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1850's Vintage Whitney Beals "Walking Beam" Pocket Revolver in .31 Caliber Cap & Ball ** Rare & Unique 100% Original Weapon!! ** SO
Guns International #: 101485836 Seller's Inventory #: BP20-68
Category: Antique Revolvers - Percussion - Civil War Revolvers
Seller's Information
When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com
Seller: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc.
Company: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc.
Member Since: 4/27/15
State: Kentucky
Zip: 40503
Country: United States
Phone: (859) 276-1419
Fax: (859) 278-0838
Platinum Seller
Number of Active Listings: 194
Total Number of Listings: 14885
Seller: FFL Dealer
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
Payment Types Accepted: Visa,Master Card, Discover,Check
Description:
This is a very unique and rare Whitney Beals' "Walking Beam" Pocket Revolver in .31 caliber cap and ball. The "Walking Beam" model takes it's name from part of the cylinder mechanism's similarity to the walking beam steam engine of the period. Designed by Fordyce Beals, the ring-triggered, 7-shot revolver was engineered to get around Colt's patent on using the hammer to index the cylinder. The ring trigger served two functions, it rotated and indexed the cylinder with a cycle forward and back, and released the hammer at the most rearward position. The hammer itself was cocked manually. To fire it properly you would first cock the hammer and then cycle the trigger all the way forward then all the way back, with the hammer dropping when the trigger reached maximum travel rearward. There was no built-in loading lever on this model, so to load the revolver, you would remove the cylinder by depressing the spring-loaded catch at the forward edge of the frame which allowed the cylinder pin to withdraw from the frame while still being held under the barrel. The 7-shot cylinder would then fall out of the right side of the gun for loading, which would also allow detailed cleaning and inspection of the cylinder rotating mechanism housed in the shielded assembly on the left side of the frame. This very unique and interesting revolver was made from 1854 to sometime in the 1860's with less than 3200 total made, a very small number of guns for the number of years it was technically "in production". Original and functional examples are exceedingly hard to find, with likely a number of them lost during the American Civil War and many more scrapped when the cylinder rotating mechanism became unreliable. This particular example is serial number "60" and is a second or standard model with an iron frame chambered in .31 caliber. It features a .31 caliber 5" inch octagon barrel, a 7-shot cylinder, factory brass front and rear iron sights, and 2-piece American Walnut grips. It appears to be 100% original and intact. As you can see from the pictures, this Whitney Beals has a nice consistent gray-brown patina on all of the metals parts. All of the factory stampings are clean and legible and all of the angles and edges of the gun are nice and sharp. The bore in the 5" inch barrel is average, appearing dark throughout but with strong rifling remaining. The 7 cylinder bores are in great shape, clean and with clear nipples. The original grips on this gun are in good shape overall but the right side grip has a small chunk missing out of the rear edge. Both grips are stamped with the serial number on the rear, are free from cracks or repairs, and have a very pleasing matching color to them. The unique action of this Whitney Beals Patent Pocket Revolver works to some degree but is out of time. As simple as it is, we imagine that the next owner can probably fix it by adjusting the rocker arms to get it into time. The hammer still cocks at the safety position and at full cock but the sear spring is a little weak. By applying a little pressure to the rear of the exposed sear the hammer locks into full-cock perfectly, otherwise it will slip out sometimes. If you have been looking for a truly unique, interesting, and rare antique revolver for your collection, here is your chance to get a nice all-original example of the Whitney Beals' "Walking Beam" revolver design. It is a must-have gun for anyone interested in the progression of American revolver design, and sure to be an excellent long-term investment. This is an antique and can be delivered straight to the buyer, no FFL is needed.
SOLD
Antique: Yes
Manufacturer: Whitney Beals
Model: Walking Beam Pocket Revolver
Serial Number: 60
Barrel Length: 5" Inches
Caliber Info: .31 Cap & Ball
Condition: Good
Bore Condition: Average