George Kynoch
1887: The famous English pistol maker William Tranter retired in 1885 and upon his retirement his friend ammunition manufacturer George Kynoch acquired the Tranter factory in Aston and began to manufacture firearms in small numbers.
It was the age for innovation in firearms design and the manager of the Kynoch Gun Works, Henry Schlund was issued patents for a peculiar pistol that was a curious blend of both up-to-date and antiquated features. It was a top break revolver with an automatic ejector system and a fully enclosed hammer.
However, it had a two-lever cocking and firing mechanism much like the earlier Tranters.
There were two principle models.
On the earliest models which were made only in .455, the cocking lever extended below the trigger guard, while on the later models which were made in .455 and various smaller calibres, both the cocking lever and the set trigger, which subsequently fired the gun, were both within the trigger guard. By pulling with two fingers the gun could be fired double action or by pulling first the lower cocking lever the gun was set for a very light single action pull of the upper trigger. One improvement on the second model was that after cocking the internal, the knurled tabs on the cocking lever could be squeezed to safely release the hammer.
This pistol is a second model in .380 calibres.
It is marked Rosard and Co, 33 New Bond St. London, presumably the name and address of the retailer. Only a total of about 600 Kynoch revolvers were made.
The Kynoch factory closed in 1890 and Kynoch died in 1891.
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