, was lighter, and used a high-tech […]

Crude Khyber Pass Webley Revolver Copy

March 13, 2023 Ian McCollum 20

The town of Dara Adam Khel has became a locus of firearms manufacture in response to the British occupation of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 19th century, and it has remained dedicated to that industry […]

Prototype Birdshead Grip S&W No.3 Russian

March 6, 2023 Ian McCollum 12

This revolver appears to be one of the pre-production prototypes S&W made for the Russian No.3 revolver contract. Its frame has been expertly converted to a birdshead style. It handles very nicely, but was apparently […]

Collier Reproductions and Fakes – Who and Why?

December 15, 2022 Ian McCollum 9

“Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier and Artemas Wheeler” is available right now for preorder on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/clockwork-basilisk?ref=4gzkeh Today I’m again joined by Professor Ben Nicholson, author of the newest Headstamp Publishing book, […]

Art and Engineering: Field Stripping a Second Model Collier

December 12, 2022 Ian McCollum 9

“Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier and Artemas Wheeler” is available right now for preorder on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/clockwork-basilisk?ref=1n89n0 Courtesy of esteemed collector Frank Graves, Professor Ben Nicholson and I are disassembling a gorgeous […]