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Monthly Archives March 2012


Early Victorian Handguns; Part 3, Kate Tattersall’s pistols

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What was special about the weapons Kate carried on her missions? They were the creations of her brother, Jack Beaufort, a brilliant inventor who drew from the skills of others and combined them for startling results. The descriptions and technical drawings are similar to any number of pepperbox revolvers which …


Early Victorian Handguns; Part 2, problems with design

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There were some surprisingly good handgun designs by the early 1850s. While many of the finest were produced in London, an outstanding model was designed and manufactured by Samuel E. Robbins and Richard S. Lawrence of Windsor, Vermont, from about 1851 to 1854. A total of about 7,000 of these …


Early Victorian Handguns; Part 1, a time of great change

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The need to stop many men at once was a problem gunsmiths had been working on for some time. Volley guns, whether long arms or hand held, were developed in the 1700s. First as flintlocks, then as percussion cap and hammer, these weapons fired (or misfired) all the barrels at …