Editing Revolver

{{Short description|Firearm with a cylinder holding cartridges}}
{{About|the firearm}}
{{Redirect|Six shooter|3=Six shooter (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Colt Autentica.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Colt Single Action Army]]]]
[[File:Bullet coming from S&W.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Firing a [[Smith & Wesson Model 686]] [[.357 Magnum]]]]

A '''revolver''' is a [[repeating firearm|repeating]] [[handgun]] with at least one [[gun barrel|barrel]] and a revolving [[cylinder (firearms)|cylinder]] containing multiple [[chamber (firearms)|chambers]] (each holding a single [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]]) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, revolvers are commonly called '''six shooters''' or '''sixguns'''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ben |date=2015-04-28 |title=On Writing Guns: Do All Revolvers Hold Six Rounds? |url=https://crimefictionbook.com/2015/04/28/on-writing-guns-do-all-revolvers-hold-six-rounds/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=The Writer's Guide to Weapons |language=en}}</ref> Due to their rotating cylinder mechanism, they may also be called '''wheel guns'''.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bOCsCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA137 |page=137 |quote=Wheel Gun The slang term for a revolve handgun that references the rotation of the weapon's cylinder in its firing action, just as a wheel turns. |title=THE SWAT CYCLOPEDIA: A Handy Desk Reference of Terms, Techniques, and Strategies Associated with the Police Special Weapons and Tactics Function |author=Richard A. Haynes |date=1 January 1999 |publisher=Charles C Thomas |isbn=9780398083434 |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232155/https://books.google.com/books?id=bOCsCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA137 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lZeOCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA58 |page=58 |quote=Let's start with a revolver, sometimes called a wheel gun. |title=The Handgun Guide for Women: Shoot Straight, Shoot Safe, and Carry with Confidence |date=10 September 2015 |first=Tara Dixon |last=Engel |publisher=Zenith Press |isbn=9781627888103 |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232157/https://books.google.com/books?id=lZeOCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA58 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Before firing, cocking the revolver's [[hammer (firearms)|hammer]] partially rotates the cylinder, [[indexing (motion)|indexing]] one of the cylinder chambers into alignment with the barrel, allowing the [[bullet]] to be fired through the bore. By sequentially rotating through each chamber, the revolver allows the user to fire multiple times until having to reload the gun, unlike older [[single-shot]] firearms that had to be reloaded after each shot.

The hammer cocking in nearly all revolvers is manually driven and can be cocked either by the user using the [[thumb]] to directly pull back the hammer (as in [[trigger (firearms)#Single-action|single-action]]), or via internal [[linkage (mechanical)|linkage]] relaying the force of the trigger-pull (as in [[trigger (firearms)#Double-action only|double-action]]), or both (as in [[trigger (firearms)#Double-action/single-action|double-action/single-action]]).

Some rare revolver models utilize the [[blowback (firearms)|blowback]] of the preceding shot to automatically cock the hammer and index the next chamber, although these self-loading revolvers (known as [[automatic revolver]]s, despite technically being [[semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic]]) never gained any widespread usage.

Though the majority of weapons using a revolver mechanism are handguns, other firearms may also have a revolver [[Action (firearms)|action]]. These include some models of [[rifle]]s, [[shotgun]]s, [[grenade launcher]]s, and [[Revolver cannon|autocannon]]s. Revolver weapons differ from [[Gatling gun|Gatling-style]] rotary weapons in that in a revolver only the chambers rotate, while in a rotary weapon there are multiple full firearm actions with their own barrels which rotate around a common ammunition feed.

Famous revolver models include the [[Colt 1851 Navy Revolver]], the [[Webley Revolver|Webley]], the [[Colt Single Action Army]], the [[Colt Official Police]], [[Smith & Wesson Model 10]], the [[Smith & Wesson Model 29]] of ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' fame, the [[Nagant M1895]], and the [[Colt Python]].

Although largely surpassed in convenience and ammunition capacity by [[semi-automatic pistol]]s, revolvers still remain popular as back-up and off-duty handguns among [[Law enforcement in the United States|American law enforcement]] officers and [[security guards]] and are still common in the American private sector as defensive, sporting, and hunting firearms.

==History==
In the [[History of firearms|development of firearms]], an important limiting factor was the time required to reload the weapon after it was fired. While the user was reloading, the weapon was useless, allowing an adversary to attack the user. Several approaches to the problem of increasing the rate of fire were developed, the earliest involving multi-barrelled weapons which allowed two or more shots without reloading.<ref name="Morgan2014">{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Michael|title=Handbook of Modern Percussion Revolvers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lWUFAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA75|year=2014|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-3898-7|page=75}}</ref> Later weapons featured multiple barrels revolving along a single axis.

A [[matchlock]] revolver with a single barrel and four chambers held at the [[Tower of London]] was originally believed to have been invented some time in the 15th century,<ref>{{citation|last=Bakewell|first=Frederick|title=Great Facts: A Popular History and Description of the Most Remarkable Inventions During the Present Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GmxAAQAAIAAJ&dq=Revolver+Tower+Of+London+Matchlock&pg=PA264|year=1859|publisher=Houlston and Wright|isbn=0608435368|pages=264|access-date=2022-09-09|archive-date=2023-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232156/https://books.google.com/books?id=GmxAAQAAIAAJ&dq=Revolver+Tower+Of+London+Matchlock&pg=PA264|url-status=live}}</ref> but has now been identified as an Indian matchlock of the 1800s.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Ferguson| first1 = Jonathan| last2 = Nicholson| first2 = Ben| contribution = Early Revolver Design, 1530s to 1820s| date = 2023| title = Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler | editor-last = Nicholson| editor-first = Ben| volume = 1| page=42 | place = Nashville, Tennessee | publisher = Headstamp| isbn = 9781733424660 }}</ref> A revolving three-barrelled matchlock pistol in Venice is dated from at least 1548.<ref>{{cite book |first=Howard L. |last=Blackmore |title=Guns and Rifles of the World |date=1965 |publisher=Chancellor Press |page=80 }}</ref> During the late 16th century in China, Zhao Shi-zhen invented the [[Xun Lei Chong]], a five-barreled musket revolver spear. Around the same time, the earliest examples of the modern revolver were made in Germany. These [[petronel]] weapons featured a single barrel with a revolving cylinder holding the powder and ball, with each cylinder having its own separate flash-pan and pan-cover.<ref>{{cite book |last=George |first=John Nigel |title=English Pistols and Revolvers: An Historical Outline of the Development and Design of English Hand Firearms from the Seventeenth Century to the Present Day |date=1961 |publisher=The Holland Press |location=London |page=142 }}</ref> They would soon be made by many European gun-makers, in numerous designs and configurations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1968-B18-Six-Shooters-Since-Sixteen-Hundred.pdf |title=Six Shooters Since Sixteen Hundred |first=Merrill |last=Lindsay |website=AmericanSocietyOfArmsCollectors.org |access-date=2025-03-14 |archive-date=2021-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409030959/https://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1968-B18-Six-Shooters-Since-Sixteen-Hundred.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Of particular note is the gun attributed to John Dafte from c.1680, which is the earliest surviving specimen of automatic cylinder rotation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Boothroyd |first1=Geoffrey |title=The Handgun |date=1988 |publisher=The Sportsman's Press |location=London |isbn=0948253274 |page=107 |edition=Second }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Taylerson |first1=A.W.F. |last2=Andrews |first2=R.A.N. |title=The Revolver 1818-1865 |date=1968 |publisher=Herbert Jenkins |location=London |page=22 }}</ref> This gun combined in 'one package the three essential ingredients of a successful revolver: mechanical cylinder rotation, individual priming for each chamber, and a cylinder stop for barrel/cylinder alignment, all activated by cocking the firearm.'.<ref>{{Citation| last1 = Ferguson| first1 = Jonathan| last2 = Nicholson| first2 = Ben| contribution = Early Revolver Design, 1530s to 1820s |date=2023 |title=Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler | editor-last = Nicholson| editor-first = Ben| volume = 1| page=50 | place = Nashville, TN| publisher = Headstamp| isbn = 9781733424660}}</ref> Commonalities in design suggest the weapon inspired a later, more compact imitation by the gunmaker Thomas Annely.<ref>{{Citation| last1 = Ferguson| first1 = Jonathan| last2 = Nicholson| first2 = Ben| contribution = Early Revolver Design, 1530s to 1820s| date = 2023| title = Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler | editor-last = Nicholson| editor-first = Ben| volume = 1| page=62 | place = Nashville, TN| publisher = Headstamp| isbn = 9781733424660 }}</ref><ref name="Ferguson2025">{{cite journal |last1=Ferguson |first1=Jonathan S. |title=An English brass snaphance self-rotating revolver by Annely, ca.1730 (Royal Armouries object number xii.4745) |journal=Arms & Armour |date=20 January 2025 |volume=22 |pages=145–158 |doi=10.1080/17416124.2024.2442212}}</ref>

