The Modern American Pistol and Revolver.

by A. C. Gould.

PREFACE.

For many years the author was among the great number of persons who believed it was impossible to do fine shooting with a pistol beyond a few yards, and out of the question to secure much accuracy from a revolver.

With the object of learning the limit of accuracy these arms possessed, a great many experiments were arranged and exhibitions given by the most skilful marksmen to be found. The spirit of rivalry soon became apparent, and, without doubt, has considerably aided in determining the possibilities of the pistol and revolver.

The author feels that his labors have not been in vain, as he has the testimony of manufacturers of these arms, as well as cartridge-makers, that the results obtained within a period of three years are finer than it was thought possible.

As we close this little volume it is apparent that revolver and pistol shooting is about to become a very popular sport; the cavalry and artillery of the National Guard in America are likely soon to be equipped with and instructed in the use of the revolver. As pistol practice increases in popularity, events herein recorded will, doubtless, be equalled and excelled many times.

The author begs to acknowledge courtesies extended to him by Messrs. Smith & Wesson; Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Co.; Merwin, Hulbert, & Co.; Union Metallic Cartridge Co.; United States Cartridge Co.; Messrs. Wm. R.

Schaefer & Son; John P. Lovell Arms Co.; as well as the many professional and amateur shots who have devoted time and money to aid in developing the American pistol and revolver.

THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL AND REVOLVER.

CHAPTER I.

During the years the author has been interested in studying fire-arms, and endeavoring to learn the greatest amount of accuracy it was possible to secure from them, his attention has frequently been attracted to the statements of individuals in relation to pistols and revolvers, which were mostly in the form of contributions to sportsmen's journals, or in books chronicling the adventures of living heroes of the plains and backwoods,--many of the latter pa.s.sing through the author's hands for review and criticism. It was noticeable that brief matter in relation to pistols and revolvers, which was found in print, came from two cla.s.ses,--one making the most absurd statements in relation to feats performed with these arms, which were entirely beyond the possibilities of both arms and ammunition, and which were immediately recognized as coming from parties who knew little or nothing about the subject. The statements which came from the other cla.s.s--the contributors to sportsmen's journals--were evidently from parties who had expected to perform the impossible feats, and, failing to do so, poured out their wrath in print, condemning the makers of the arms, and making libellous statements in reference to the arms, which at once indicated that it was lack of skill, rather than imperfections in the tools.

All skilled marksmen who have handled the modern American pistol and revolver must be aware that those of standard make are strong, well-made, safe, and accurate. It is believed that no attempt has ever been made to learn the possibilities of the various weapons, the greatest accuracy, range, and power, and record them for comparison in a single volume.

Government tests have been made by the Ordnance Department, but its work has been almost wholly with revolvers suitable for military purposes. As there are a number of weapons which possess power, accuracy, and are in every way equal in effectiveness to those accepted by military authorities, it is apparent that the reports of government tests do not fully represent all of the weapons which would properly be cla.s.sed as weapons of defence or suitable for military purposes.

Any attempt to record an historical account of the inventions and improvement in the American pistol and revolver would, doubtless, prove uninteresting to a majority of the readers of this work, and have but little practical value; we therefore refrain from any mention of priority of invention or description of the arms of early manufacture, and confine our descriptions of the pistol and revolver of to-day. Those in use at the present time, for extensive and elaborate experiments and investigations, have impressed the author with the fact that improvements have constantly been going on, and that the pistol and revolver of the present time are as much superior to those produced a quarter of a century ago as the modern rifle is superior to the ancient flint-lock musket. The world moves, mechanical skill improves, artistic knowledge of form and symmetry is each year combined with mechanical ingenuity, and at the present time the American pistol and revolver has reached a degree of perfection previously unknown; and it is our purpose to describe in this volume the modern pistol and revolver of American make, those manufactured in quant.i.ty known in trade, and procurable by any one desiring to secure a safe and reliable weapon. There are a few pistols made in this country by hand, but the number is so small that they are unknown to the trade; and, although great stories have occasionally reached us of the accuracy of these arms, we have never yet found one which would begin to compare with the accuracy of those constructed by manufacturers who have made the perfection of the arm a study of years. The standard single-shot pistols of American make at the present time are the Stevens, Remington, and Wesson. The revolvers, the Smith & Wesson, Colt's, Merwin & Hulbert, and Remington. The country is flooded with revolvers of other make, some of them good enough for the purpose intended, for a very short-range weapon of defence, among them the products of the Marlin Arms Co., the American Arms Co., and Harrington & Richardson; but a majority of the revolvers to be found throughout the country are cheaply made, unreliable, inaccurate, and, above all, unsafe, and endanger the lives of those who attempt to use them, though they bear names high-sounding enough to captivate rustics and juvenile purchasers; and this has always seemed to the author to be the chief cause of so many condemning the modern revolver. All of the pistols and revolvers described in the following chapters have been carefully and thoroughly tested by expert marksmen, a careful comparison made, and the results given, unless specified, are not the finest results obtainable by the best experts; but the average results secured, and those it is believed to be within the reach of ordinary marksmen possessing an average amount of health and strength.

