Harlan Fife: inventor of the revolver?

[geoff40]

Here is a very interesting piece on loan to the NH Historical Society museum in Concord, New Hampshire. I can't vouch in any way for the authenticity of this item or the year it was allegedly invented, except to say that if it is true, there is at least 1 man who seems to have beat Samuel Colt by a year. I think at one time or another, we have all heard tales that Colt might not really be the builder of the first revolver, but regardless he was the first person to patent one in 1836.
I can only make a few guesses. It looks about .32 or .33 caliber, and I think a 7 shot cylinder. Though I studied the action a bit, I am not sure how this gun cocks or works. It is kind of dim in the museum. There is no flash photography allowed, so these are handheld with a good point and shoot, using existing light, which is why they look a bit grainy (actually it is "noise" to use the correct digital terminology) The staff on duty when I took these were not familiar with firearms in any way, and had no additional details to offer.
I blocked the name of the owner/lender of this revolver for obvious reasons, but otherwise the placard reads:



Prototype for a revolver, ca. 1835
Invented by Harmon Fife (1800-1845) North Pembroke, New Hampshire
Maple, steel
Loaned by &&&&&&&&&&&

This hand-made model documents the inventiveness of one New Hampshire farmer. As far as can be determined, Fire never attempted to secure a patent on his invention, although, according to family history, Fife’s revolver predates Samuel Colt’s 1836 patent.

The epitaph on Fife’s tombstone reads:

Here lies the man
Never beat by a plan
Straight was his aim,
And sure of his game,
Never had a lover,
But invented the revolver

 

[Alpo]

Interesting, since that is obviously percussion. The Collier, on the other hand, is flintlock, so I would guess precedes that one by some decades.

 

[deadin]

Lookup the Puckle Gun. (Invented 1713)

 

[Fishslayer]

Not known by many but Harlan Fife was also the inventor of the single round pocket bullet holder.

 

[geoff40]

I would not make such a guess, since both ignition types were used for a short time, overlapping. The day percussion caps hit the market did not cause an immediate end of the flintlock. The percussion cap was patented in 1822, although it was supposedly invented years before and kept secret for some time.
I hope I don't sound argumentive, thats not my intention at all. I've seen the Collier before, just saying that the flintlock design does not by itself demonstrate earlier invention.

Edit:
I see the Collier was patented in 1818. So I guess I should have titled the thread, something about the first percussion revolver, versus the revolver in general.

 

[Smith357]

I don't believe any one person can take full credit for the revolver it's an evolution starting with the multi barreled hand cannons that needed to be rotated to light each fuse.

How about some Japanese Edo period match lock revolvers.

 

[forresth]

seams like Harlan would have been much better off if he had put his cylinder in line with the barrel.

 

[Thuer]

You can find this revolver also in the Flayderman guide.

It is a hand turned revolver. Nice. But that concept is already in use from the 14th century with hand turned matchlock rifles.

The Wheeler was also hand-turned.

Colt made a revolver where you can turn the cylinder for the next shot by cocking the hammer.

That was one step closer on the way to the modern revolver. The patent was expired in 1857. Then came Smith and Wesson with the famous number 1.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Dang you, Fishslayer.

Well done.