In 1821, the US Navy trialled a revolver belonging to Captain Artemus Wheeler; in 1819 and 1824, two committees of British artillery officers examined a similar revolver from [[Elisha Collier]].<ref name="TaylersonAndrews1968">{{cite book |last1=Taylerson |first1=A.W.F. |last2=Andrews |first2=R.A.N. |title=The Revolver 1818-1865 |date=1968 |publisher=Herbert Jenkins |location=London |page=25-7}}</ref> [[FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan|FitzRoy Somerset]], as secretary to the [[Master-General of the Ordnance]] the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]], reported that the gun had fired 'one hundred rounds in twenty-nine minutes at a target distant one-hundred yard, putting seventy-one balls through the target and lodging one in it... [with another] five rounds at two hundred yards... there was not a missfire in the 105 rounds.'<ref>{{cite book |last1=Taylerson |first1=A.W.F. |last2=Andrews |first2=R.A.N. |title=The Revolver 1818-1865 |date=1968 |publisher=Herbert Jenkins |location=London |page=27}}</ref> The weapon was not adopted, however, for the same reason that previous similar guns had not been widely distributed: they were complicated, difficult to use and prohibitively expensive to make. A rare exception was the early 19th century popularity of [[multiple-barrel firearm|multiple-barrel]] handguns called "[[pepper-box]]es". Originally they were [[muzzleloader]]s, but in 1837, the [[Belgium|Belgian]] gunsmith Mariette invented a hammerless pepperbox with a ring trigger and turn-off barrels that could be unscrewed.<ref>{{citation|last=Kinard|first=Jeff|title=Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVnuHX_6bG0C&pg=PA61|year=2004|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-470-7|pages=61–62|access-date=2020-05-12|archive-date=2023-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232156/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVnuHX_6bG0C&pg=PA61|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1836, American [[Samuel Colt]] patented a popular revolver which led to the widespread use of the revolver.<ref>{{US patent|X9430I1}}</ref> Colt used a [[ratchet and pawl]] mechanism to rotate the cylinder by cocking the hammer, which provided a reliable and repeatable way to index each round and did away with the need to manually rotate the cylinder. According to Colt, he came up with the idea for the revolver while at sea, inspired by the [[capstan (nautical)|capstan]] and its similar ratchet and pawl mechanism,<ref>{{cite web |title=Samuel Colt: Lemelson |url=https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/samuel-colt |website=lemelson.mit.edu |access-date=18 February 2025}}</ref> although similar examples of such revolvers did exist in museum collections<ref name="Ferguson2025" /> and the existence of an earlier example could have precluded Colt registering a patent on the mechanism.<ref>{{Citation| last1 = Ferguson| first1 = Jonathan| last2 = Nicholson| first2 = Ben| contribution = Early Revolver Design, 1530s to 1820s| date = 2023| title = Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler | editor-last = Nicholson| editor-first = Ben| volume = 1| page=54 | place = Nashville, TN| publisher = Headstamp| isbn = 9781733424660 }}</ref> Nevertheless, the new mechanism, coupled with Colt's ability as a [[sales]]man - one historian describing him as 'a pioneer Madison Avenue-style pitchman'<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=R.L. |title=Colt: An American Legend |date=1991 |publisher=Abbeville Press |location=New York |isbn=9780896599536}}</ref> - and his approach to manufacturing ensured his influence spread. The build quality of [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|his company]]'s guns became famous, and its [[armory (military)|armories]] in America and England trained several seminal generations of [[tool and die maker|toolmakers]] and other [[machinist]]s, who had great influence in other manufacturing efforts of the next half century.<ref name="TuckerWhite2011">{{cite book|last1=Tucker|first1=Spencer C.|last2=White|first2=William E.|title=The Civil War Naval Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q4mwAtj2r3UC&pg=PA122|year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-59884-338-5|pages=122–123|access-date=2015-11-12|archive-date=2023-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232156/https://books.google.com/books?id=q4mwAtj2r3UC&pg=PA122|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{gallery
  |Title=
  |align=center
  |mode=packed
  |File:Drehling GNM W1984 ca 1580.jpg|Detail of an 8-chambered [[matchlock]] revolver (Germany, {{Circa|1580}})
  |File:Colt Paterson Belt 2nd Model.jpg|Colt Paterson 2nd belt model
}}

Early revolvers were [[caplock]] muzzleloaders: the user had to pour [[Gunpowder|black powder]] into each chamber, ram down a bullet on top of it, then place a [[percussion cap]] on the nipple at the rear of each chamber, where the [[Hammer (firearms)|hammer]] would fall on it and ignite the powder charge. This was similar to loading a traditional single-shot muzzle-loading pistol, except that the powder and shot could be loaded directly into the front of the cylinder rather than having to be loaded down the whole length of the barrel. Importantly, this allowed the barrel itself to be [[Rifling|rifled]], since the user was not required to force the tight-fitting bullet down the barrel in order to load it (a traditional muzzle-loading pistol had a [[smoothbore]] barrel and the shot was relatively loose-fitting, which allowed easy loading, but was much less accurate). After firing a shot, the user would raise their pistol vertically while cocking the hammer back for their next shot, so the fragments of the burst percussion cap would fall clear of the weapon and not jam the mechanism. Some of the most popular cap-and-ball revolvers were the [[Colt 1851 Navy Revolver|Colt Model 1851 "Navy"]] model, [[Colt Army Model 1860|1860 "Army" model]], and [[Colt Pocket Percussion Revolvers]], all of which saw extensive use in the [[American Civil War]]. Although American revolvers were the most common, European arms makers were making numerous revolvers by that time as well, many of which found their way into the hands of the American forces. These included the single-action Lefaucheux and [[LeMat revolver]]s, as well as the [[Beaumont–Adams revolver|Beaumont–Adams]] and [[Tranter (revolver)|Tranter]] revolvers—early [[Double Action|double-action]] weapons in spite of being muzzle-loaders.<ref name="Fadala2003">{{cite book |last=Fadala |first=Sam |title=The Gun Digest Blackpowder Loading Manual |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SLlPI_UPdxUC |date=1 December 2003 |publisher=Krause Publications Craft |location=Iola, Wisconsin |isbn=0-87349-574-8 |page=28 }}</ref>

[[File:Smith & Wesson Model 1, 2nd Issue.jpg|thumb|A Smith & Wesson Model 1, 2nd issue; a two patent date variety shown next to a period box of .22 Short black powder cartridges]]
In 1854, Eugene Lefaucheux introduced the [[Lefaucheux 1854|Lefaucheux Model 1854]], the first revolver to use self-contained [[metallic cartridge]]s rather than loose powder, [[Bullet|pistol ball]], and percussion caps. It is a [[single-action]], [[pinfire]] revolver holding six rounds.<ref name="HouzeCooper2006">{{cite book|last1=Houze|first1=Herbert G.|last2=Cooper|first2=Carolyn C.|last3=Kornhauser|first3=Elizabeth Mankin|title=Samuel Colt: Arms, Art, and Invention|year=2006|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=0-300-11133-9|page=118}}</ref>

On November 17, 1856, [[Horace Smith (inventor)|Horace Smith]] and [[Daniel B. Wesson]] signed an agreement for the exclusive use of the [[Rollin White]] Patent at a rate of 25 cents for every revolver. [[Smith & Wesson]] began production late in 1857, and enjoyed years of exclusive production of rear-loading cartridge revolvers in America due to their association with Rollin White, who held the patent<ref>{{US patent|12648}}</ref> and vigorously defended it against any perceived infringement by other manufacturers (much as Colt had done with his original patent on the revolver). Although White held the patent, other manufacturers were able to sell firearms using the design, provided they were willing to pay royalties.<ref name="Flayderman2001">{{Cite book | last=Flayderman | first=Norm | title=Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms&nbsp;... and their values | year=2001 | publisher=Krause Publications | location=Iola, WI | isbn=0-87349-313-3 | page=213}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Smith & Wesson Images of America |first= Roy G.|last= Jinks|author2=Sandra C. Krein  |page=8|publisher= Arcadia Publishing|year= 2006 |isbn = 978-0-7385-4510-3 }}</ref>

After White's patent expired in April 1869, a third extension was refused. Other gun-makers were then allowed to produce their own weapons using the rear-loading method, without having to pay a royalty on each gun sold. Early guns were often conversions of earlier cap-and-ball revolvers, modified to accept metallic cartridges loaded from the rear, but later models, such as the [[Colt Model 1871-72 Open Top|Colt Model 1872 "open top"]] and the [[Smith & Wesson Model 3]], were designed from the start as cartridge revolvers.<ref name="Flayderman2001" />

[[File:SAA 5773 oN.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Colt Single Action Army]], serial No. 5773, issued to 7th Cavalry during the Indian War period]]
In 1873, Colt introduced the famous Model 1873, also known as the [[Colt Single Action Army|Single Action Army]], the "Colt .45" (not to be confused with Colt-made models of the [[M1911 pistol|M1911]] [[Semi-automatic pistol|semi-automatic]]), and "the Peacemaker", one of the most famous handguns ever made.<ref name="Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms">{{cite book|last=Sapp|first=Rick|title=Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms|year=2007|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, WI|isbn=978-0896895348|page=79}}</ref> This popular design, which was a culmination of many of the advances introduced in earlier weapons, fired 6 metallic cartridges and was offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths. It is still in production, along with numerous [[Replica|clones]] and lookalikes, and its overall appearance has remained the same since 1873. Although originally made for the [[United States Army]], the Model 1873 was widely distributed and popular with civilians, [[ranch]]ers, [[Law enforcement officer|lawmen]], and [[outlaw]]s alike.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} Its design has influenced countless other revolvers. Colt has discontinued its production twice, but resumed production due to popular demand.

