Setting = London, England Date = 1850 Character Concept = Former Police Officer I've done a bit research to try and settle on a handgun for my main character, and it looks like the year I'm working with might be a transitional period for firearm tech. Revolvers are a thing, but most of them appear to have been developed in the late 1840s, so I'm uncertain how widespread they were by 1850. Would caplocks still be somewhat popular? My character is a bit of an old soul, so I like the idea of him sticking with a caplock. But he's not completely impractical, so if nearly everyone is packing revolvers then he likely would too.
Former Hungarian prime minister Lajos Kossuth had fled to the Ottoman Empire after his failed 1848-49 revolution. From there, he asked for asylum in the US and traveled to the UK in 1851, then to the US in 1852. There he befriended one Samuel Colt and was given an 1851 Navy .38 revolver as a gift. This was a special artifact in Europe at the time, but wasn't all that special in the US. The 1846-48 war in Mexico saw similar revolvers issued to US officers and soldiers. If you want to give your character an edge in combat, he could use either of the above linked revolvers. Having traveled to the United States or having an American friend visiting London could be a very easy explanation about how he'd acquire it. And by that time the technology was well-known; which is why I'd say a man of pragmatism would be interested in a revolver. Mind; I definitely think that by 1850-51 revolvers "stabilized" and were more than reliable. I have done a quick search trying to pinpoint the decade or year where revolvers became widespread in Europe. Prussians were still using Caplock pistols during the 1st Schleswig war. To me it seems like from 1854ish to 1870s most European armies adapted a revolver. The French started in 1854, the British in 1853 (adapting both weapons after a few years' success). If not else, you could introduce your character to a revolver as part of the story!
That's definitely the kind of information I'm looking for. Thanks. It was easy to Google when revolvers were first produced, but proved less easy to learn when they really started to phase out caplock pistols. And I want to factor in the difference in availability between Europe and America, as my character is British and my story takes place in Europe.
Funny story: i was researching guns and knives for my story. I had 2 big books on my desk: History of Guns and the Encyclopedia of Daggers. Security guard approached me and says "why are you looking through that stuff?" I looked at her and said "research" Im preeeeeeeeeetty sure im on some kind of watch list now
To echo what's been said, I don't believe the revolver gained much of a foothold in Europe until roughly the mid/late 1860s, so the single- or double-barreled cap gun would still have a decently strong presence. Being from the other size of the pond, Colt had several designs that would fit the bill. Colt's first commercial revolver was the 1836 Paterson, which would have had plenty of opportunity to make it across the Atlantic in decent numbers. It also had a reputation as a fighting design, having spent considerable time on the American frontier. Texas Ranger Jack Coffee Hays was a strong advocate of this model as it gave considerable advantage to his often-outnumbered men. The 1836 was a five-shot .36 caliber single-action - small by modern standards, but better than adequate for the day. By 1850 it would be getting a little long in the tooth as early repeaters went, but could still be in service for another decade or so. The Mexican-American War (1846-48) gave prominence to a pair of improvements: the 1847 Walker Colt and an improved 1848 Colt Dragoon. The Walker was named for Samuel Walker, an officer who had experience with the earlier 1836 but wanted something sturdier and with greater stopping power. Working with Colt, they turned out a 5-pound 15-inch monster boasting holding six 44-caliber charges that would stay in use for decades and established the prototype for Colt's revolvers up until the advent of cased cartridges. The later Dragoon series were essentially Walkers with a few modifications from lessons learned during the war. I mention these two because they fit the bill time-wise, but it's worth noting that these models were considered horse pistols (carried in saddlebags while mounted) rather than belt guns due to their size and weight. The last two are further evolutions of the improved Dragoon. Starting in 1848 Colt sized down its horse artillery to something a little more manageable. The results were the 1848 Baby Dragoon, a markedly smaller 5-shot offering that could be readily carried on one's person, most popular in .31 caliber. Sales were good and a year later Colt began offering the 1849 Pocket Model. Both were easy-shooting and readily concealable and proved hot sellers, especially to those heading west in the California Gold Rush and, later, to army officers on both sides of the American Civil War. Of all those, the Baby Dragoon/Pocket Model is probably your best bet.
Pity it wasn't 1855 or so, you could use a Volcanic pistol. One pretty cool resource for old guns is the youtube channel Forgotten Weapons. How about a turret revolver? 1837 design.
Because they were still commonly used in Europe in 1850, I think I'll have my main character carry a caplock pistol. I do have question about them though: how long could they effectively/practically remain loaded and ready to fire?
Guns were not part of every day life in mid nineteenth century London .Some would use a Blunderbuss , an early type of shot gun , for self defence . Coachman and security guards might use them . Early hand guns were not very good for just pulling out and firing . They were like miniature canons . By the time you got your gun ready , if you were defending yourself , your attacker would of hit you over the head long before you shot them . There were hand guns that looked more like modern guns , but these were being made in counties like Belgium. Expensive and not widely available.
