Flintlock 4 Cylinder Revolver For Comment

[fernando]

Fascinating. Does this belong in your collection, Dana ?

[dana_w]

Originally Posted by fernando

Fascinating. Does this belong in your collection, Dana ?

Yes Fernando, this pistol is part of the collection my sister and I inherited from our late father, F.E. Williams III (AKA Jack Williams)

[kahnjar1]

Hi Dana,
Very interesting pistol. I do not often post in this section of the Forum, but have a healthy interest in old firearms of all types.
From the pics, it is not evident how the cylinder rotates. I assume it is hand rotated around a fixed mounting which holds the barrel?
Is the cylinder "locked" in any way to avoid accidental rotation?
What safety measures are in place to stop cross ignition between the cylinder tubes?
How does one demount the cylinder for cleaning?
It would be interesting to see some "exploded" pics of the pistol if possible.
Stu

[dana_w]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

I assume it is hand rotated around a fixed mounting which holds the barrel?
Is the cylinder "locked" in any way to avoid accidental rotation?
What safety measures are in place to stop cross ignition between the cylinder tubes?
How does one demount the cylinder for cleaning?
It would be interesting to see some "exploded" pics of the pistol if possible.
Stu

As you assumed Stu (AKA kahnjar1), there is a button on the bottom which unlocks the cylinder so that it can be hand turned. There is an index mark on the cylinder that gives the user an idea which chamber is in use and the depressions in the cylinder help easily locate the next locking position. The chambers are loaded and can be cleaned via and opening in the stock in front of the trigger guard. The locking button, indexed depressions in the cylinder, and loading access can be seen well in the second photo.

[kahnjar1]

Hi Dana,
Thanks for the info. Must admit I did not look closely at the groove. I had assumed from the pic that it was for a rammer
What about cross ignition? Any safety features to stop this?
Stu

[dana_w]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

What about cross ignition? Any safety features to stop this?
Stu

I don't see any creative features to prevent cross ignition (chain firing). It has probably always been a problem with multi shot flintlock weapons.

I've read about the use of grease to help prevent it in early frontier cap and ball revolvers.

[Pukka Bundook]

Good morning Dana,

A very interesting old pistol!


I think this pistol is Much older than the Collier, and going by the shape of the lock and cock, plus the butt-stock, I would say late 17th century to very early 18th century.

Such pistols and carbines were produced from about 1680 to 1700.
Sometimes these were snaphaunce locks, which in a revolver was a little easier to make, as each cylinder had its own pan and sliding cover.

There are two of these in W Keith Neal & D Back's book, GBG 1540 -1740.
Both have 8 -shot cylinders.

The little re-enforce above the pan screw isn't seen much after about 1720, and hardly at all by 1730.
It's a lovely old pistol!

Kind regards,
Richard.