In the U.S., the single-action revolver remained more popular than the double-action revolver until the late 19th century. In Europe, however, arms makers were quick to adopt the double-action trigger. While the U.S. was producing weapons like the Model 1873, European manufacturers were building double-action models like the French [[MAS 1873 revolver|MAS Modèle 1873]] and the later British [[Enfield revolver|Enfield Mk I and II revolvers]]. (Britain relied on cartridge conversions of the earlier Beaumont–Adams double-action prior to this.) Colt's first attempt at a double action revolver to compete with European manufacturers was the Colt Model 1877, which earned lasting notoriety for its complex, expensive, and fragile trigger mechanism, which in addition to failing frequently, also had a heavy trigger pull.

[[File:M&Prevolver.jpg|thumb|Smith & Wesson M&P revolver]]
In 1889, Colt introduced the [[Colt M1889|Model 1889]], the first double action revolver with a "swing-out" cylinder, as opposed to a "top-break" or "side-loading" cylinder. Swing-out cylinders quickly caught on, because they combined the best features of earlier designs. Top-break actions had the ability to eject all empty shells simultaneously and exposed all chambers for easy reloading, but having the frame hinged into two halves weakened the gun and negatively affected accuracy due to the lack of rigidity. "Side-loaders", like the earlier Colt Model 1871 and 1873, had a rigid frame, but required the user to eject and load one chamber at a time as they rotated the cylinder to line each chamber up with the side-mounted loading gate.<ref name=kinard>{{cite book|title=Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact|url=https://archive.org/details/pistolsillustrat00kina_652|url-access=limited|first= Jeff|last=Kinard |page=[https://archive.org/details/pistolsillustrat00kina_652/page/n175 163]|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2004 |isbn=978-1-85109-470-7}}</ref> Smith & Wesson followed seven years later with the Hand Ejector, Model 1896 in [[.32 S&W Long]] caliber, followed by the very similar, yet improved, [[Smith & Wesson Model 10|Model 1899]] (later known as the Model 10), which introduced the new [[.38 Special]] cartridge. The Model 10 went on to become the best selling handgun of the 20th century, at 6,000,000 units, and the .38 Special is still the most popular chambering for revolvers in the world. These new guns were an improvement over the Colt 1889 design since they incorporated a combined center-pin and ejector rod to lock the cylinder in position, whereas the Colt 1889 did not use a center pin and the cylinder was prone to move out of alignment.<ref name=kinard />

Revolvers have remained popular in many areas, although for law enforcement and military personnel, they have largely been supplanted by magazine-fed [[semi-automatic pistol]]s, such as the [[Beretta M9]] and the [[SIG Sauer M17]], especially in circumstances where faster reload times and higher cartridge capacity are important.<ref name="Cutshaw2011">{{cite book |last=Cutshaw |first=Charles Q. |title=Tactical Small Arms of the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Small Arms From Around the World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=55szjc6g520C&pg=PA50 |date=2011 |publisher=Gun Digest Books |location=Iola, Wisconsin |isbn=978-1-4402-2709-7 |page=50 }}</ref>

===Patents===
In 1815, (sometimes incorrectly dated as 1825) a French inventor called Julien Leroy patented a flintlock and percussion revolving rifle with a mechanically indexed cylinder and a priming magazine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gapQAAAAYAAJ&q=Quinze+Coups&pg=PA20|title = Description des machines et procédés spécifiés dans les brevets d'invention, de perfectionnement et d'importation dont la durée est expirée, et dans ceux dont la déchéance a été prononcée, Volume 21, Issues 1793-1901 |date=1831 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LBcJiUD_148C&dq=Leroy+1815+Brevet+%09armes+%C3%A0+feu&pg=PA193 |title=Annales des arts et manufactures, ou Memoires technologiques sur les decouvertes modernes concernant les Arts, les Manufactures, l'Agriculture et le Commerce |date=1818 |language=fr |trans-title=Annals of Arts and Manufactures, or Technological Memoirs on Modern Discoveries Concerning the Arts, Manufactures, Agriculture and Commerce }}</ref>

[[Elisha Collier]] of Boston, Massachusetts, patented a flintlock revolver in Britain in 1818, and significant numbers were being produced in London by 1822.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pauly |first1=Roger A. |last2=Pauly |first2=Roger |title=Firearms: The Life Story of a Technology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=izGOfMdSm2IC&pg=PA87 |date=2004 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-32796-4 |page=87 }}</ref> The origination of this invention is in doubt, as similar designs were patented in the same year by Artemus Wheeler in the United States, and by [[Cornelius Coolidge]] in France.<ref>{{cite book |author=The Diagram Group |title=The New Weapons of the World Encyclopedia: An International Encyclopedia from 5000 B.C. to the 21st Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Il9ubyJCisC&pg=PA128 |date=2007 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-312-36832-6 |page=128 |access-date=2025-03-14 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Taylerson |first1=A.W.F. |last2=Andrews |first2=R.A.N. |title=The Revolver 1818-1865 |date=1968 |publisher=Herbert Jenkins |location=London |pages=22–23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last =Boothroyd |first=Geoffrey |title=The Handgun |date=1988 |publisher=The Sportsman's Press |location=London |isbn=0948253274 |page=110 |edition=Second }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Nicholson |first=Ben |title=Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler |date=2023 |publisher=Headstamp Press |location=Nashville, Tennessee |isbn=9781733424660}}</ref> Samuel Colt submitted a British patent for his revolver in 1835 and a U.S. patent (number 138) on February 25, 1836, for a ''Revolving gun'', and made the first production model on March 5 of that year.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gibby |first=Darin |title=Why America Has Stopped Inventing |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hUUjc7L-INIC&pg=PA84 |date=2011 |publisher=Morgan James Publishing |location=New York |isbn=978-1-61448-048-8 |page=84 }}</ref>

Another revolver patent was issued to Samuel Colt on August 29, 1839. The February 25, 1836, patent was then reissued as {{US patent|RE00124}} entitled ''Revolving gun'' on October 24, 1848. This was followed by {{US patent|0007613}} on September 3, 1850, for a ''Revolver'', and by {{US patent|0007629}} on September 10, 1850, for a ''Revolver''. In 1855, Rollin White patented the bored-through cylinder entitled ''Improvement in revolving fire-arms'' {{US patent|00093653}}. In 1856, Horace Smith & Daniel Wesson formed a partnership (S&W), then developed and manufactured a revolver chambered for a self-contained metallic cartridge.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cumpston |first=Mike |title=Percussion Pistols and Revolvers: History, Performance and Practical Use |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LQausfRgWvYC&pg=PA192 |date=2005 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=978-0-595-35796-3 |pages=57–58 }}</ref> In 1993, {{US Patent|5333531}} was issued to [[Roger C. Field]] for an economical device for minimizing the flash gap of a revolver between the barrel and the cylinder.

