Revolver

(re-võlv'ŭr,) a pistol which, by means of a revolving breech, or revolving barrels, can be made to fire more than once without reloading. The system of revolving fire-arms is far from new, specimens being still in existence which were manufactured at the beginning of the 17th century; but such were the improvements introduced in the mechanism of R. by Col. Samuel Colt (q. v.), that the invention may be fairly attributed to him. His world-renowned Colt's R., patented in 1835, is still in general use; its principal rivals being the We on, Warner, and Allen revolvers, also brought out by American inventors, and the English Deane and Adams' R. [s. 766]