This is one of the rarest and least often encountered variations of the English Model 1854 Beaumont-Adamspercussion revolvers, the 38-Bore (.50 caliber) Dragoon, a true hand cannon during its time. The massive revolver is nominally 13 ½” in overall length and weighs in at a hefty 3 pounds 2 ounces. Robert Adams and his licensees manufactured these revolvers under Adams’ solid frame patent. The gun is fully cased in a standard London Armoury oak casing with a complete suite of accoutrements and accessories.

In 1851 Adams was granted a patent for significant improvements to revolvers by patenting a unique design with the barrel and frame forged as a single piece of steel. This made the pistol incredibly strong and was a much stronger system than any of the other revolver’s system then commonly in use, particularly those used by Colt which used a wedge to attach the barrel to the frame and had no top strap to reinforce the frame. Adams additionally received patents for a spring-loaded, frame mounted safety device and a spring-based cylinder arbor catch that were important features on his 1851 Patent revolvers. 

These fine quality solid frame revolvers were as important to the history and development of the revolving handgun as were the developments and designs of Sam Colt. Adams additionally patented a self-cocking lockwork, which today would be referred to as “double action only”. This mechanism cocked the hammer, rotated the cylinder, and released the hammer, all as the result of a single long pull of the trigger. While this allowed for rapid fire, the long, heavy trigger pull inhibited accurate firing. This action was the basis for Adams’ Model 1851 self-cocking revolvers. In 1854, Lt. Frederick Beaumont developed an improvement for Adams’ lockwork, which produced what would be called a traditional “double action” revolver today. The new lockwork allowed the revolver to operate in the fashion of Adams’ original design but also added the facility to cock the revolver manually and fire it with a lighter “single action” trigger pull. This refinement allowed for more accurate shooting. In 1854 Adams also patented refinements to his original frame design by adding a sliding frame mounted safety on the right side behind the cylinder and an improved cylinder arbor retaining mechanism as well. The resultant combination of design improvements was manufactured as the Model 1854 revolver, known to most collectors as the Beaumont-Adams revolver. This was the variant that was also produced under license by the Massachusetts Arms Company in America, as the Mass Arms Adams pocket revolver in .31 caliber and in a holster sized, .36 caliber version.

In Great Britain the revolvers were produced directly by Adams as part of his partnership with the London based Deane, Adams & Deane, as well under license by Birmingham makers like Joseph Brazier, Isaac Hollis & Sons. William Tranter also employed Adams solid frame in the production of his revolvers. Upon the dissolution of the Deane, Adams & Deane firm, Adams went to work for the London Armoury Company (circa 1857-1858), and his revolvers were produced there as well. Even after Adams left the London Armoury Company to reestablish his own firm, London Armoury continued to produce Adams’ patent revolvers at least until the early 1860s, well into the period when they were also manufacturing Kerr’s patent revolvers. 

Over the years it has been the 54-Bore (.443 caliber) Adams revolvers that have had the most association with the American Civil War, and little evidence has been available regarding the importation of the 38-Bore (.50 caliber) “Dragoon” sized revolvers. However, recent scholarship has uncovered that at least a handful of the .50 Adams revolvers were purchased and imported by the Confederacy and at least one dug example indicates that some of these pistols made it into the field. According to documents in the National Archives, eight cased Adams 38-Bore “Dragoon” revolvers were included in the cargo of the ill-fated blockade runner Elizabeth. The Elizabeth was owned by John Fraser & Co and was captured on 29 May 1862, while trying to enter the port of Charleston, SC. Listed in the cargo manifest was a case of revolvers, marked A within a rhomboid, and the case contained “eight Deane, Adams & Deane 8-inch revolvers, in cases complete”.  The barrel length clearly indicates that these were the large-bore, .50 revolvers and not the more common 54-bore guns. The pre-war barrel markings suggest that these guns were purchased from existing inventory in English gun shops, likely by arms speculators, rather than the Confederate central government purchasing agents. Further indication that these large bore revolvers saw use during the war is a dug example with a 7 ½” barrel that was recovered near Brandy Station by a relic hunter in the 1960s. This dug example with its history and provenance sold from an Internet relic web site a few years ago. Additionally, a small number of .50 caliber Model 1854 Beaumont-Adams revolvers are known, in private collections, with the names of Confederate general officers and staff officers engraved on the rights side of the pistol near the barrel to frame junction. One such example of an identified and engraved .50 Beaumont-Adams was auctioned at James D. Julia’s in March of 2014. That example was named to B. F. Ficklin. Lt. Colonel Benjamin Franklin Ficklin served as a staff & field officer during the war, initially with the 45^th Virginia Infantry. He appears to have spent most of his service on detached duty in and around Richmond and had at least some involvement with the procurement of ordnance. It is believed by researchers that Ficklin was at least partially responsible for the acquisition of the .50 caliber Beaumont-Adams Dragoon revolvers that saw use with the officer corps of the Confederacy’s Army of Northern Virginia. Another example is known which is named to General G.C. Wharton, who commanded a brigade composed of the 45^th VA and 56^th VA at Fort Donelson. Obviously, the connection between Wharton and Ficklin is clear, as they served in the same brigade. Thus, the period documentation, and at least one field recovered example indicates that the Confederacy did purchase at least a few of these massive revolvers and some of them did see use in the field.