== Design ==
[[File:Revolver modèle 1882 IMG 3070.jpg|thumb|left|Details of a [[Schmidt M1882]], showing the hammer, chambers for the ammunition in the cylinder, and the mechanism to rotate the cylinder. Revolver of the Gendarmerie of [[Vaud]], on display at [[Morges]] castle museum]]

A revolver has several firing chambers arranged in a circle in a cylindrical block; one at a time, these chambers are brought into alignment with the firing mechanism and barrel. In contrast, other repeating firearms, such as [[bolt-action]], [[lever-action]], [[pump-action]], and [[Semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic]], have a single firing chamber and a mechanism to load and extract cartridges into it.<ref name="forensic">{{cite book|last1=Tilstone|first1=William J.|last2=Savage|first2=Kathleen A.|last3=Clark|first3=Leigh A.|title=Forensic Science: An Encyclopedia of History, Methods, and Techniques|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIRQOssWbaoC&pg=PA158|date=1 January 2006|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-194-6|pages=158–159|access-date=12 November 2015|archive-date=22 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232156/https://books.google.com/books?id=zIRQOssWbaoC&pg=PA158|url-status=live}}</ref>

A single-action revolver requires the hammer to be pulled back by hand before each shot, which also revolves the cylinder. This leaves the trigger with one "single action" to perform—releasing the hammer to fire the shot. In contrast, with a self-cocking, or double-action, revolver, one long squeeze of the trigger pulls back the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then finally fires the shot, thus requiring more force and distance to pull the trigger than in a single-action revolver. They can generally be fired faster than a single-action, but with reduced accuracy in the hands of most shooters.<ref name="forensic" />

Most modern revolvers are "traditional double-action", which means they may operate either in single-action or self-cocking mode. The accepted meaning of "double-action" has come to be the same as "self-cocking", so modern revolvers that cannot be pre-cocked are called "double-action-only".<ref name="forensic" /> These are intended for concealed carry, because the hammer of a traditional design is prone to snagging on clothes when drawn. Most revolvers do not come with [[Picatinny rail|accessory rails]], which are used for mounting [[Tactical light|lights]] and [[Laser aiming module|lasers]], except for the [[Smith & Wesson Model 327|Smith & Wesson M&P R8]] ([[.357 Magnum]]),<ref name="Eckstine2013">{{cite book|last=Eckstine|first=Roger|title=Shooter's Bible Guide to Home Defense: A Comprehensive Handbook on How to Protect Your Property from Intrusion and Invasion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5mstAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT253|year=2013|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated|isbn=978-1-62873-539-0|page=253}}</ref> Smith & Wesson Model 325 Thunder Ranch ([[.45 ACP]]),<ref name="SupicaNahas2007">{{cite book|last1=Supica|first1=Jim|last2=Nahas|first2=Richard|title=Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D8qXdU45SCUC&pg=PA301|date= 2007|publisher=F+W Media, Inc|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-0-89689-293-4|page=301}}</ref> and all versions of the [[Chiappa Rhino]] (.357 Magnum, [[9×19mm]], [[.40 S&W]], or [[9×21mm]]) except for the 2" and 3" models, respectively.<ref name="Shideler2010">{{cite book|last=Shideler|first=Dan|title=Guns Illustrated 2011: The Latest Guns, Specs & Prices|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eT2t8PBVmVMC&pg=PA53|date=2010|publisher=F+W Media, Inc|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-1624-4|page=53}}</ref> However, certain revolvers, such as the [[Taurus Judge]] and [[Charter Arms]] revolvers, can be fitted with accessory rails.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ayoob |first=Massad |author-link=Massad Ayoob |title=The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZSOkN9sQDdMC&pg=PA233 |edition=Iola, Wisconsin |date=2007 |publisher=Gun Digest Books|isbn=978-1-4402-1825-5 |page=233 }}</ref>

[[File:Iver Johnson revolvers.jpg|thumb|300px|An advertisement for [[Iver Johnson]] revolvers claimed they were safe enough for children to handle.]]

Revolvers most commonly have 6 chambers, hence the common names of "six-gun" or "six-shooter".<ref name="RKCampbell2009" /> However, some revolvers have more or fewer than 6, depending on the size of the gun and [[caliber]] of the bullet. Each chamber has to be reloaded manually, which makes reloading a revolver a much slower procedure than reloading a semi-automatic pistol.<ref name="RKCampbell2009">{{cite book|last=Campbell|first=Robert K.|title=The Gun Digest Book of Personal Protection & Home Defense|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L7FVmlpWTD8C&pg=PA20|year=2009|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2443-0|page=20}}</ref>

Compared to autoloading handguns, a revolver is often much simpler to operate and may have greater reliability.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" /> For example, should a semiautomatic pistol fail to fire, clearing the chamber requires manually cycling the action to remove the errant round, as cycling the action normally depends on the energy of a cartridge firing.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" /> With a revolver, this is not necessary as none of the energy for cycling the revolver comes from the firing of the cartridge, but is instead supplied by the user either through cocking the hammer or, in a double-action design, by just squeezing the trigger.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" /> Another significant advantage of revolvers is superior ergonomics, particularly for users with small hands.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" /> A revolver's grip does not hold a magazine, and it can be designed or customized much more than the grip of a typical semi-automatic.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" /> Partially because of these reasons, revolvers still hold significant market share as concealed carry and home-defense weapons.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" />

A revolver can be kept loaded and ready to fire without fatiguing any springs and is not very dependent on lubrication for proper firing.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" /> Additionally, in the case of double-action-only revolvers there is no risk of accidental discharge from dropping alone, as the hammer is cocked by the trigger pull.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" /> However, the revolver's clockwork-like internal parts are relatively delicate and can become misaligned after a severe impact, and its revolving cylinder can become jammed by excessive dirt or debris.<ref name="RKCampbell2009" />

Over the long period of development of the revolver, many calibers have been used.<ref name="Keith1955">{{cite book |last=Keith |first=Elmer |author-link=Elmer Keith |title=Sixguns |date=1955 |publisher=Wolfe Publishing Company |location=Salmon, Idaho |isbn=978-1-879356-09-2 |page=125 }}</ref> Some of these have proved more durable during periods of standardization and some have entered general public awareness. Among these are the [[.22 rimfire|.22 Long Rifle]], a caliber popular for target shooting and teaching novice shooters; .38 Special and .357 Magnum, known for police use; the [[.44 Magnum]], famous from [[Clint Eastwood]]'s ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' films; and the [[.45 Colt]], used in the Colt revolver of the [[Wild West]]. Introduced in 2003, the [[Smith & Wesson Model 500]] is one of the most powerful revolvers, utilizing the [[.500 S&W Magnum]] cartridge.<ref name="Shideler20112">{{cite book |last=Shideler |first=Dan |title=Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices 2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YLzs0xmcpYwC&pg=PA583 |date=2011 |publisher=Gun Digest Books |location=Iola, Wisconsin |isbn=978-1-4402-1896-5 |page=583 }}</ref>

Because the rounds in a revolver are [[Headspace (firearms)|headspaced]] on the rim, some revolvers are capable of chambering more than one type of ammunition. Revolvers chambered in [[.44 Magnum]] will also chamber [[.44 Special]] and [[.44 Russian]], likewise revolvers in [[.357 Magnum]] will safely chamber [[.38 Special]], [[.38 Long Colt]], and [[.38 Short Colt]]; while revolvers in [[.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire|.22 WMR]] can chamber [[.22 Long Rifle]], [[.22 Long]], and [[.22 Short]], it is not safe to do so, due to differences in cartridge pressures and the fact that .22 WMR does not shoot a "heeled" bullet, along with differences in rim diameter that can allow high pressure gases to escape behind the cartridge and seriously injure the user. However, some .22 revolvers come with interchangeable cylinders so that .22 Long Rifle can be shot from a .22 WMR revolver. In 1996, the [[Medusa Model 47]] was made with the ability to chamber 25 different cartridges with bullet diameters between .355" and .357".<ref>{{cite book |last=Shideler |first=Dan |title=The Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values: The Shooter's Guide to Guns 1900-Present |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MWFXRDeFrpsC&pg=PA188 |date=26 June 2009 |publisher=Gun Digest Books |location=Iola |isbn=978-0-89689-824-0 |page=188 }}</ref>

[[File:Perkussions Revolver Le Mat.JPG|thumb|left|The [[LeMat Revolver|LeMat Percussion Revolver]], with 9 revolving chambers firing bullets and a center shotgun barrel firing [[lead shot]], was used by the Confederate troops in the [[American Civil War]].]] 
[[File:Le Mat Revolver.jpg|thumb|left|LeMat Revolver, an unusual pinfire cartridge model]]

Revolver technology is also present in other weapons used by the U.S. military. Some [[Revolver cannon|autocannons]] and [[grenade launcher]]s use mechanisms similar to revolvers, and some [[riot shotgun]]s use spring-loaded cylinders holding up to 12 rounds.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dockery |first=Kevin |author-link=Kevin Dockery (author) |title=Future Weapons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8RxJxY7wQn0C&pg=PA289 |date=2007 |location=United States |publisher=Penguin Group |isbn=978-0-425-21750-4 |page=289 }}</ref> In addition to serving as backup guns, revolvers still fill the specialized role as a shield gun; law enforcement personnel using a "bulletproof" [[ballistic shield|gun shield]] sometimes opt for a revolver instead of a self-loading pistol, because the slide of a pistol may strike the front of the shield when fired. Revolvers do not suffer from this disadvantage. A second revolver may be secured behind the shield to provide a quick means of continuity of fire. Many police also still use revolvers as their duty weapon due to their relative mechanical simplicity and ease of use.<ref>{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Chuck |url=http://www.tactical-life.com/online/exclusives/commentary-why-the-revolver-wont-go-away/ |title=Why the Revolver Won't Go Away |publisher=Tactical-Life.com |date=2009-08-29 |access-date=2009-09-16 |archive-date=2009-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810230657/http://www.tactical-life.com/online/exclusives/commentary-why-the-revolver-wont-go-away/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2010, major revolver manufacturers started producing polymer frame revolvers like the [[Ruger LCR]], Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 38, and [[Taurus (manufacturer)|Taurus]] Protector Polymer. The new design incorporates polymer technology that lowers weight significantly, helps absorb recoil, and is strong enough to handle .38 Special +P and .357 Magnum loads. The polymer is only used on the lower frame and is joined to an upper frame, barrel, and cylinder that are made of metal alloy. Polymer technology is considered one of the major advancements in revolver history because the frame was previously always metal alloy and mostly a one-piece design.<ref name="Ahern2010">{{cite book|last=Ahern|first=Jerry|title=Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed-Carry Handguns|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LyoEmeSwGwgC&pg=PA199|year=2010|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-1743-2|pages=199–201}}</ref>

