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[Illustration: MR. F. E. BENNETT, Expert Pistol and Revolver Shot.]




  THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL AND REVOLVER

  INCLUDING

  A DESCRIPTION OF MODERN PISTOLS AND
  REVOLVERS OF AMERICAN MAKE; AMMUNITION
  USED IN THESE ARMS; RESULTS ACCOMPLISHED;
  AND SHOOTING-RULES FOLLOWED BY AMERICAN
  MARKSMEN


  BY A. C. GOULD
  _Editor of The Rifle_


  BOSTON
  A. C. GOULD & CO., PUBLISHERS
  1888




  Copyright, 1888
  BY A. C. GOULD & CO.

  PRESS OF
  Rockwell & Churchill,
  BOSTON.




PREFACE.


For many years the author was among the great number of persons who
believed it was impossible to do fine shooting with a pistol beyond a few
yards, and out of the question to secure much accuracy from a revolver.
With the object of learning the limit of accuracy these arms possessed, a
great many experiments were arranged and exhibitions given by the most
skilful marksmen to be found. The spirit of rivalry soon became apparent,
and, without doubt, has considerably aided in determining the
possibilities of the pistol and revolver.

The author feels that his labors have not been in vain, as he has the
testimony of manufacturers of these arms, as well as cartridge-makers,
that the results obtained within a period of three years are finer than it
was thought possible.

As we close this little volume it is apparent that revolver and pistol
shooting is about to become a very popular sport; the cavalry and
artillery of the National Guard in America are likely soon to be equipped
with and instructed in the use of the revolver. As pistol practice
increases in popularity, events herein recorded will, doubtless, be
equalled and excelled many times.

The author begs to acknowledge courtesies extended to him by Messrs. Smith
& Wesson; Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Co.; Merwin, Hulbert, & Co.; Union
Metallic Cartridge Co.; United States Cartridge Co.; Messrs. Wm. R.
Schaefer & Son; John P. Lovell Arms Co.; as well as the many professional
and amateur shots who have devoted time and money to aid in developing the
American pistol and revolver.




CONTENTS.


                                                                      PAGE

  CHAPTER I
    American Pistols and Revolvers                                       5

  CHAPTER II.
    Single-Shot Pistols--Description of Various American Patterns        9

  CHAPTER III.
    American Revolvers--Smith & Wesson's Productions                    21

  CHAPTER IV.
    The Merwin, Hulbert, & Co.'s Revolvers                              36

  CHAPTER V.
    The Colt's Revolver                                                 46

  CHAPTER VI.
    Sights for Revolvers and Pistols                                    56

  CHAPTER VII.
    Ammunition for Pistols and Revolvers                                64

  CHAPTER VIII.
    Reloading Ammunition for Pistols and Revolvers                      75

  CHAPTER IX.
    The Possibilities of the Revolver--Results of Revolver-firing
    up to Fifty Yards                                                   90

  CHAPTER X.
    Pistol and Revolver Shooting at Long Range                         116

  CHAPTER XI.
    Rules for Pistol and Revolver Shooting                             126




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


                                                                      PAGE

  Portrait of Mr. F. E. Bennett                             _Frontispiece_

  Stevens Target Pistol (Lord Model)                                    11

     "      "      "    (Conlin Model)                                  13

  Remington Single-Shot Pistol                                          15

  New 6-inch Barrel Stevens Pistol                                      16

  Colt's National Deringer                                              17

  Remington Vest-Pocket Pistol                                          19

  Smith & Wesson.32-calibre Single-Action Revolver                     23

  Smith & Wesson Revolver (Russian Model) Single Action                 25

  Smith & Wesson Revolver (Russian Model) Double Action                 27

  Smith & Wesson Hammerless Safety Revolver                             33

  Opening the Merwin, Hulbert, & Co. Revolver                           37

  Merwin, Hulbert, & Co.'s Revolver--Manner of Ejecting Shells          39

  Colt's Revolver,.38-calibre, Double Action                           51

    "       "      (Frontier Model)                                     53

    "       "      (Army Model)                                         53

  Sights for Revolvers and Pistols                              58, 59, 61

  Chevalier Ira A. Paine                                                60

  Winchester Reloading Tool                                             76

  Ideal Reloading Tool                                                  79

  Target made by Mr. F. E. Bennett                            84, 100, 114

  Target made by Mr. George Bird                                    92, 96

    "     "   "  Mr. Pierre Lorillard, Jr.                              94

    "     "   "  Mr. J. T. B. Collins                                   99

    "     "   "  Mr. Allen P. Kelly                                    103

    "     "   "  Chevalier Ira A. Paine                                105

    "     "   "  Mr. W. W. Bennett                                     108

    "     "   "  Mr. D. D. Davis                                       109

    "     "   "  Mr. George Bird                                       110

  Position, Mr. F. E. Bennett                                          112

     "      Chevalier Ira A. Paine                                     115

     "      Mr. W. W. Bennett                                          117

     "      Mr. B. J. Robertson                                        119

     "      Mr. Walter Winans                                          121

     "      Miss Annie Oakley                                          127

  Standard American Target                                             125

  Holsters                                                        129, 131

  Six shots with Colt's Frontier Model Revolver                        135




THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL AND REVOLVER.




CHAPTER I.