This Cased Beaumont-Adams Model 1854 38-Bore Dragoon Revolver is in EXCELLENT condition overall. The revolver is serial number No 34093 R, with the serial number is engraved on the right side of the frame, below the cylinder and on the cylinder itself. The revolver is also engraved on the frame with the Beaumont royalty tracking number B 18346, above the serial number. The frame marking reads:

B . 18346

ADAMS’ PATENT No 34093 R .

The top strap and barrel are engraved with the retailer’s name: 

LONDON ARMOURY

While Adams patent revolvers are nearly impossible to date by serial number, the way you can those by Colt or Smith & Wesson guns, we can narrow the time frame for this revolver to circa 1855-56 for production. The revolver has the 1854 Beaumont improvements and has a Beaumont patent tracking number of 18346. This means that this was the 18,346^th Adams revolver to be produced with Beaumont’s lock work. This patent tracking numbering system was abandoned during the latter part of 1862, when the Beaumont patent expired, so we know the gun was produced prior to 1863.

As the pistol is London Armoury marked, we know it was produced no earlier than 1857, when Adams went to work there. More than likely the gun was produced circa 1860-1862 and falls in a range of Adams revolvers that have strong Confederate association. Confederate used Adams revolvers below this number, but close to it include #30,377R which was captured at Stony Creek Station, VA by Lt. William Hyndman of the 4^th PA Cavalry,  #31,915R was owned by Confederate engineer and artillerist Colonel (later General) Edward Porter Alexander and #33,346R is inscribed to Confederate Henry Trent of the 19^th VA Heavy Artillery Battalion. Adams revolvers above this gun’s serial number that have Confederate associations include #36,025 which was Lt. Colonel B.F. Ficklin’s gun, #36,032R which was another of the ANV Adams Dragoon revolvers, #36,604 and #36609, both of which are on the squad list of Lt. Julian Pratt of H Company, 18^th VA Cavalry and  #36,853 which was retailed by P Bouron & Sons of New Orleans, was fully cased and was inscribed to Confederate General William T Martin of Natchez, MS.

The revolver has the assembly number 6985 stamped inside the triggerguard bow as well as on the rear face of the cylinder and the inside face of the loading lever. More than likely it is marked on other parts that can only be found be fully disassembling the revolver are marked in the same fashion. The usual London commercial proof marks of a {CROWN/GP} and a {CROWN/V} are stamped on the upper left flat of the barrel, near the frame, as well as a London Armoury Company L.A.C. mark. The London commercial proof marks are also found alternating between the chambers of the cylinder. All the markings remain clear and fully legible.

