A VERY DESIRABLE MASSACHUSETTS ARMS ADAMS PATENT REVOLVER

A VERY DESIRABLE MASSACHUSETTS ARMS ADAMS PATENT REVOLVER

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$3,495.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 490-7518

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Call 717-334-0347,
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Robert Adams’ “self-cocking” or “double action” revolver was originally patented in England in 1851, with the primary patent covering his one-piece, solid frame and barrel forging. In 1854 Lieutenant F.B.E. Beaumont developed an improvement to the lock work, which allowed the pistol to operate in both conventional single action and double action modes. It was this variation of the Adams revolver (the Patent 1854 or “Beaumont-Adams”) that was produced under license by the Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. In 1857 Massachusetts Arms entered into an agreement to provide 500 Beaumont-Adams Patent .36 caliber revolvers to the US Ordnance Department.  On July 24, 1858, The Massachusetts Arms Company delivered the first 250 of the Beaumont-Adams revolvers to the Ordnance Department and delivered another 150 on August 17 and the last 100 on September 4 of the same year. It has long been believed that that state of Virginia also acquired 1,000 of these revolvers via the Ames Manufacturing Company in an arms order from May 1860 and these were delivered during the summer and fall of that year; when found today they are not US inspected.

This fine-looking US martial pistol is one of the first 250 delivered in 1858 with serial number “218” on the left side of the frame forward and below the cylinder and on the cylinder itself. The lower right side of the frame is marked in two horizontal lines; "PATENT JUNE 3, 1856" and the lower left side of the frame is marked "ADAMS PATENT MAY 3, 1853". The top strap is marked in three lines: "MANUFACTURED BY MASS ARMS CO. CHICOPEE FALLS" The loading lever is marked in two lines: "KERR'S PATENT APRIL 14th, 1857". All of the markings are quite legible. The revolver and retains a decent amount of original blued finish, mixed with a smooth gray patina over all of the metal components. There are some small, scattered patches of minor peppering and pinpricking on the metal. The frame retains about 20%+ of its original blued, mixed with a mostly smooth gun metal gray patina, and the barrel retains about 20% original blue, with the area protected by the loading lever and the bottom of the barrel retaining the largest percentages of blue. The cylinder retains only some lightly flecked traces of original finish, over a mostly gray patina. The hammer retains little of its original mottled case colored finish. The screws remain in mostly nice condition and there is still a nice remnant of the fire-blued finish on the heads of many of them. The action of the revolver functions well, in both the double action and single action modes. The revolver times, indexes and locks up as it should. The original frame mounted sliding safety is present on the right side of the pistol. It retains about 30% of its original fire-blued finish and functions correctly. The fragile thumbscrew style cylinder pin retaining screw is intact. The loading lever retains the original spanner style mounting screw.  The five-shot cylinder retains five period cones (nipples).  The bore of the pistol is in very nice condition and retains sharp rifling, showing only lightest pitting evenly distributed along its length. The original iron blade front sight is dovetailed into the top of the octagon barrel. On various metal parts are the tiny inspection letters "A" and "T". The checkered walnut grips are in about very good condition, and are free of any breaks, cracks, or chips. On one side is the inspector's cartouche “WAT" while on the left side is "JT". There is a brass bushed hole on the grips that runs through and through for a lanyard.

This is a nice-looking pre-war and therefore early war carried revolver; it shows honest field use but no abuse.  [pe][ph:L]

DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. All firearms are described as accurately as possible, given the restraints of a catalog listing length. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Any city or state regulations regarding owning antique firearms are the responsibility of the purchaser. All firearms are "mechanically perfect" unless noted, but again, are NOT warranted as safe to fire!

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