CHAPTER II.

SINGLE-SHOT PISTOLS.

A number of years ago, when gentlemen sought to vindicate their honor by duels with pistols, it was the custom to provide themselves with a pair of duelling-pistols. These were generally of large calibre, often .50 or 1/2-inch, generally of smooth bore and flint-lock. These and even larger calibres were also made for the cavalrymen in the service. Then came the percussion pistol, many styles of duelling-pistols, both smooth bore and rifled, and to-day many Southern gentlemen have in their possession a pair of these ancient arms handed down to them by their parents and grandparents. They are used chiefly, at the present time, for decorative purposes, for their days of usefulness are pa.s.sed; the modern revolver has superseded them as arms of defence, and the single-shot breech-loading pistol, possessing much greater accuracy, far more convenient to load, and more economical to use, has taken the place of the duelling pistol for target work, stage shooting, and exhibition work. The single-shot pistol is used almost wholly for short-range target practice, generally in-doors, at a distance from five to fifty yards, or for small-game shooting.

Therefore, it is unusual to find at the present time these pistols larger in bore than .32-calibre, and generally in .22 calibre. As the .22-calibre is perfectly accurate up to fifty yards, and our own experiments compared with others lead us to believe the small calibre is fully as accurate as the larger, and beyond a doubt that with good weather conditions the larger bore possesses no advantages over the small bore up to fifty yards in point of accuracy, and the fact that the cost of the.

22-calibre ammunition is so much less, is more compact, allowing a large number of cartridges to be carried about, and the knowledge that the tiny bore can be shot so many times without cleaning, makes it the favorite calibre, in single-shot pistols, for target and small-game shooting within the distance named.

Any shooting at a distance beyond fifty yards with a pistol is almost unheard of in America; but it is believed that before long the experts who become so proficient with the pistol at this range will shoot at much longer distances, and we shall not be surprised to see matches shot up to 200 yards, and, perhaps, at a longer distance, as the officers in the European armies practise up to 400 paces and secure good results. When the shooting is done at long distances with a pistol, it will probably be with a single-shot arm of calibre from .32 to .40; but until then the calibres will probably be the .22 and .32.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE STEVENS TARGET PISTOL, LORD MODEL.]

The Stevens single-shot pistols are deservedly very popular; they are manufactured by the J. Stevens' Arms and Tool Co., at Chicopee Falls, Ma.s.s. They are made in various styles, as follows:--

Conlin model, 10-inch barrel, .22-cal., weight, 2-1/8 pounds. Lord model, 10-inch barrel, .22 cal., weight, 3 pounds. Diamond model, 10-inch barrel, .22-cal., weight, 11 ounces. Also, the new 6-inch barrel, .22-cal., Target pistol.

The barrels are carefully bored and rifled and fitted into a steel frame in the Lord model, and composition of gun-metal in the Conlin and Diamond models. A spring is so arranged under the barrel that when a projecting stud on the side is pressed it releases a catch on the opposite side and the spring forces the rear part of the barrel up and the forward part down, this action acting on the sh.e.l.l-ejector, forcing out the sh.e.l.l of the exploded cartridge; the pistol is then reloaded and barrel closed. The frame permits of barrels of different calibres being fitted into one action, in the Lord or Conlin model. There are several varieties of sights for these pistols to suit the different demands. The triggers are the side-covered trigger in the smaller models, and the guard-covered trigger in the Lord model.

The Lord and Conlin models are very popular among professional and expert pistol-shots. They have been tested and found very reliable, and possess a degree of accuracy unsurpa.s.sed by any arm of its kind in the world, if properly used.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE STEVENS SINGLE-SHOT PISTOL (New Model.)]

The Lord model is preferred by persons of herculean frame or possessing great strength in their arms, it weighing 3 pounds. The Conlin model is generally selected by those possessing less physical strength; both pistols have handles of sufficient length to permit of their being grasped properly.

The trigger on the Lord model is preferred by a majority of pistol-shots, and, to suit those desiring this style of a trigger in the Conlin model, the manufacturers have commenced making them in that manner, and can now supply either style of triggers.

