WILLIAMSON David
On January 5, 1864, David WILLIAMSON filed a patent for a revolver and a cartridge designed to circumvent the Rolin white patent held by Smith and Wesson. The weapon operates in single action, a door on the right side allows the 6 chambers of the cylinder to be filled from the front.
The 32 caliber cartridge, made of stamped copper, has a flat nipple at the rear which receives a charge of fulminate, a charge of black powder, and a lead ogival bullet. Once suifé, the cartridge is perfectly watertight, a big advantage for the time, when the expression "keep your powder dry" took on its full meaning. A small shoulder at the front is housed in a groove made at the front of the cylinder, its purpose is to prevent the case from entering the barrel when the shot is fired.
The weapon must have also been produced in 45, because this type of cartridge is found in this caliber.
The weapon will have a great success during the American Civil War. It will be manufactured by Mores’ Patent Firearms from 1864 to 1866 then by the National Firearm Company in Brooklyn from 1866 to 1870, date at which it is bought by the Colt’s Manufacturing Company.
Loading is tedious because it is necessary to make the flat part of the nipple coincide with the boss of the cylinder. WILLIAMSON therefore files a second patent in 1869 for a round nipple, the loading door will be lengthened to also serve as an ejection rod. (This is the model that is illustrated below)
A certain number of weapons will be modified to receive cartridges with a round nipple.
30,000 revolvers of this model are said to have been manufactured. The weapon presented bears the number 29029 which places it in the last manufactures.
The top of the barrel, round, bears faintly engraved "National Arms Co Brooklyn n.y" and the cylinder does not bear any indication of patent.
The hammer has a half-cocked notch which leaves the cylinder free and allows to fill the chambers. Note the particular shape of the hammer which comes to crush the nipple at the fall.
Chevalier
