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Lever Action Revolver Rifle

timbroman
We visited at my son's today to see a new litter of yellow Labs. He told me that one of his buds had asked him what he knew about an old rifle that had a revolver action and he thought it was lever-operated. I told him I had never heard of such a piece but I knew where to go to find out. Can this be? Thanks, Jim

timbroman@aol.com
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • Hardrada55
    I really don't know much about it, or as much as I'd like to know. But the British had a rifle called a Needham rifle which had a two-chamber block that spun on an axis like a revolver's cylinder and was actuated by a lever. Magazine was tube under barrel like a .30-30. There's a picture of it in Greener's book "The Gun and It's Development" of which I see reprints at the local chain bookstore and it's also in George Hoyem's book "The History and Development of Small Arms Ammunition". Weird ammo, too, called .450 Needham. Looks like it would be about as powerful as .44-40.
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  • familyguy
    quote:he thought it was lever-operated.(emphasis added)
    Could he have been thinking of a Mateba carbine? Not lever action, but definitely revolver action in a carbine size rifle. It's actually an auto-revolver. There was one on GB for a while.





    Got a new gun for my ex-wife.....pretty good trade, huh?
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  • bambihunter
    I haven't heard of it either but revolver/carbine rifles have been around for years. I think they're called either buntlines or cattleman's carbine.
    I'm not sure what the benefit of a lever-action revolver would be, even back when the guns were single-action only. If someone knows something more I too would like to know more.

    Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!
    Benjamin Franklin
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  • Xracer
    Colt also made the Model 1855 sidehammer percussion revolving rifles, carbines, and shotguns.

    They weren't, however, lever action.
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  • warcrob
    If you ever get a chance to get to the Branson area of Missouri, drive over to Hollister to the School of The Ozarks and check out the Ralph Foster Museum. I recall seeing many revolving rifles there. They were almost all percussion cap rifles. Really a unique place and inexpensive to visit.

    If you ain't got a sense of humor you got no business bein here!
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  • v35
    The 1855 Colt halfstock sporting rifle and the Remington revolving rifles of 1858 all have extended trigger guards which form sort of a pistol grip. They may look like a finger lever to some.
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  • captkirk3@dslextreme.com
    I've never heard of such an animal myself...What a waste of time and effort..it would have been an Engineering Monstrousity to say the least...Would like to see this 'THING' upfront and Personal if at all possible......or at the very least a photo of it.....

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
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  • gruntled
    Revolving rifles go way back. Saw some in the Tower of London that were flintlock actions. Well worth the time if you ever get there.
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  • allechalley
    You still can buy (or could, last I looked) a revolving black powder cattleman's rifle from cabella's. I think it's on the Remington pattern. They quit for a while as there was a recall and then they had them again.
    Originally, they had the same problems that cap and ball revolvers had, that if you got in too much hurry and didn't smear grease over the ends of the cylinders, you ended upo with chain (or ring ) fire.
    They also had a tendency to jamb with powder build up. It seems they were really touchy on loads too. To little powder and destruction of cylinder/rifle (same as pistol) and also hung up bullet in bore with the dire consequences of that. They were rejected by people of the time as too many problems, ect. They were pretty much a long barrelled pistol single action. There was no opporating lever.
    I have a reproduction by Aldo Uberti of the 1858 Remington revolving carbine in .44 cap and ball sold by Cabella's. Haven't taken time to play with it as yet.
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  • timbroman
    Well thanks all for the replies. I will try to see the rifle/carbine? for myself if it does really exist. We'll be going back up their from time to time. If this guy really has something like was described, I suspect that when my boy was told it was like a Winchester with a cylinder there may have been a presumption that there was a lever since it appeared to be configured like a Winchester carbine. Anyway, I am curious and I will delve further and report back with what I find out or don't find out. Best, Jim

    timbroman@aol.com
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  • captkirk3@dslextreme.com
    Its the LEVER ACTION that needs to be addressed...Not the Revolving Cylinder...

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
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