Another 21st century development in revolver technology is the [[Chiappa Rhino]], a revolver introduced by Italian manufacturer [[Chiappa Firearms|Chiappa]] in 2009, and first sold in the U.S. in 2010. The Rhino, built with the U.S. concealed carry market in mind, is designed so that the bullet fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder instead of the top chamber, as is typical in revolvers. This is intended to reduce [[muzzle flip]], allowing for faster and more accurate repeat shots. In addition, the cylinder cross-section is hexagonal instead of circular, further reducing the weapon's profile.<ref name="Shideler2010" />

== Loading and unloading ==

=== Front-loading cylinder ===
The first revolvers were ''front loading'' (also referred to as [[Muzzleloader|muzzleloading]]), and were similar to [[musket]]s in that the powder and bullet were loaded separately. These were caplocks or "cap and ball" revolvers, because the caplock method of priming was the first to be compact enough to make a practical revolver feasible. When loading, each chamber in the cylinder was rotated out of line with the barrel, and charged from the front with loose powder and an oversized bullet. Next, the chamber was aligned using the ramming lever underneath the barrel. Pulling the lever would drive a [[rammer]] into the chamber, pushing the ball securely in place. Finally, the user would place percussion caps on the nipples on the rear face of the cylinder.<ref name="Fadala2003" />

After each shot, a user was advised to raise the revolver vertically while cocking back the hammer so as to allow the fragments of the spent percussion cap to fall out safely. Otherwise, the fragments could fall into the revolver's mechanism and jam it. Caplock revolvers were vulnerable to "chain fires", wherein hot gas from a shot ignited the powder in the other chambers. This could be prevented by sealing the chambers with cotton, wax, or grease. Chain fire led to the shots hitting the shooters hand, which is one of the main reasons why revolver rifles were uncommon. By the time metallic cartridges became common, more effective mechanisms for a repeating rifle, such as [[lever-action]], had been developed.<ref name="Chicoine2005">{{cite book|last=Chicoine|first=David|title=Guns of the New West: A Close Up Look at Modern Replica Firearms|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNuEWcNOjjgC&pg=PA236|year=2005|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=0-87349-768-6|page=236}}</ref>

Loading a cylinder in this manner was a slow and awkward process and generally could not be done in the midst of battle.<ref name="Chun2013">{{cite book|last=Chun|first=Clayton|title=US Army in the Plains Indian Wars 1865-1891|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bD9r6PdqdMUC&pg=PA70|year=2013|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-4728-0036-7|page=70}}</ref> Some soldiers avoided this by carrying multiple revolvers in the field. Another solution was to use a revolver with a detachable cylinder design. These revolvers allowed the shooter to quickly remove a cylinder and replace it with a full one.<ref name="forensic" />
{{Gallery
| File:Coltnavy.jpg | Colt 1851 Navy with [[powder flask]]
| File:Loadseq.jpg | Front reloading a cap and ball pistol
| File:New model Army IMG 3544.jpg | [[Remington Model 1858]] 
}}

=== Fixed cylinder designs ===
[[File:Nagant-holstered.jpg|thumb|upright|A fixed-cylinder [[Nagant M1895]] with gate open for loading]]

In many of the first generation of cartridge revolvers (especially those that were converted after manufacture), the base pin on which the cylinder revolved was removed, and the cylinder taken out from the revolver for loading. Most revolvers using this method of loading are single-action revolvers, although Iver Johnson produced double-action models with removable cylinders. The removable-cylinder design is employed in some modern "micro-revolvers" (usually chambered in .22 rimfire and small enough to fit in the palm of the hand) to simplify their design.<ref name="Ahern2010" />

Later single-action revolver models with a fixed cylinder used a loading gate at the rear of the cylinder that allowed insertion of one cartridge at a time for loading, while a rod under the barrel could be pressed rearward to eject a fired case.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ramage |first1=Ken |last2=Sigler |first2=Derrek |title=Guns Illustrated 2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0pSA2xVGZVYC&pg=PA133 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708224454/http://books.google.com/books?id=0pSA2xVGZVYC&pg=PA133 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2014 |date=2008 |publisher=F+W Media |location=Iola, Wisconsin |isbn=978-0-89689-673-4 |page=133 }}</ref>

The loading gate on the original Colt designs (and on nearly all single-action revolvers since, such as the famous Colt Single Action Army) is on the right side, which was done to facilitate loading while on horseback; with the revolver held in the left hand with the reins of the horse, the cartridges can be ejected and loaded with the right hand.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gunweek.com/2000/lefties.html |title=Tips for Lefties Shooting in a Right-Handed World |access-date=2007-11-13 |first=R.K. |last=Campbell |website=GunWeek.com |archive-date=2007-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070916000826/http://www.gunweek.com/2000/lefties.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Because the cylinders in these types of revolvers are firmly attached at the front and rear of the frame, and the frame is typically full thickness all the way around, fixed cylinder revolvers are inherently strong designs. Accordingly, many modern large caliber hunting revolvers tend to be based on the fixed cylinder design. Fixed cylinder revolvers can fire the strongest and most powerful cartridges, but at the price of being the slowest to load or unload since they cannot use [[speedloader]]s or [[moon clip]]s to load multiple cartridges at once, as only one chamber is exposed at a time to the loading gate.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Radielovic|first1=Marko|last2=Prasac|first2=Max|title=Big-Bore Revolvers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V89WYyn1GeEC&pg=PA17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708223546/http://books.google.com/books?id=V89WYyn1GeEC&pg=PA17|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2014|year=2012|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2856-8|page=17}}</ref>

=== Top-break cylinder ===
[[File:IOF-32-REV-4.JPG|upright|thumb|An [[IOF .32 Revolver|IOF .32]] top-break revolver]]

In a [[top-break]] revolver, the frame is hinged at the bottom front of the cylinder. Releasing the lock and pushing the barrel down exposes the rear face of the cylinder. In most top-break revolvers, this act also operates an [[Extractor (firearms)|extractor]] that pushes the cartridges in the chambers back far enough that they will fall free, or can be removed easily.  Fresh rounds are then inserted into the cylinder. The barrel and cylinder are then rotated back and locked in place, and the revolver is ready to fire.<ref name="forensic" />

Top-break revolvers are able to be loaded more rapidly than fixed frame revolvers, especially with the aid of a speedloader or moon clip. However, this design is much weaker and cannot handle high pressure rounds. While this design has become mostly obsolete, supplanted by the stronger yet equally convenient swing-out cylinder design, manufacturers  still make reproductions of late 19th century designs for use in [[cowboy action shooting]].<ref name="forensic" />

The first top-break revolver was patented in France and Britain at the end of December in 1858 by Devisme.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kw85Thx5dEkC&q=Brooman+1858+2990+Devisme&pg=RA20-PP3|title=English Patents of Inventions, Specifications: 1858, 2958 - 3007|year=1859|access-date=2020-10-17|archive-date=2023-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232157/https://books.google.com/books?id=Kw85Thx5dEkC&q=Brooman+1858+2990+Devisme&pg=RA20-PP3|url-status=live}}</ref> The most commonly found top-break revolvers were manufactured by Smith & Wesson, Webley & Scott, Iver Johnson, Harrington & Richardson, Manhattan Fire Arms, [[Meriden Arms]], and [[Forehand & Wadsworth]].<ref name="Taffin2005">{{cite book|last=Taffin|first=John|author-link=John Taffin|editor=Kevin Michalowski|title=The Gun Digest Book of Cowboy Action Shooting: Guns Gear Tactics|url=https://archive.org/details/Cowboy_Action_Shooting_The_Gun_Digest_Book_of|year=2005|publisher=Gun Digest Books|isbn=0-89689-140-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/Cowboy_Action_Shooting_The_Gun_Digest_Book_of/page/n178 173]–175}}</ref>

