Guns International #: 102491892
Seller's Inventory #: 233725

Category - Antique Revolvers - Cartridge - Handguns - English Revolvers

Category
Antique Revolvers - Cartridge
Handguns - English Revolvers

Scarce STANTON & CO. Antique PRYSE PATENT .38 MILITARY Revolver Pre-WEBLEY With “Charles Smith Newark” Marked Top Strap

Description:
Scarce STANTON & CO. Antique PRYSE PATENT .38 MILITARY Revolver Pre-WEBLEY

With “Charles Smith Newark” Marked Top Strap

Here we present an antique Stanton & Company Pryse Patent Double Action .38 Caliber Revolver, made circa the late 1870s in Birmingham, England. The Stanton & Co. Pryse revolver was a British military revolver fitted with a six-round cylinder. In 1876, the British firearm engineer Charles Pryse designed a tip-down, break-open revolver with a rebounding hammer action that simultaneously extracted the spent cartridges. This classic Victorian revolver is marked “Stanton & Co.” on the left side of the frame, along with the serial number and patent info. Stanton & Co. was among the first British gunmakers to build revolvers utilizing the “Pryse Patent” break-open design where the revolver can be opened by putting pressure on the opposing levers at each side of the breech, which releases the barrel and cylinder to swing down exposing the back of the cylinder and simultaneous cartridge case extractor. Shortly after Stanton began building these revolvers, Webley brought out a line of “Pryse” revolvers which became quite famous.

The Colonial British and Americans took a somewhat different approach to revolvers. For Americans, the Colt Single Action Army of 1873 was by and large the standard. Colt made their double action “Lightning” and “Thunderer” revolvers in 1877, but this proved to be unreliable, and so although favored by the likes of Billy the Kid it earned itself the nickname of “The gunsmith’s friend” and was not favored as a revolver you would stake your life on. British makers Stanton and Webley were quick to appreciate the advantages of the double-action and began making solid frame reliable double action revolvers in the 1860’s, notably the Webley RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) which was adopted in 1868, and the Army Express models which date from the late 1860’s and 1870’s. These revolvers earned themselves a good reputation, but despite their being double action, they were solid frame revolvers with a fixed cylinder and just like the Colt Single Action Army, they had to be unloaded and reloaded one cartridge at a time. 
However, the British were keen to solve the problem of reloading a revolver quickly and the obvious answer was to make the revolver open just like a double barrel shotgun or rifle. There were a number of mechanisms created, generally based on the same sort of locking principles as the double barreled gun, and one of the best of these was that of Charles Pryse, which he patented on 15th November 1876 with patent number 4421. The Charles Pryse patent system of opening the revolver so as to permit ejection of all fired cases in one action, and enabling more rapid reloading, was adopted by a number of gunmakers both in Britain and Belgium.

The overall condition is fine. Original blue finish. Excellent action. The bore is in good shape for its age with visible rifling. Solid grip. Markings are legible.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 4-1/2 inches.

Caliber: .38

Overall condition as seen in photos.

Very Fast. Very Safe. FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE. Delivered directly to your door by express mail!

Guaranteed AUTHENTIC & Includes CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY.

ancestryguns

$1500

#233725
 

SOLD

Antique: Yes