While most people think of Robert Adams when the name “Adams” is used when discussing English revolvers, his cousin John Adams was nearly as important in the world of British handguns, particularly in the nascent days of breechloading cartridge revolvers. While Robert Adams’ Model 1851 double action revolver had been the first British designed revolver to be acquired by the British military and his subsequent Model 1854 Beaumont-Adams revolver would set the standard for percussion revolvers in British service, it was John Adams’ Model 1867 that became the first standard issue cartridge revolver for the British Army. 

John had been intimately involved with gun making and inventing most of his life and had spent a good part of that time in the shadow of his cousin Robert, even working alongside Robert at the London Armoury Company. It was in the post-Civil War period that John really came into his own, as he devised methods of altering percussion revolvers to cartridge revolvers and eventually developing what became known as the Model 1867 breechloading cartridge revolver, a conversion of the Model 1854 Beaumont-Adams percussion revolver and which was adopted into British service as the Mk I revolver in the .450 Adams chambering. The official Board of Ordnance entry 1738 in the “List of Changes” dated November 26, 1868, described the Mk I revolver as “Deane & Adams’ Revolver Pistol Converted to a Breech-Loader by Mr. J. Adams.” The changes to the solid frame Adams percussion revolvers were to modify the frame by adding a loading gate, add a fixed extractor rod to the right side of the frame and barrel and to install a newly produced five-chambered bored-through cartridge cylinder. Two variations of the fixed, rotating ejector rod are found, on what collectors refer to as the Model 1867, as are 6-chambered versions of the guns which were purpose made as cartridge guns, instead of conversions to cartridge. At least one source refers to these as Model 1867A and Model 1867B revolvers.

The Model 1867A or Mk I was quickly followed up with the Mk II model of 1872 (Model 1867B). These guns were purpose built as cartridge revolvers by John’s Adams Patent Small Arms Company. They utilized a two-piece frame with a six-chambered cylinder, loading gate and the second version of the fixed ejector rod of the Model 1867B. The Mk II was quickly followed up by Adams’ Model 1872, designated as the Mk III which incorporated a new pivoting ejector rod that was carried concealed within the center of the cylinder arbor pin. This system would see extensive use throughout the latter part of the 19^th century in such well-known designs as the Webley RIC and Bulldog revolvers. The Mk III was adopted and ordered in some numbers by the British War Department with deliveries beginning circa 1874, with deliveries being made not only to regular British military forces but to colonial forces as well, including the Northwest Mounted Police in Canada and forces in Australia. The M1872 Mk III (sometimes referred to as the M1878) was the standard issue British military revolver from the time it was adopted until 1880 when the Enfield Mk I began to replace it. This made the Mk III the primary handgun for the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880), the Anglo-Zulu War (1879), and the 1^st Boer War (1880-1881). Despite the popular culture image of the British officers at Rouke’s Drift using break top revolvers, perpetuated by movies like Zulu, it was the Adams Mk III that was issue side arm of that era.

The Model 1867B, or Mk II Revolver as designated by the British Military, was a traditional double-action handgun with a two-piece frame, a six-inch octagonal barrel, an unfluted six-chambered cylinder, and a loading gate in the right side of the frame. An exposed sear lever, similar to that found on 4^th Model Tranter revolvers and Starr Model 1858 Double Action revolvers, extended from the frame into the rear of the triggerguard where it could be tripped by the full-length pull of the trigger. The ejector rod was of the fixed, rotating type with the rod held in place by a ferrule on the right side of the frame and the L-shape tip of the ejector stored under the barrel. On the 1867B (and Mk II) models, the rotating ejector rod was held in place by a spring-loaded detent that could be overcome with some pressure to rotate the ejector rod tip to the right side and allow it to be pushed on to eject spent cartridges from the chambers. A push button on the lower left side of the frame released the cylinder arbor to allow it to be removed from the frame, a substantial improvement over the old thumbscrew system of retention in use by the Adams family of revolvers from 1854 until about 1872. One of the unique design features was that the arbor pin release only functioned when the ejector rod was rotated to the “stored” position, where the ejector rod tip would keep the arbor from being completely removed from the gun and preventing it from being lost. When the ejector rod was rotated so the tip was out of the way, the arbor pin release does not work. The revolver’s sights were a rudimentary notch in the upper rear of the frame and dovetailed blade on the top of the barrel, near the muzzle. A lanyard ring was provided in the butt of the grip. Finish was blued with the casehardened hammer polished bright. The grip was checkered one-piece walnut. The overall silhouette of the revolver was little changed from the Beaumont-Adams Model 1854 from some two decades earlier. Like so many handguns of the period, the civilian Model 1867B and the military Mk II revolvers were produced alongside each other at Adams’ London location at 391 Strand and only markings that indicate military inspection and service differentiate between the military and non-military guns. This is somewhat further complicated by the fact that officers purchased their own sidearms, so an unmarked “civilian” gun of the period could as easily be a British officer’s personal side arm.