=== Tip-up cylinder ===
[[File:Mod1open.jpg|thumb|Smith & Wesson Model 1 Third Issue open]]

The tip-up revolver was the first design to be used with metallic cartridges in the [[Smith & Wesson Model 1]], on which the barrel pivoted upwards, hinged on the forward end of the topstrap. On the S&W tip-up revolvers, the barrel release catch is located on both sides of the frame in front of the trigger. Smith & Wesson discontinued it in the third series of the [[Smith & Wesson Model 1 1/2]] but it was fairly widely used in Europe in the 19th century after a patent by Spirlet in 1870, which also included an ejector star.<ref name="Hogg1978">{{cite book|author=Ian V. Hogg|title=The complete illustrated encyclopedia of the world's firearms|year=1978|publisher=A & W Publishers|isbn=978-0-89479-031-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/completeillustra00ianv/page/287 287]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/completeillustra00ianv/page/287}}</ref>

=== Swing-out cylinder ===
[[File:Taurus 627-KLM 357MAG 009.jpg|right|thumb|A swing-out cylinder revolver]]

The most modern method of loading and unloading a revolver is by means of the ''swing-out cylinder''.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.havegunwilltraincolorado.com/revolver-loading-unloading/|title = Revolver Loading and Unloading|last = Rick|first = Sindeband|date = 2014-11-30|access-date = 2014-11-30|archive-date = 2014-12-05|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141205003928/http://www.havegunwilltraincolorado.com/revolver-loading-unloading/|url-status = live}}</ref> The first swing-out cylinder revolver was patented in France and Britain at the end of December in 1858 by Devisme.<ref name="auto" /> The cylinder is mounted on a pivot that is parallel to the chambers, and the cylinder swings out and down (to the left in most cases). An extractor is fitted, operated by a rod projecting from the front of the cylinder assembly. When pressed, it will push all fired rounds free simultaneously (as in top-break models, the travel is designed to not completely extract longer, unfired rounds). The cylinder may then be loaded (individually or with the use of a speedloader), closed, and latched in place.<ref name="forensic" />

The pivoting part that supports the cylinder is called the crane; it is the weak point of swing-out cylinder designs. Using the method often portrayed in movies and television of flipping the cylinder open and closed with a flick of the wrist can actually cause the crane to bend over time, throwing the cylinder out of alignment with the barrel. Lack of alignment between chamber and barrel is dangerous, as it can impede the bullet's transition from chamber to barrel. This causes higher pressures in the chamber, bullet damage, and the potential for an explosion if the bullet becomes stuck.<ref name="Sweeney2009">{{cite book|last=Sweeney|first=Patrick|author-link=Patrick Sweeney (gunsmith)|title=Gunsmithing - Pistols and Revolvers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MDAwpKEietkC&pg=PA49|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708220621/http://books.google.com/books?id=MDAwpKEietkC&pg=PA49|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2014|year=2009|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-0389-3|pages=49–50}}</ref>

The shock of firing can exert a great deal of stress on the crane, as in most designs the cylinder is only held closed at one point, the rear of the cylinder. Stronger designs, such as the [[Ruger Super Redhawk]], use a lock in the crane as well as the lock at the rear of the cylinder. This latch provides a more secure bond between cylinder and frame, and allows the use of larger, more powerful cartridges. Swing-out cylinders are not as strong as fixed cylinders, and great care must be taken with the cylinder when loading, so as not to damage the crane.<ref name="Sweeney2009" />

=== Other designs ===
[[File:MH Open Action - Copy.jpg|thumb|left|Merwin Hulbert revolvers with their barrels and cylinders pulled out and rotated open]]

One unique design was designed by [[Merwin Hulbert]] in which the barrel and cylinder assembly were rotated 90° and pulled forward to eject shells from the cylinder.

== Action ==

===Single-action===
[[File:Single Action Evolution..jpg|thumb|From Top: Replica of 1849 vintage. .44 Colt Revolving Holster Pistol (Dragoon); Colt Single Action Army Model 1873; Ruger (New Model) Super Blackhawk- Mid and late 20th Century]]

In a single-action revolver, the hammer is manually cocked, usually with the thumb of the firing or supporting hand. This action advances the cylinder to the next round and locks the cylinder in place, with the chamber aligned with the barrel. When the trigger is pulled, it releases the hammer, which fires the round in the chamber. To fire again, the hammer must be manually cocked again. This is called "single-action" because the trigger only performs a single action, of releasing the hammer. Because only a single action is performed and trigger pull is lightened, firing a revolver in this way allows most shooters to achieve greater accuracy. Additionally, the need to cock the hammer manually acts as a safety. With some revolvers, since the hammer rests on the primer or nipple, accidental discharge from impact is more likely if all 6 chambers are loaded. The [[Colt Paterson]], [[Colt Walker]], [[Colt Dragoon Revolver|Colt Dragoon]], and [[Colt Single Action Army]] of the American frontier era are examples of this system.<ref name="forensic" />

===Double-action===
[[File:Anaconda-502.jpg|thumb|[[Colt Anaconda]] .44 Magnum double-action revolver]]

In double-action (DA), the stroke of the trigger pull generates two actions: 
#The hammer is pulled back to the cocked position, which also [[Indexing (motion)|indexes]] the cylinder to the next round.
#The hammer is released to strike the [[firing pin]]. 
Thus, DA means that a cocking action separate from the trigger pull is unnecessary; every trigger pull will result in a complete cycle. This allows uncocked carry, while also allowing draw-and-fire using only the trigger. However, this will require a longer and harder trigger stroke, though this drawback can also be viewed as a safety feature, as the gun is safer against accidental discharges from being dropped.<ref name="forensic" /> The sole mode of operation was seen as reducing training time for the British Army in WWII where the revolver usage was rapid fire at very close ranges.<ref>Wilson, Royce, "A Tale of Two Collectables", ''Australian Shooter'' magazine, March 2006.</ref>

Most double-action revolvers may be fired in two ways:<ref name="forensic" />
# The first way is single-action; that is, exactly the same as a single-action revolver; the hammer is cocked with the thumb, which indexes the cylinder, and when the trigger is pulled, the hammer is released and the round is fired.
# The second way is double-action, or from a hammer-down position. In this case, the trigger first cocks the hammer and revolves the cylinder, then trips the hammer at the rear of the trigger stroke, firing the round in the chamber.

[[File:Albion revolver.jpg|thumb|[[Enfield No. 2]] Mk I* double-action-only revolver. Note the spurless hammer.]]

Certain revolvers, called ''double-action-only'' (DAO) or, more correctly but less commonly, ''self-cocking'', lack the latch that enables the hammer to be locked to the rear, and thus can only be fired in the double-action mode. With no way to lock the hammer back, DAO designs tend to have ''bobbed'' or ''spurless'' hammers, and may even have the hammer completely covered by the revolver's frame (i.e., shrouded or hooded). These are generally intended for concealed carrying, as a hammer spur could snag when the revolver is drawn from clothing, but this design may result in reduction in accuracy in aimed fire.<ref name="Sween2004">{{cite book|last=Sweeney|first=Patrick|author-link=Patrick Sweeney (gunsmith)|title=The Gun Digest Book of Smith & Wesson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eBxEBgJBG0MC&pg=PA284|year=2004|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=0-87349-792-9|page=284}}</ref>

DA and DAO revolvers were the standard-issue sidearm of many police departments for many decades. Only in the 1980s and 1990s did the semiautomatic pistol gain popularity after the advent of [[safe action]]s. The reasons for these choices are the modes of carry and use. Double-action is preferred in high-stress situations because it allows a mode of carry in which one only has to draw and pull the trigger—no safety catch release nor separate cocking stroke is required.<ref name="Sween2004" />

===Other===
In the era of cap-and-ball revolvers in the mid 19th century, two revolver models, the English Tranter and the American Savage "Figure Eight", used a method whereby the hammer was cocked by the shooter's middle finger pulling on a second trigger below the main trigger.

