CODE – 01-131-670
NAME – Dafte Snaphaunce Revolver
TYPE – Revolver
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Great Britain
DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1670’s
CALIBER – 12.6 mm (0.497 in) [38 Bore]
OVERALL LENGTH – 55.1 cm (21.7 in)
BARREL LENGTH – 24.1 cm (9.49 in)
RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – Smoothbore, may have been rifled, but presently shot-out
BULLET DIAMETER – 12.62 mm (0.497 in) [38 Bore]
BULLET WEIGHT – 11.66 g (180 grains)
MUZZLE VELOCITY – 137 m/s (450 fps) *
MUZZLE ENERGY – 110 j (81 ft/lb) *
WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 2.83 kg (6 lb 3.8 oz)
WEIGHT (LOADED) – 2.91 kg (6 lb 6.7 oz) loaded with 6 rounds *
SIGHTS – None
EFFECTIVE RANGE – 20 m (22 yards) *
OPERATION – Manual, single-action, automatic indexing
TYPE OF FIRE – Manual repeating
RATE OF FIRE – 6 rpm
FEED DEVICE – 6-round cylinder
FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 1.62 g (25 grains) black powder, 11.66 g (180 grains) Ball – per round *
FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – Six rounds – 0.010 kg (150 grains) black powder, .070 kg (1080 grains) Ball *
MANUFACTURER – John Dafte, London, England
STATUS – Antique
SERVICE – no service, commercial sales
This is a very early true revolver where a cylinder containing the ammunition is rotated to line up with a single barrel. The revolver is estimated to have been made by gunsmith John Dafte circa 1670 – 95 as there is a second weapon very close to this in pattern in the Milwaukee Public Museum, with his signature on it. This weapon has a Snaphaunce configuration (a flint action with a separate flash pan cover and striking steel [Frizzen]) made well into the era of the true flintlock (where the frizzen and flash pan cover are a single piece). This separate steel and pan configuration may have been required for the rotating cylinder having separate priming pans. Each of the six priming pans on the cylinder are covered with a sliding sheet brass piece. The hammer has a lever placed on it that, when lowered into position, pushed the priming pan cover as the hammer falls and strikes the steel. This keeps the priming charge covered and only uncovers it in time to receive the ignition sparks from the flint and steel.
The main parts of the weapon are made from either iron or brass. The barrel being brass and smoothbore. The cylinder is covered by a formed shield of sheet brass. The brass cylinder shield is secured to the lock frame and covers the entire cylinder except for the topmost covered priming pan when it is in firing position. The brass cylinder shield may serve two purposes. The first to keep the priming covered in place and not allow then to move (and spill their priming charge) under normal handling. The second purpose could be to help prevent a “chain-fire” when the ignition of the firing chamber fires additional chambers uncontrollably. The cylinder turns automatically the distance of a single chamber as the hammer is cocked back. A spring-loaded cylinder stop snaps into holes drilled into the side of the cylinder, spaced so that the top chamber is properly lined up with the barrel for firing. This is a very complex mechanical device that was formed entirely by hand, making it a particularly expensive weapon for the time.
*-Estimated according to best available data
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- A right-side view of the Dafte revolver. The pistol grip is of the nearly straight style popular in the mid-1600s. The lock work of the action is made of steel while the bulk of the weapon, including the barrel, are case or sheet brass. The frizzen on the snaphaunce action is folded back where it can act as a safety. The jaws of the cock (hammer) are holding a piece of shaped wood rather than a proper flint. On the opposite side of the cock can be seen the spring lever action bar that moves the flash pan covers of the cylinder forward as the cock falls against the frizzen. This opening action of the mechanism allows the flash pan filling to be ignited by the sparks from the frizzen only as the weapon is being fired. Otherwise the flash pan remains covered, retaining the priming charge for safety and follow-up firing. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- A right rear-side view of the Dafte revolver with the lockwork removed. The lock is above the wrist of the stock and is reversed in this view. The long lever lifted above the cock is the action bar that moves the covers of the priming pan. The piece with the square opening above the rear of the cylinder is the guide that keeps the action bar bearing against the top of the cylinder. The frizzen is folded in the forward (safe) position. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- The six-shot cylinder of the Dafte revolver. The open-topped cylinder of sheet brass is the cover for the cylinder. The cover is secured to the stock of the weapon and helps prevent misfires or chain-fires where the flash from a chamber going off ignites multiple chambers. The cylinder itself is within the brass cover. One partially open flash pan cover is at the top of the cylinder in the position of the next chamber to be fired. At the rear face of the cylinder are the indentations where the hand of the action rotates the cylinder as the hammer is cocked. The small dual-holes at the rear sides of the cylinder are the locations where the spring-loaded cylinder stop secures the cylinder from further rotation as the weapon is fired. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- The rear of the cylinder to the six-shot Dafte revolver. The ratchet indentations are cut into the brass where they would act to rotate the cylinder the distance of a single chamber to allows for the next shot to be fired. The cylinder rotates in a counter-clockwise direction. The flat section at the top of each cylinder ratchet, on the right side, is for the hand on the cock to rotate the cylinder. The slanted section at the bottom of each ratchet cut is to allow the hand on the hammer to return to the fired position without rotating the cylinder any further while also pressing the cylinder forward against the breech of the barrel. At the top of the cylinder is a partially opened flash pan cover. The small stud to the left of the screw head is where the action bar bears on the cover to move it forward as the cock goes forward on firing. To the right side of the cylinder, partially covered by the sheet brass cover, is a closed flash pan cover. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- The interior of the lockwork to the Dafte revolver. The long action bar is folded up above the cock. For firing, the action bar would be pressed down against the cylinder where it could bear down on the priming pan covers by the spring tension of the flat rear of the action bar bearing against the square opening of the action bar guide. The hand, which would rotate the cylinder as the cock is drawn back. Is the small lever at the bottom of the cocking piece where it is held by two pins. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- The separated lockwork of the Dafte revolver close to operational position at the rear of the cylinder. The beak-like hand at the bottom of the cock would act against the notch on the right side of the cylinder in order to rotate it for the next shot. The mainspring of the lockwork was repaired at some time in the past with the weldment visible at the very bottom rear of the spring. The rarity and age of this weapon prevents the action from being operated or even cocked, to keep from breaking or damaging any of the parts. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- A bottom right side view of the Dafte revolver with the lockwork removed and reversed above the action. The frizzen spring is the long flat part below the frizzen holder. The spring allows the frizzen to snap forward as it is struck by the fling as the weapon is fired. The action bar on the cock piece of the lockwork is rotated down and back in the picture. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- A left-side view of the Dafte revolver. The long silver lever on the side of the action is a belt holding spring to allow the weapon to be carried simply by slipping it over the belt. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- The Dafte revolver with the cock and frizzen in the position they would have if the weapon was just fired. The action bar on the cock is in the filly-forward position and bearing on the lug of the flash pan cover. This is the position the action bar has as the weapon has just been fired and it pushed the flash pan cover forward so the priming charge would be exposed to the sparks from the frizzen. The sheet brass cylinder cover has been removed to show the cylinder with the closed flash pan covers on the left side of the cylinder. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- Right side of the Dafte revolver with the cock in the forward (fired) position. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
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- A right-side view of the Dafte revolver with the cock draw back for firing. The frizzen has been snapped down into position so that the falling flint can scrape along the curved striking surface. It is the small incandescent sparks of steel, caused by the friction of the hard, sharp flint, that ignite the powder charge in the flash pan. PHOTO CREDIT: ROYAL ARMORIES, ENGLAND