During the years the author has been interested in studying fire-arms, and
endeavoring to learn the greatest amount of accuracy it was possible to
secure from them, his attention has frequently been attracted to the
statements of individuals in relation to pistols and revolvers, which were
mostly in the form of contributions to sportsmen's journals, or in books
chronicling the adventures of living heroes of the plains and
backwoods,--many of the latter passing through the author's hands for
review and criticism. It was noticeable that brief matter in relation to
pistols and revolvers, which was found in print, came from two
classes,--one making the most absurd statements in relation to feats
performed with these arms, which were entirely beyond the possibilities of
both arms and ammunition, and which were immediately recognized as coming
from parties who knew little or nothing about the subject. The statements
which came from the other class--the contributors to sportsmen's
journals--were evidently from parties who had expected to perform the
impossible feats, and, failing to do so, poured out their wrath in print,
condemning the makers of the arms, and making libellous statements in
reference to the arms, which at once indicated that it was lack of skill,
rather than imperfections in the tools.

All skilled marksmen who have handled the modern American pistol and
revolver must be aware that those of standard make are strong, well-made,
safe, and accurate. It is believed that no attempt has ever been made to
learn the possibilities of the various weapons, the greatest accuracy,
range, and power, and record them for comparison in a single volume.
Government tests have been made by the Ordnance Department, but its work
has been almost wholly with revolvers suitable for military purposes. As
there are a number of weapons which possess power, accuracy, and are in
every way equal in effectiveness to those accepted by military
authorities, it is apparent that the reports of government tests do not
fully represent all of the weapons which would properly be classed as
weapons of defence or suitable for military purposes.

Any attempt to record an historical account of the inventions and
improvement in the American pistol and revolver would, doubtless, prove
uninteresting to a majority of the readers of this work, and have but
little practical value; we therefore refrain from any mention of priority
of invention or description of the arms of early manufacture, and confine
our descriptions of the pistol and revolver of to-day. Those in use at the
present time, for extensive and elaborate experiments and investigations,
have impressed the author with the fact that improvements have constantly
been going on, and that the pistol and revolver of the present time are as
much superior to those produced a quarter of a century ago as the modern
rifle is superior to the ancient flint-lock musket. The world moves,
mechanical skill improves, artistic knowledge of form and symmetry is each
year combined with mechanical ingenuity, and at the present time the
American pistol and revolver has reached a degree of perfection previously
unknown; and it is our purpose to describe in this volume the modern
pistol and revolver of American make, those manufactured in quantity known
in trade, and procurable by any one desiring to secure a safe and reliable
weapon. There are a few pistols made in this country by hand, but the
number is so small that they are unknown to the trade; and, although great
stories have occasionally reached us of the accuracy of these arms, we
have never yet found one which would begin to compare with the accuracy of
those constructed by manufacturers who have made the perfection of the arm
a study of years. The standard single-shot pistols of American make at
the present time are the Stevens, Remington, and Wesson. The revolvers,
the Smith & Wesson, Colt's, Merwin & Hulbert, and Remington. The country
is flooded with revolvers of other make, some of them good enough for the
purpose intended, for a very short-range weapon of defence, among them the
products of the Marlin Arms Co., the American Arms Co., and Harrington &
Richardson; but a majority of the revolvers to be found throughout the
country are cheaply made, unreliable, inaccurate, and, above all, unsafe,
and endanger the lives of those who attempt to use them, though they bear
names high-sounding enough to captivate rustics and juvenile purchasers;
and this has always seemed to the author to be the chief cause of so many
condemning the modern revolver. All of the pistols and revolvers described
in the following chapters have been carefully and thoroughly tested by
expert marksmen, a careful comparison made, and the results given, unless
specified, are not the finest results obtainable by the best experts; but
the average results secured, and those it is believed to be within the
reach of ordinary marksmen possessing an average amount of health and
strength.




CHAPTER II.

SINGLE-SHOT PISTOLS.


A number of years ago, when gentlemen sought to vindicate their honor by
duels with pistols, it was the custom to provide themselves with a pair of
duelling-pistols. These were generally of large calibre, often.50 or
1/2-inch, generally of smooth bore and flint-lock. These and even larger
calibres were also made for the cavalrymen in the service. Then came the
percussion pistol, many styles of duelling-pistols, both smooth bore and
rifled, and to-day many Southern gentlemen have in their possession a pair
of these ancient arms handed down to them by their parents and
grandparents. They are used chiefly, at the present time, for decorative
purposes, for their days of usefulness are passed; the modern revolver has
superseded them as arms of defence, and the single-shot breech-loading
pistol, possessing much greater accuracy, far more convenient to load, and
more economical to use, has taken the place of the duelling pistol for
target work, stage shooting, and exhibition work. The single-shot pistol
is used almost wholly for short-range target practice, generally in-doors,
at a distance from five to fifty yards, or for small-game shooting.
Therefore, it is unusual to find at the present time these pistols larger
in bore than.32-calibre, and generally in.22 calibre. As the
.22-calibre is perfectly accurate up to fifty yards, and our own
experiments compared with others lead us to believe the small calibre is
fully as accurate as the larger, and beyond a doubt that with good weather
conditions the larger bore possesses no advantages over the small bore up
to fifty yards in point of accuracy, and the fact that the cost of the.
22-calibre ammunition is so much less, is more compact, allowing a large
number of cartridges to be carried about, and the knowledge that the tiny
bore can be shot so many times without cleaning, makes it the favorite
calibre, in single-shot pistols, for target and small-game shooting within
the distance named.

Any shooting at a distance beyond fifty yards with a pistol is almost
unheard