THE REVOLVER (1818-1865) (1865-1888) (1889-1914) by A.W.F.Taylerson

THE REVOLVER (1818-1865) (1865-1888) (1889-1914) by A.W.F.Taylerson

This is a 3 volume set in good condition all with dust jackets.

THE REVOLVER, 1818-1865 is the full story of our early revolving arms and the steps by which they became the side-arms of multitudes. It is also a story of men who brought this about – Samuel Colt, Robert Adams, William Tranter and the Webley Brothers, to mention but a few manufacturers. Much that is written in this book about them has never before been made available to collectors. Other names may now be almost unknown, and their bearers’ weapons for-gotten, but Americans, Englishmen, French-men, Irishmen and Scotsmen all contributed to the history unfolded in these pages and their contribution is duly weighed. As to the weapons, the plates illustrate more than sixty flintlock arms, pepperboxes, transition-type and percussion revolvers, rifles, and breech-loading arms, whilst fifty line-drawings and figures show lock-mechanisms, contemporary advertisements, machinery and additional weapons. Particular care has been taken to explain those steps by which the various inventors patented (and thus protected) their individual designs, and every relevant English or British patent of the period is listed, the duration of protection stated and a note of the subject matter given. As a corollary to this material, the authors have ventured deep into the field of those serial-numbers impressed upon so many revolvers of the period (a subject hitherto neglected by others), and their researches will be of great assistance to collectors in establishing the dating of numbered arms, or the quantity produced. Moreover, where any weapon appeared in several models or versions, pains have been taken to illustrate the variant arms wherever possible.

1865 – 1888. Vol 2
The second of a series by Taylorsen which cover the period 1818 to 1914, this volume succinctly explains revolving firearms (even to include rifles and proto-machineguns such as the Gatling) made on the basis of concepts covered by British patents issued during the timeframe 1865 to 1888, said bracket starting with the expiry of the Robert Adams patent and the dawn of the breechloading cartridge arm, and ending with the beginning of the era of the Webley .455 Mark I hinge-frame service revolver and FWIW, smokeless powder ammunition. As has been noted by the prior reviewer, most American readers will not be familiar with many of these revolvers. However, many American firearms are included though to quote from the beginning of Chapter 4: “Revolvers made between 1865-1888 by the Colt and Remington companies of America receive little attention here…” — though they are mentioned in brief, to include a cursory examination of the cartridge converted percussion arms. What the historian and firearms enthusiast WILL find of interest in that area is that the British cartridge conversions of that timeperiod are covered fairly well, and extant volumes on the American products can be contrasted and compared. An omission is the Tranter Model 1865 monster .577 revolver, but besides that this is an excellent resource, covering the firearms in chronological order, a section with brief information on the patent holders, and a section listing the patents and what they covered.

1889-1914. Vol 3.
The full story of our early revolving arms and the steps by which they became the side arms of multitudes.