Iver Johnson made an unusual model from 1940 to 1947 called the ''Trigger Cocking Double Action''. If the hammer was down, pulling the trigger would cock the hammer. If the trigger was pulled with the hammer cocked, it would then fire. This meant that to fire the revolver from a hammer down state, the trigger must be pulled twice.<ref>{{cite book |author=S. P. Fjestad |title=Blue Book of Gun Values, 13th Ed. |publisher=Blue Book Publications, Inc. |isbn=0-9625943-4-2 |date=1992 }}</ref>

This is similar to the action of the "sytème Triple action" patented by Eugène Lefaucheux in French patent number 55784 on September 27, 1862 for pinfire revolvers produced in the 1860's in France. The Lefaucheux Triple Action can be used in single action by cocking the hammer with the thumb, or in double action with a long pull on the trigger, or the hammer can be cocked by a pull on the trigger, then allowing one to shoot in single action.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

== 3D printed revolver ==
{{Globalize|section|date=February 2015}}

The [[Zig zag revolver]] is a 3D printed .38 Revolver released to the public in May 2014.<ref name=5gunrefs>[http://3dprint.com/14636/3d-prnted-guns/ 5 Different 3D Printed Gun Models Have Been Fired Since May, 2013 – Here They Are], 3D Print, September 10, 2014. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140911193036/http://3dprint.com/14636/3d-prnted-guns/ archive])</ref><ref name="techcrunch.com">[https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/08/japanese-man-arrested-for-printing-his-own-revolvers/ Japanese Man Arrested For Printing His Own Revolvers], Tech Crunch, May 8, 2014. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140909113728/http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/08/japanese-man-arrested-for-printing-his-own-revolvers/ archive])</ref> It was created by a Japanese citizen from [[Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]] named Yoshitomo Imura, using a 3D-printer and plastic filament.<ref name="techcrunch.com" />

{{See also|List of 3D printed weapons and parts}}

== Use with suppressors ==
As a general rule, revolvers cannot be effective with a [[suppressor|sound suppressor]] ("silencer"), as there is usually a small gap between the revolving cylinder and the barrel which a bullet must traverse, or jump, when fired. From this opening, a rather loud report is produced. A suppressor can only suppress noise coming from the muzzle.<ref name="M.D.1998">{{cite book|last=M.D.|first=Vincent J.M. DiMaio|title=Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques, SECOND EDITION|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VbrDbbHAflsC&pg=PA78|year=1998|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-4837-7|page=78}}</ref>

A suppressible revolver design does exist in the [[Nagant M1895]], a Belgian-designed revolver used by Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union from 1895 through [[World War II]]. This revolver uses a unique cartridge whose case extends beyond the tip of the bullet, and a cylinder that moves forward to place the end of the cartridge inside the barrel when ready to fire. This bridges the gap between the cylinder and the barrel, and the case expands to seal the gap when fired. While the tiny gap between cylinder and barrel on most revolvers is insignificant to the [[internal ballistics]], the seal of the Nagant is especially effective when used with a suppressor, and a number of suppressed Nagant revolvers have been used since its invention.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://guns.connect.fi/gow/nagant.html |title=Silenced 7.62 mm Nagant Revolver |publisher=Guns.connect.fi |date=2000-09-18 |access-date=2009-09-16 |archive-date=2020-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112030826/http://guns.connect.fi/gow/nagant.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

There is a modern revolver of Russian design, the [[OTs-38 Stechkin silent revolver|OTs-38]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.modernfirearms.net/handguns/hg194-e.htm |title=OTs-38 silent revolver |publisher=Modern Firearms |access-date=2009-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826010832/http://www.modernfirearms.net/handguns/hg194-e.htm |archive-date=2009-08-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which uses ammunition that incorporates the silencing mechanism into the cartridge case, making the gap between cylinder and barrel irrelevant as far as the suppression issue is concerned. The OTs-38 does need an unusually close and precise fit between the cylinder and barrel due to the shape of bullet in the special ammunition (Soviet SP-4), which was originally designed for use in a semi-automatic.

Additionally, the U.S. military experimented with designing a special version of the [[Smith & Wesson Model 29]] for [[tunnel rat]]s, called the [[Smith & Wesson Model 29#Quiet Special Purpose Revolver|Quiet Special Purpose Revolver]], or QSPR, that uses special .40 caliber ammunition. It never entered official service.

== Automatic revolvers ==
{{Main|Automatic revolver}}

The term "automatic revolver" has two different meanings, the first being used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when "automatic" referred not to the operational mechanism of firing, but to extraction and ejection of spent casings. An "automatic revolver" in this context is one which extracts empty fired cases "automatically", such as upon breaking open the action, rather than requiring manual extraction of each case individually with a sliding rod or pin (as in the Colt Single Action Army design). This term was widely used in the advertising of the period as a way to distinguish such revolvers from the far more common rod-extraction types.<ref name="Boorman2002">{{cite book|last=Boorman|first=Dean K.|title=The History of Smith & Wesson Firearms|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5jnqqkW85u8C&pg=PA44|date=1 December 2002|publisher=Globe Pequot Press|isbn=978-1-58574-721-4|page=44}}</ref>

In the second sense, "automatic revolver" refers to the mechanism of firing rather than extraction. Double-action revolvers use a long trigger pull to cock the hammer, thus negating the need to manually cock the hammer between shots. The disadvantage of this is that the long, heavy pull cocking the hammer makes the double-action revolver much harder to shoot accurately than a single-action revolver (although cocking the hammer of a double-action reduces the length and weight of the trigger pull). A rare class of revolvers, called automatic for its firing design, attempts to overcome this restriction, giving the high speed of a double-action with the trigger effort of a single-action. The [[Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver]] is the most famous commercial example of this. It was recoil-operated, and the cylinder and barrel recoiled backwards to cock the hammer and revolve the cylinder. Cam grooves were milled on the outside of the cylinder to provide a means of advancing to the next chamber—half a turn as the cylinder moved back, and half a turn as it moved forward. .38 caliber versions held eight shots; .455 caliber versions held six. At the time, the few available automatic pistols were larger, less reliable, and more expensive. The automatic revolver was popular when it first came out, but was quickly superseded by the creation of reliable, inexpensive semi-automatic pistols.<ref name="Kinard2004">{{cite book|last=Kinard|first=Jeff|title=Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVnuHX_6bG0C&pg=PA144|year=2004|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-470-7|page=144|access-date=2015-11-12|archive-date=2023-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232213/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVnuHX_6bG0C&pg=PA144|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1997, the [[Mateba]] company developed a type of recoil-operated automatic revolver, commercially named the [[Mateba Autorevolver]], which uses the recoil energy to auto-rotate a normal revolver cylinder holding six or seven cartridges, depending on the model. The company has made several versions of its Autorevolver, including longer-barrelled and carbine variations, chambered in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and [[.454 Casull]].<ref name="Shideler2011">{{cite book|last=Shideler|first=Dan|title=Gun Digest 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=25rTlO5THIkC&pg=PA416|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708220746/http://books.google.com/books?id=25rTlO5THIkC&pg=PA416|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2014|date=2011|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2891-9|page=416}}</ref>

The [[Pancor Jackhammer Mark 2 Shotgun|Pancor Jackhammer]] is a [[combat shotgun]] based on a similar mechanism to an automatic revolver. It uses a [[Blow forward|blow-forward]] action to move the barrel forward (which unlocks it from the cylinder), rotate the cylinder, and cock the hammer.<ref name="Bishop2006">{{cite book|last=Bishop|first=Chris|title=The Encyclopedia of Weapons: From World War II to the Present Day|date= 2006|publisher=Thunder Bay Press|location=San Diego, California|page=355}}</ref>

==Revolving long guns==
[[File:Taurus-Rossi Circuit Judge.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Circuit Judge carbine]]

Revolvers are not limited to handguns; as a longer barrelled arm is more useful in military applications than a sidearm, the idea was applied to both rifles and shotguns throughout the history of the revolver mechanism with mixed degrees of success.<ref name="TroianiKochan1998">{{cite book|last1=Troiani|first1=Don|last2=Kochan|first2=James L.|last3=Coates|first3=Earl J.|author4=James Kochan|title=Don Troiani's Soldiers in America, 1754-1865|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780811705196|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=978-0-8117-0519-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780811705196/page/214 214]}}</ref>

===Rifles===
Revolving rifles were developed in an attempt to increase the rate of fire of rifles by combining them with the revolving firing mechanism that had been developed earlier for revolving pistols. Colt began experimenting with revolving rifles in the early 19th century, making them in a variety of calibers and barrel lengths. [[Colt revolving rifle]]s were the first repeating rifles adopted by the U.S. military, issued to soldiers to improve their rate of fire. However, after firing six shots, the shooter had to take an excessive amount of time to reload. Also, on occasion, these Colt rifles discharged all their rounds at once, endangering the shooter. Even so, an early model was used in the [[Seminole Wars]] in 1838.<ref name="Coggins2012">{{cite book|last=Coggins|first=Jack|title=Arms and Equipment of the Civil War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9kLCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA36|year=2012|publisher=Courier Dover Publications|isbn=978-0-486-13127-6|pages=36–37}}</ref><ref name="DizardMuth1999">{{cite book|last1=Dizard|first1=Jan E.|last2=Muth|first2=Robert M.|last3=Andrews|first3=Stephen P.|title=Guns in America: A Reader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygcO6WyqrYkC&pg=PA62|year=1999|publisher=NYU Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8147-1879-7|page=62}}</ref> During the Civil War, a LeMat Carbine was made based on the [[LeMat revolver]].<ref name="Shideler2011=lmc">{{cite book|last=Shideler|first=Dan|title=The Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xyoOLh4ZNCQC&pg=PA556|date=10 May 2011|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-1890-3|pages=555–556}}</ref>