As noted, the gun remains in really wonderful condition, and it retains the large majority of its original. The gun retains about 85%+ of its original bright blue throughout, with some thinning and fading. The largest areas of finish loss are mostly confined to the trigger guard, the butt cap, the sharp edges of the 7” octagonal barrel, along with a few small areas on the frame, barrel and cylinder where the bluing has flaked. All the original cones (nipples) are present at the rear of the cylinder and are in very crisp condition. They even retain their original brass spacers between the cone and the rear the cylinder. All the metal surfaces of the frame and barrel are smooth and in excellent condition with only some scattered flecks of minor surface oxidation mixed with the blued finish and some minute pinpricking scattered around the top strap, the cylinder and in the cone recesses of the cylinder. The bore of the revolver remains in about GOOD condition. It is heavily oxidized with strong rifling but shows moderate amounts of evenly distributed pitting along its length. The cylinder chambers are similarly oxidized and pitted, suggesting the gun was likely put away dirty long ago and over time both the bore and chambers were moderately eroded. The spurred hammer retains some of its original polished bright, “in the white” finish, with some freckled oxidization and dulling. The original Kerr’s Patent loading lever is in place on the left side of the pistol and operates perfectly. It rams smoothly and locks securely into place when not in use. The rammer retains about 80%+ of its original niter blued finish, which is thinning, with strong purple tones with most of the wear and loss on the actual rammer and at the friction joint near the front of the cylinder. As noted, the reverse of the lever is marked 6985, matching the assembly number on the balance of the gun. The Adams patent sliding safety is present on the right side of the frame and works exactly as it should. These safeties are often broken and missing but this one remains intact. The safety retains about 85%+ of its original bright niter blued finish, with only some minor fading and finish loss, especially where the safety is handled to engage and disengage it. The Adams improved arbor pin retention thumbscrew is present and works exactly as it should as well. This is another small part that is often missing or broken but again is intact. The original dovetail mounted front sight is present and in wonderful condition as well with the fixed notch rear sight machined integrally into the rear of the frame’s topstrap. The revolver is in mechanically excellent condition and functions flawlessly in all ways. The double action mechanism, timing, indexing, and locking up are all excellent and the revolver functions perfectly in single action mode as well. The one piece checkered walnut grip is in equally nice shape and rates about EXCELLENT condition as well. The grip matches the condition of the revolver perfectly. The grip is solid and complete with no breaks or repairs. The grip retains mostly crisp and sharp checkering, with only a few small areas of minor flattening noted, and shows only the usual handling marks and a few tiny dings one would expect of a gun in this condition.

The revolver is contained in a VERY GOOD condition traditional English oak casing with a compartmentalized interior lined in the typical green baize of the period. The case shows moderate wear with a couple of minor cracks and some minor slivered loss here and there. The exterior shows numerous scattered bumps, dings, mars and marks. The interior shows moderate wear as well, with some loss to the baize and a patched repair to the lining in the bottom with a slightly lighter piece of fabric added to repair the lining. The lining shows moderate wear and discoloration, and the compartment dividers show moderate wear as well, with some glued reinforcement at the joints and angles where the thin wood was damaged or came loose. The case has a single lidded compartment with a small bag of Adams style bullets inside of it and an ivory pull. The accessories and accoutrements in the casing include the following:

1) A correctly marked “38” bore dual cavity brass bullet mold with a weak Adams patent marking. The mold casts two nominally .50 caliber conical bullets and has a blued steel sprue cutter. The mold remains in FINE condition with a rich, uncleaned patina, much of the blue on the sprue cutter and fine, crisp cavities.

2) An unmarked copper pistol flask of English style that remains in VERY GOOD+ condition with much of its finish intact, some minor dings and a fully functional charger.

3) A FINE condition C&JW HAWKSLEY marked pewter oiler.

4) A FINE brass tipped rosewood cleaning and clearing rod.

5) A VERY GOOD+ ivory container for spare cones (nipples) with a carved screw-off top. 

6) A FINE condition blued steel ebony handled cone wrench with a screw-out cone prick concealed in the base of the handle.

7) A FINE condition ebony handled turnscrew.

8) And an adjustable brass powder measure in VERY GOOD condition.

The accoutrements are all period and at least some, most notably the mold, are almost certainly original to the casing, although tools and accessories like these were often lost and replaced during the period of use, as well as in the decades that followed. The accessories are all very nice and display wonderfully with the cased set.

Overall, this rare, cased Dragoon sized Beaumont-Adams revolver has a great visual presence and displays exceptionally well. This wonderful and rare large caliber Adams would be an outstanding addition to any collection of Civil War era or English percussion revolvers. It is in fantastic condition that is very attractive and is in a caliber that is rarely found available on the collector market today. This is the exact pattern of revolver that has been identified to a number of significant Confederate officers and would be a wonderful example of the Adams “Dragoon” revolvers that many of them acquired. This is a very scarce gun that is rarely found for sale, especially in this condition and fully cased, and it would surely make a wonderful centerpiece to any advanced percussion revolver collection. 

ON HOLD