When most people think of revolvers, they without a doubt imagine the fabled sidearms that won the West — the weapons the likes of Wyatt Earp used to gun down lawless cowboys during the infamous OK Coral incident and other timeless battles.
The weapon shown in the video below was apparently hundreds of years ahead of its time, predating the events depicted in films such as Tombstone and The Outlaw Josey Wales by centuries. Despite the weapon’s near-ancient status, its characteristics come pretty darn close to fitting the modern description of a revolver today.
Built in 1680 — at a time when the idea of firing multiple shots from a single firearm was nothing short of revolutionary — this revolver carried six shots (the same as many revolvers today), and rotated automatically when cocked. Obviously, this design wouldn’t become anywhere close to common for quite some time, or else classic paintings of the Revolutionary War would look quite different.
Take a moment to sit back and learn something new about the history of revolvers and sidearms at large in this upload by Royal Armouries. In addition to gaining a little bit of knowledge, the video will without a doubt add a whole new level of appreciation for what firearms are capable of doing today.
~ Firearm Daily
