US M1855 Revolving Rifle

By Crusader1307

An innovative weapon for it's time, The Model 1855 was a marriage of the Colt Revolver with a rifle. The weapon featured a large rotating cylinder which held Cap and Ball rounds. Hammer fire activated, when the pre-loaded percussion caps were struck, the round would be fired. Repeated single-action or double-action by the firer would continue the firing process. The Model 1855 was made in most popular calibers of the day (.36, .38, .44 etc). A small carbine-like barrel (at 3-feet) and a wide stock allowed for easier handling. The major drawback was that small lead splinters would (and did) splash back into the user's face. This coupled with excessive gas splash back, caused the Colt 1855 to be ignored by and large.