Colt revolving rifle
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The Colt Revolving Rifle Model 1855 was an early repeating rifle design produced in 1855 by the Colt's Manufacturing Company. The design was essentially similar to revolver type pistols, with a rotating cylinder that held five or six rounds in a variety of calibres from .40 to .64 inches.[1]
The weapon was adopted for service by the U.S. Military in 1855, but problems with the design prevented its adoption until 1857. The principal problem was that gunpowder would sometimes leak from the paper cartridges in field conditions, lodging in various recess around the firing cylinder. Hot gas leaking from the gap between the firing cylinder and the barrel would ignite this powder, which would in turn, ignite all of the powder in the chambers waiting to be fired, normally sending a spray of metal forward into the left arm and hand of the firer. [2]
This fault resulted in an understandable distrust in the weapon. Commanders attempted to get around the problem in a number of ways. One way was by instructing their men to only fire the weapon while supporting it by holding the lowered loading lever, which moved their left hand out of path of any misfire. The second way was to only load a single chamber, preventing any misfire from occurring. [2]
The weapon performed superbly in combat, seeing action with the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Union forces at Snodgrass Hill and at the Battle of Chickamauga during the American Civil War [3]. The volume of fire from this weapon proved to be so useful at both battles that the Confederate forces were convinced that they were attacking an entire division, not just a single regiment. In total 4,712 were purchased during the Civil War [1]. Despite these victories of the weapon, the rifle's faults would prove fatal for the weapon. A board of officers met, and after evaluating the evidence, it decided to discontinue the use of the weapon. The weapons were sold for 42 cents a rifle, a fraction of the original purchase cost.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b floridareenactorsonline.com - Carbines, Revolving Rifles and Repeating Rifles, Robert Niepert
- ^ a b c George M. Chinn, The Machine Gun, 1951
- ^ Army of the Cumberland and George Thomas Source - www.AotC.net
