Product Details
A GOOD AND EXTREMELY RARE CASED 80-BORE PERCUSSION PRESENTATION NEEDHAM'S PATENT REVOLVER, no visible serial number,
circa 1854 and conforming to Henry Needhams Patent 2184 of 20th September 1853, with blued octagonal 4 1/4in. barrel, each flat borderline engraved and with further engraved band at muzzle, the top-strap signed 'H. NEEDHAM, LONDON', dove-tailed blade and bead fore-sight, notch rear-sight to the back of the solid top-strap, colour hardened cylinder with engraved bands front and rear and a central broad band of scroll engraving, angled nipples, radiused border and scroll engraved colour-hardened slab-sided receiver with external hammer, gravity operated safety and quick-release mechanism for the barrel and cylinder, border engraved back-strap marked 'S. BIRDSEYE' in gothic lettering, almost certainly the original owner's name, semi saw-handled finely chequered walnut grip, engraved iron grip-cap with central trap-door for caps and no provision for rammer, much original colour and finish remaining throughout and together with its oak storage case lined and compartmented in green baize and complete with a flask, scissors mould, nipple-key, loading rod and cap-tin, lock escutcheon absent, the lid escutcheon initialled 'S.B.'. The revolver comes with a facsimile copy of the 1853 Needham patent No. 2184
Provenance: Sharing many similarities with the contemporary Westley Richards revolver (q.v.), Needham Patent revolvers are extremely rare. Taylerson stated in his publication 'The Revolver 1818 to 1865' that at the time of writing "no specimen arms are known to have survived". This particular revolver surfaced in 1980 at a Weller & Dufty sale
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Estimate £2,000-3,000