A gunshot is a type of weapon that acts by firing bullets. Shooting type are pistols, revolvers, rifles, machine guns and other firearms. Apply them to defeat the enemy. Small arms are highly efficient, reliable and maneuverable. Let us consider in more detail what a revolver is, when it appeared, how it works and how it differs from other varieties of firearms.
General concept
Pistols and revolvers are similar in parameters, but vary in structure. A pistol is any type of firearm that is held in one hand. In this sense, answering the question: “What is a revolver?”, It should be understood that it will also be considered a pistol, but with its structural specificity. This refers to the fact that its charges are in the drum, which rotates. That is why such a weapon was called a revolver: from the English verb revolve - "rotate".
A similar drum and other innovations made it possible to distinguish it from the pistols that existed at that time. Interestingly, pistols these days are technically more advanced than revolvers. Previously, the designs were single-shot, they were called flint or capsule, but today all models of such weapons are automatic. Now it becomes clearer what a revolver is.
History of creation
It is believed that firearms were invented in China in the 12th century. In Europe, the creation of artillery dates back to the 14th century. These were the first samples in which the shells acted due to the power of burning gunpowder. So in military affairs a new era began - the gunshot. A little later, there appeared manual samples of a new type of weapon: arquebus, squeak, cooler. In the 14-15 centuries, firearms remained almost unchanged, not counting minor improvements in its design.
Noticeable changes occurred in the 16th century after the creation of the wheel lock, replacing the less perfect - wick. The author of the revolutionary invention was Leonardo da Vinci. Since that time, pistols (the first of them appeared in the 15th century) began to be equipped with a wheeled lock.
In addition, at the end of the 16th century, their barrel length was increased, and the caliber was reduced. Over the next two hundred years, wheeled locks were gradually replaced by flint locks , which were cheaper and easier to charge. The external characteristics of the weapon also became more rational and elegant. Duel type pistols with special qualities appeared.
Rapid development
At the beginning of the 19th century, capsule locks were created, which brought the evolution of small arms to a new level.
In 1807, the English master Forsyth patented the use of percussion mixtures for charges. The gun was improved thanks to the invention of a rifled design, a rotating drum and a charger. Together with capsule fire, all of these details brought firearms to a new level of development.
The main goal that the designers faced was to increase the rate of fire. Without this important quality, no other characteristics made much sense. Of course, the other parameters (accuracy, lethal ability and compact size) were also not yet perfected, but more or less satisfied the specialists.
Rate of fire was absent altogether. The long process of loading the pistol, together with the proximity of the enemy, made the weapon disposable. After ensuring the mass production of pistols, the craftsmen began to work to increase the rate of fire of this type of weapon.
Colt's invention
In 1836, American Samuel Colt introduced a revolver called Paterson. That was the name of the town in which this weapon was created. The true inventor of the revolver was John Pearson, who worked for Colt. However, all world fame went not to him, but to his master.
Later, other model varieties began to appear, they were widely used in the United States and many other countries. Colt revolvers had a spinning drum and several charges. To fire a shot, the shooter had to cock the trigger and press the trigger. The caliber of the revolver could be different.
Peperboxes also appeared - this is a special type of weapon, the rate of which increased due to the use of several barrels. However, they did not endure the rivalry with revolvers, since they were charged from the barrel. This was a significant drawback. A revolver is a more compact weapon compared to a perbox. In addition, he shot more accurately and had better penetrative potential. This was due to the fact that the revolvers were rifled, loaded with elongated bullets without first running through the barrel.
Capsule revolvers have become widespread and still exist. Now even replicas of those antique products are being produced.
After colt
After the Koltov design of the revolver, many advanced mechanisms arose. The trigger device has become self-cocking, the body is reliable and solid, the handle is comfortable. The power of the weapon was increased, and the size and weight were reduced. The rate of fire also increased and, along with other characteristics, turned the weapon into a truly formidable force.
Further development
In 1877, the Belgian designer Emil Nagan patented his weapon model. Later it became known as the "Nagan revolver." The weapon turned out to be very successful, it was used in many countries. Including in Russia.