Taurus and its Australian partner company, [[Rossi (manufacturer)|Rossi]], manufactures a carbine variant of the Taurus Judge revolver known as the ''Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge''. It comes in the original combination chambering of .45 Long Colt and [[.410 bore]], as well as the .44 Magnum chambering and dual-cylinder .22LR/[[.22_Winchester_Magnum_Rimfire|.22WMR model]]. The rifle has small blast shields attached to the cylinder to protect the shooter from hot gases escaping between the cylinder and barrel.<ref name="Muramatsu2013">{{cite book|last=Muramatsu|first=Kevin|title=The Gun Digest Book of Centerfire Rifles Assembly/Disassembly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uDImaye2tY0C&pg=PA310|year=2013|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-3544-3|page=310}}</ref>

===Shotguns===
Colt briefly manufactured several revolving [[shotgun]]s that were met with mixed success. The [[Colt Model 1839 Shotgun]] was manufactured between 1839 and 1841. Later, the Colt Model 1855 Shotgun, based on the [[Colt revolving rifle|Model 1855 revolving rifle]], was manufactured between 1860 and 1863. Because of their low production numbers and age, they are among the rarest of all Colt firearms.<ref name="Sapp2007">{{cite book|last=Sapp|first=Rick|title=Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6eBW-HqX24cC&pg=PA209|year=2007|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2697-7|pages=198, 209}}</ref>

The [[Armsel Striker]] was a modern take on the revolving shotgun that held 10 rounds of [[12-gauge]] ammunition in its cylinder. It was copied by [[Cobray]] as the Streetsweeper.<ref name="Cutshaw2011" /><ref name="JonesWhite2008">{{cite book|last1=Jones|first1=Richard D.|last2=White|first2=Andrew|title=Jane's Guns Recognition Guide 5e|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xNa3OtG25a0C&pg=PA355|date=27 May 2008|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-06-137408-1|page=355}}</ref>

As noted, the original Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge is chambered to use both [[45 long colt|.45 Long Colt]] cartridges and [[.410 bore]] shells. However, it utilizes a rifled, rather than smooth-bore barrel.

[[File:MC255-1.jpg|thumb|Closeup of MTs255]]

The [[MTs255]] ({{langx|ru|МЦ255}}) is a shotgun fed by a 5-round internal revolving cylinder. It is produced by the [[TsKIB SOO]], Central Design, and Research Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Arms. They are available in 12, 20, 28, and 32 gauges, and .410 bore.

===Other weapons===
The [[Hawk MM-1]], [[Milkor MGL]], [[RG-6 grenade launcher|RG-6]], and [[Granatnik RGP-40|RGP-40]] are [[grenade launcher]]s that use a revolver action. Because the cylinders are much more massive, they use a spring-wound mechanism to index the cylinder.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

[[Revolver cannon]]s use a motor-driven, revolver-like mechanism to fire medium-caliber ammunition.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

== Six gun ==
A '''six gun''' or '''six-shooter''' is a revolver that holds six cartridges. The cylinder in a six gun is often called a "wheel", and the six gun is itself often called a "wheel gun".<ref>{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Clint |title=Wheel guns are real guns |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_9_50/ai_n6125506/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709230609/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_9_50/ai_n6125506/ |archive-date=2012-07-09 |work=Findarticles.com |publisher=Guns Magazine |date=September 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Gromer |first=Cliff |title=New Guns of the Old West |journal=Popular Mechanics |date=August 2002 |pages=86–89 }}</ref> Although a "six gun" can refer to any six-chambered revolver, it is typically a reference to the Colt Single Action Army, or its modern look-alikes such as the [[Ruger Vaquero]] and [[Beretta Stampede]].

Until the 1970s, when older-design revolvers such as the Colt Single Action Army and [[Ruger Blackhawk]] were re-engineered with [[safety (firearms)#Drop safeties|drop safeties]] (such as [[safety (firearms)#Firing pin block|firing pin blocks]], [[safety (firearms)#Hammer block|hammer blocks]], or [[safety (firearms)#Transfer bar|transfer bars]]) that prevent the firing pin from contacting the cartridge's [[Primer (firearm)|primer]] unless the trigger is pulled, safe carry required the hammer being positioned over an empty chamber, thus reducing the available cartridges from six to five, or, on some models, positioned in between chambers on either a pin or in a groove made for that purpose, thus keeping the full six rounds available. This kept the uncocked hammer from resting directly on the primer of a cartridge. If not used in this manner, the hammer rests directly on a primer and unintentional firing may occur if the gun is dropped or the hammer is struck. Some holster makers provided a thick leather thong to place underneath the hammer that both allowed the carry of a gun fully loaded with all six rounds and secured the gun in the holster to help prevent its accidental loss.

Six guns are commonly used by [[cowboy action shooting]] enthusiasts in competition shooting and are designed to mimic the gunfights of the Old West, as well as for other applications such as general target shooting, hunting, and personal defense.<ref>Handloader Ammunition Reloading Journal, August 2009 edition in the "From the Hip" article by Brian Pearce. Page 32.</ref>

== Notable brands and manufacturers ==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Robert Adams (handgun designer)|Robert Adams]]
* [[Armscor (Philippines)|Armscor]]
* [[Astra-Unceta y Cia SA|Astra]]
* [[Charter Arms]]
* [[Chiappa Firearms]]
* [[Cimarron Firearms]]
* [[Colt's Manufacturing Company]]
* [[Fabrique Nationale de Herstal]]
* [[Freedom Arms]]
* [[Samuel Griswold|Griswold and Gunnison]]
* [[Harrington & Richardson]]
* [[Iver Johnson]]
* [[Janz (revolvers)]]
* [[Kimber Manufacturing]]
* [[Korth]]
* [[Magnum Research]]
* [[Manurhin]]
* [[Mateba Autorevolver|Mateba Arms]]
* [[Meriden Firearms Co.]]
* [[Merwin Hulbert]]
* [[Fabrique d'armes Émile et Léon Nagant|Nagant]]
* [[North American Arms]]
* [[Remington Arms]]
* [[Rossi (manufacturer)|Rossi]]
* [[Royal Small Arms Factory]]
* [[Sturm, Ruger & Co.]]
* [[Smith & Wesson]]
* [[Taurus (manufacturer)|Taurus Firearms]]
* [[U.S. Fire Arms Manufacturing Company|United States Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company]]
* [[A. Uberti, Srl.]]
* [[Tranter (revolver)|William Tranter]]
* [[Webley & Scott]]
* [[Dan Wesson Firearms]]
{{div col end}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:MatebaAutoRevolver6in.jpg|[[Mateba Autorevolver]]
File:Anaconda-500.jpg|[[Colt Anaconda]] [[.44 Magnum]] revolver
File:Colt-Python.jpg|[[Colt Python]] [[.357 Magnum]] revolvers
File:SW 625-JH02.jpg|[[Smith & Wesson Model 625]] for [[International Practical Shooting Confederation|IPSC shooting]]
File:S&W 625JM.png|Smith & Wesson Model 625JM, as designed by [[Jerry Miculek]].
File:Alfa-Proj-9mm.jpg|[[Alfa Proj Model Alfa Para 9mm caliber]]
File:Taurus-605-left.jpg|[[Taurus (manufacturer)|Taurus]] .357 Magnum Model 605
File:Taurus Judge Magnum.JPG|Taurus .45 Colt/[[.410 bore]] Model 4510 '[[Taurus Judge|The Judge]]'
File:IOF-32-REV-1.JPG|[[IOF .32 Revolver]] in [[.32 S&W]]
File:Colt revolver, 1849-1872 - Skoklosters slott - 90731.tif|Colt 1849 Pocket Model, made 1850–1873.
File:Revolver Lefaucheux IMG 3108.jpg|Belgian-made [[Lefaucheux M1858|Lefaucheux revolver]], c. 1860 – 1865
File:MWP Nagant.JPG|A Russian [[Nagant M1895]]
File:S&W Model 29-2.jpg|A [[Smith & Wesson Model 29]]
File:Naamini22.jpg|North American Arms (NAA) mini revolver in .22 LR. It can fold into its own grip for safe belt clip carry.
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Gunspinning]]
* [[List of revolvers]]
* [[Russian roulette]]
* [[Turret gun]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|35em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Revolvers}}
* {{US patent|RE124}} – ''Revolving gun''
* {{US patent|1304}} – ''Improvement in firearms''
* {{US patent|7613}} – ''Revolver''
* {{US patent|7629}} – ''Revolver''
* {{US patent|12648}} – ''Repeating firearm''
* {{US patent|12649}} – ''Revolver''

{{Firearms}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Revolvers| ]]
[[Category:1836 introductions]]
[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Firearm actions]]