The weight of the Lord model is in its favor, for those who can hold it secure an advantage in less liability to pull the pistol to one side or upwards when pressing the trigger,--an error one who uses a light pistol is quite liable to make. Such experts as Chevalier Ira Paine and Frank Lord, and even some of the gentler s.e.x, who have astonished the shooting world by their seemingly impossible feats of marksmanship with the pistol, unhesitatingly select this heavy pistol, and declare it more reliable, for the reasons mentioned, than the lighter ones, and as some of the professional shooters perform hazardous feats when inaccuracies with the arm would peril the lives of those who a.s.sist them in their performances, it is likely that they have given the matter the fullest investigation.

But the person desiring to select a Stevens pistol for fine work should examine both models, and be governed by his own judgment in the matter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE REMINGTON SINGLE-SHOT PISTOL.]

The other pistols made by this company are intended for pocket-pistols; they are accurate and reliable, but being more compact, with shorter barrels and lighter, they are more difficult to shoot accurately than those fashioned after the shape of the duelling-pistol. One quickly becomes accustomed to their use, and, if fond of pistol-shooting, they are a source of great pleasure when carried on a fishing trip or on a tramp when small-game can be shot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE NEW 6-INCH BARREL STEVENS PISTOL.]

A gentleman who makes an annual trip into the woods informed the writer that he never went without his Stevens pistol, and always killed considerable small-game for the table with it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COLT'S NATIONAL DERINGER.]

The Remington single-action pistol is a much less elegant piece of workmanship than the Stevens pistol, but there are excellent points about the arm which will be apparent to the inspector as he examines it. It possesses great strength and wearing qualities, is accurate, and, although not particularly symmetrical, it is so well-balanced and has such an excellent handle, that, when grasped, there is a feeling of firmness and steadiness which is verified when the shooter attempts to sight it on a small object. The pistol is made in .22 and .32 calibres; it has a barrel 8 inches long. The action is similar to the old-model Remington rifle. The hammer is brought to a full-c.o.c.k, a breech block rolled back, which permits of the barrel, which is screwed into a solid frame, being inspected from the rear, and easy to be cleaned. All attempts to procure discharges from this arm with action improperly closed have been unsuccessful, and we can see no reason why it is not as safe as it is accurate. Its unusual strength would make it a desirable arm for long-range pistol-practice, as it would doubtless stand a much heavier charge than would ever be required for shooting at any range.

The Wesson single-shot pistol is manufactured by Frank Wesson, at Worcester, Ma.s.s. It is operated as follows: the hammer is slightly raised and held by a pin pressed in from the side; a projecting stud is pressed at the bottom of the receiver, and the barrel turned over to one side,--the sh.e.l.l of the exploded cartridge thrown out by the extractor.

The arm is well-balanced, fitted with good sights of different styles, and accurate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: REMINGTON VEST-POCKET PISTOL (EXACT SIZE).]

The Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Co. manufactures three styles of single-shot Deringers, one of which is ill.u.s.trated. To operate this arm set the hammer at half-c.o.c.k, grasp the stock in the right hand and drawing back the steel b.u.t.ton with the forefinger, rotate the barrel toward you with the left hand. Holding the barrel thus turned aside, introduce the cartridge and then rotate it to its original position. After firing, the empty sh.e.l.l may be ejected by rotating the barrel as directed for loading.

The weight of the No. 2 is 10 oz., calibre .41. It is a powerful pistol, intended for a weapon of defence at short range.

CHAPTER III.

AMERICAN REVOLVERS--SMITH & WESSON'S PRODUCTIONS.

The armory of Messrs. Smith & Wesson is located at Springfield, Ma.s.s., and is said to be the most complete establishment for the manufacture of revolvers in the world. The work produced at this armory has a world-wide reputation, and their products are sent to nearly every country on the globe. The revolvers are beautifully made, as perfect as it seems possible to construct them; they have a perfect contour, are symmetrical, well balanced, and possess great accuracy. The arm was formerly constructed in calibres from .22 to .45; but, a few years ago, this firm discontinued making the .22 calibre. Formerly the .22 and .32 calibres were opened by pressing a clutch under the action, and the barrel and cylinder were pushed upwards; the cylinder was then removed, and the sh.e.l.l extracted from the cylinder by a fixed post. Later the invention of the automatic sh.e.l.l-ejector was added, and the revolver opened by a clasp, the barrel and cylinders tip downward, the action at the same time ejecting the sh.e.l.ls. All of the revolvers now made at the factory of Smith & Wesson are after this model, and are known as follows:--