In 1892, Nagan created a new model, which combined all the best characteristics of previous mechanisms. It was a weapon with smokeless powder and with a bullet inside the sleeve. This revolver Nagan system was used by the Belgian police until the 40s of the 20th century.
Nagan weapons were manufactured and used in many countries. It was appreciated for:
- excellent fighting qualities;
- reliability in use;
- safety during storage;
- fast readiness for battle.
In Poland, this weapon was called "radom" by the name of the city in which the manufacturing plant is located. In the USA, such designs were called the Smith and Wesson revolver by the name of the company that produced them.
Victory in Russia
After the Crimean War of 1853-1856 in Russia, the question arose of the need to replace pistols with more advanced designs. In 1859, the Armory Commission began to consider and analyze various models of revolvers produced abroad.
The best recognized French revolver "Lefoche". Experts noted the rate of fire and reliability of this type of weapon.
At the end of the 19th century, a competition was announced in Russia for the rearmament of the army. We needed such models that would replace the obsolete Smith and Wesson revolver, since the army needed more powerful weapons.
The Nagan brothers took part in this contest. As a result, their advanced designs won it. The Commission adopted two models of weapons: non-self-cocking and self-cocking. After that, 20 thousand copies were produced in Belgium, and later these revolvers began to be produced in Russia.
disadvantages
Nagan "lived" in Russia independently, becoming a landmark weapon. It was increasingly used as a combat revolver. It was used in many military operations of that time.
The plant in Tula produced self-cocking guns. However, the use of weapons revealed its shortcomings. The main one is a long reload after firing all rounds.
In 1910, the Belgian model was improved: the revolver drum leaned to the right, and the reloading process was accelerated.
Another drawback was the tightness of the descent and the need to use force to cock the trigger and rotate the drum. The use of weapons required training from the shooter and a strong hand. Over time, assembly has deteriorated. For this reason, in the Civil War, commanders used imperial pre-revolutionary copies, erasing the stigma from them.
Subsequent modernization and competitor
In the 30s, the shape of the fly was changed, it did not glare so much that it facilitated aiming. The cartridge of the revolver became more devastating due to the steel sleeve.
In the same period, an automatic TT pistol appeared, but he failed to displace the previous design. Both options were used in parallel. This was due to the initial imperfection of the TT, which does not provide adequate reliability.
40s and 50s
In 1941, the Tula plant ceased production of guns, passing the baton to IZHMASH. After the war, the Nagans were removed from service in the Soviet Army. Some of them were transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where they were used until the 50s.
In well-known films about that time (for example, “The meeting place cannot be changed”), criminal investigators and criminals use nagans. However, the criminal world nevertheless preferred revolvers for their reliability and for the fact that the sleeve after the shot remains in the drum, and not at the crime scene.
Later, the Nagans became a traumatic and then a signal weapon.
Collecting
As a result of the conversion of Nagans into traumatic specimens, brands were erased from them. Such samples are not of interest to collectors. With the release of traumatic models, the marks remained, but the barrel was eliminated, and in its place an imitation of metal was put.
Of course, according to the requirements of the law, a special permission is not required to acquire a signal instance. And this is a positive moment for collectors. And yet, many gun lovers hope that a new law will be issued that will allow collecting units of cultural value.
More loyal is the law to mock weapons. Such a revolver is a weapon only in appearance. They make a cut in his barrel, cut the firing pin. Most of the details are not touched, so you can still understand the principle of action. Layouts do not require permissions, they are considered household items. Collectors appreciate the layouts for the safety of factory marks. And for many, this is the only way to replenish the collection legally. Layouts are also used to recreate military suits.
Nevertheless, law enforcement officials do not recommend wearing such samples openly, because at a meeting they will not know that this is not a real weapon. It is also forbidden to make any changes to them. Well, when purchasing mass-size models, you must necessarily require a certificate or an expert opinion.
So, we examined what a revolver is when it appeared and how it improved over time.