It was very similar in outline to the single-action of the same caliber, but carried a bow-shaped trigger guard in place of the spur guard. 38, shooting the cartridge previously designed for the single-action revolver. Colt did not produce a double-action hand gun for metallic cartridges until 1877, and Smith & Wesson lagged behind until February of 1880, when they brought out a double-action. Many good Adams and Tranter double-actions came to this country from England during the Civil War, along with a number of French and Belgian trigger-cocking hand guns which couldn’t be used single-action. The system itself antedated the pepperboxes, for Ethan Allen made double-action, single-shot pistols under an earlier patent than Colonel Colt’s.ĭuring the percussion period, Cooper revolvers were produced with double-action, as were the hammerless Pettingill which came out in 1856, the Starr and the Remington Rider. Smith & Wesson Hand Guns is also available to purchase in print.Įvolution of the revolver during the years just covered is remarkable for one manufacturing omission-the double-action principle. The following information on Smith & Wesson Double Action revolvers comes from Smith & Wesson Hand Guns by Roy C.