The Adams Model 1867B aka Mk II Revolver offered here remains in about FINE overall condition and is contained in its original Adams oak casing with the original label inside the lid. The gun is a “civilian” one, without any British military markings, but as noted could well have belonged to a British officer. The revolver is serial number 3006. The matching serial number 3006 also appears on the side and rear of the cylinder and inside the triggerguard. The top flat of the 6” octagonal barrel is clearly marked in a single line:

ADAMS’S PATENT SMALL ARMS Co. 391. STRAND, LONDON

The lower right rear of the frame is marked with a winged AJ (John Adams) trademark and with an oval ADAMS’S/PATENT cartouche.

As previously noted, the revolver remains in FINE condition and retains about 60%+ of the original bright blue overall, with most of the loss apparently due to flaking. The cylinder retains the largest amount of original bright blue, the barrel somewhat less, with more thinning and streaking, and the frame the retains the least blue. The areas where the finish has flaked, worn or thinned have a muted brownish-gray patina that is attractive and on the barrel in particular blends with the blue to give the illusion of more finish than is really there. All of the markings remain clear and crisp, and the metal remains smooth throughout with no pitting to speak of. There are some freckles of surface oxidation and some flecks of minor surface roughness here and there, but they are quite minor. The revolver remains in FINE mechanical condition and functions as it should, with a crisp action that times, indexes and locks up appropriately. The bore of the revolver is in FINE condition and bright with some frosting and scattered light oxidation and retains crisp rifling. The grip shows some light wear and marks from handling but retains crisp checkering and its overall condition matches the balance of the gun very well.

The traditional English oak casing retains the original Adams label inside the lid. The compartmentalized casing is lined with an olive drab baize cloth that appears to be the original lining. The case has a large open topped compartment for a wood cartridge block, which is not present. The accessories included with the casing include a rosewood cleaning rod with brass jag head, an ebony handled turnscrew (screwdriver) and a square glass oil reservoir with a German silver lid with detail oiler attached. The casing shows moderate wear both inside and out, with the dividers somewhat loose and worn and the interior lining showing moderate wear, some fabric loss, discoloration, fading and staining. The exterior of the case shows moderate wear with numerous bumps, dings and mars present. The lid may have been reattached to its supporting lip as the fit is imperfect, particularly at the upper left and right front edges. The “bible” hinges remain relatively strong and have not completely sprung as so often happens with these cases. The original circular brass escutcheon remains intact in the center top of the lid and the original locking mechanism is intact, but the key is not present.

Overall, this is a really nice example of a desirable Adams Model 1867B aka Mk II Revolver in a lovely state of preservation with its original Adams retailer case and some nice accessories. These revolvers were introduced right before the Third Anglo-Asante War (1873-1874), and many probably saw use by British officers through the early 1880s. This means that at least some of these revolvers saw use in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880), the Zulu War in 1879, and likely as late as the 1^st Boer War (1880-1881). These revolvers were the next to the last of the closed frame revolvers to see general service with the British military prior to the adoption of the Enfield and later Webley break top handguns that would be the primary revolver designs until the advent of autoloading designs. These guns saw service around the British Empire and in their many colonies for at least a couple of decades in the 1870s and 1880s and are an important part of any 19^th century British revolver collection.