The Butterfield Army Revolver and its Automatic Priming
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- čas přidán 29. 10. 2017
- Patented in 1855 by James Butterfield, this revolver is a 5-shot, .41 caliber percussion revolver with a brass frame and 7.5 inch barrel. Aside from its somewhat unorthodox grip configuration, what makes it interesting and unusual is that it was designed to automatically feed pellet primers, obviating the need to cap the cylinder manually after loading.
Butterfield got a contract to make 2300 of his revolvers for the Ira Harris Guards (later renamed the 5th and 6th New York Volunteer Infantry), but the contract was ended prematurely and only 640 guns were produced. Details aren’t available, but one would suspect that the money simply ran out. Thanks in part to the truncated production, these are quite rare secondary military pistols today.
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72 years later, an Austrian candy maker stumbles on the patent for the automatic pellet dispensing system, and the PEZ dispenser is born.
lol
I doubt the PEZ patent has any resemblance to this gun :p
The Pez Dispenser though, was more complex. :)
That pellet feed system was a lot simpler than I expected it would be. Very cool! I also like the idea that you could safely carry all cylinders loaded with no more than a function of the hammer to make it ready to fire.
That magazine is the slickest thing I ever saw on a revolver
Does it's screwed plug need exactly 23 rotations to work properly though?
butterfeild is such a pleasant name
Those priming pellet systems are so freaking cool! This one seems a little more controlled than the sharps where the pellet just flies out to be caught by the hammer
The cap and ball equivalent of a pez dispenser.
That looks very steampunk because of the brass and pellet mechanism.
Another problem with Colt revolvers jamming with spent caps is that the hammer has a small recess in it that is meant to set the hammer down between the nipples and hold the hammer safely in place so you can carry six rounds without the hammer sitting on a live cap. It works great for it's intended purpose but it has the horrible side effect of grabbing the spent cap and sticking into the recess. However,my understanding is that it wasn't as bad of a problem on original guns as it is with modern re-productions.
One of the things you'll see seasoned C&B shooters do is point the muzzle up vertically before they cock the gun.The orientation helps the spent caps fall free from the gun better.
It always seemed to me that with such tiny sights on this sort of weapon you would be better off just sighting down the barrel in a combat situation, as apposed to actually trying to line up such a small notch under stress
burning newt In general it seems the thinking at the time was that you point shoot pistols. Sights were more of an after thought and were generally only used for making longer or precision shots hence them being very small. More something for shooting parlor tricks than actually used in combat. Which obviously today seems very odd.
Buttery smooth action
Some people can't believe it's not butter.
And some had a field day when they find out its not!
spray
Usually I don't even comment on the weird suggestions anymore, but "Easy Unicorn Make Up" is a new high. Or low. Probably low.
Same here. It probably goes like that: Butterfield > Butterfly> Colourful Butterfly therefore Unicorn and automatic > fast/easy -_-
I only follow Ian for the make up tips. ;)
Robin Schuhmacher I got the same!
I . . . I almost feel like I should watch the unicorn makeup one.
Robin Schuhmacher
Somebody at CZcams was definitely high when making the recommendation algorithms.
cool revolver! Love these cap and ball episodes. Would love to see some more shooting with cap and balls aswell. What we need to see is a deffinitive ballistics-test of these type of revolvers. 44. 36. 31. cal. with conical and round-ball. There has been a couple of half-assed videos about it, but nothing that is conclusive in this subject. Penetration, accuracy, lethal ranges, etc. please make a video of this with Carl:)
Simple guns, with ingenious design elements. I've heard of auto priming firearms from the Civil War era but I never actually seen them, sure would be fun to fire one although I would think the grip would take some getting use to.
Hey Ian, just a quick correction on the Civil War units (my apologize, I know a lot about New York Regiments in the Civil War). You got the Name and Numbers right, but they are the 5th and 6th New York Cavalry Regiments. Love your channel, and love the guns, but I just though I would share my knowledge.
It certainly looks more reliable than the Maynard percussion priming tape
What a beautiful gun, seriously,imo one of the best looking ones ever seen on your awesome channel. Plus: supercool priming system. And a very low bore axis!
It's a shame that so few were produced, I read something that a maximum of 800, some say only 640 were made.
Simple, yet ingenious priming system. It looks really cool too IMO.
Ingenious little devil this revolver is. That's frankly, one of the more innovative delivery designs i've seen in weaponry.
A spring loaded magazine for a non-fixed ammunition component is such a delightful transitional concept.
As a casual firearms enthusiast, these videos are great fun. As a writer who's been brainstorming a low fantasy / steampunk-style story for years, these are an amazing resource for finding weird, obscure, borderline-fantastical gun designs.
Thanks for this video! I've seen two or three photos from the period off and on for decades now where one or more of these revolvers was/were visible. However, the captions NEVER identified the revolver stating only that "The Union/Confederate officer/soldier pictured above fairly bristles with weapons." or words to that effect. I often wondered about the who and what of the rather odd, in comparison to Colts and Remingtons for example, looking revolver in those photos. And now I know! Thanks again for educating me with a great video!
The hammer goes THROUGH the primer holder. Damn. That's just beautiful.
Never heard of this one but it shows that they were thinking outside the box, given the technology of the day, & that life was a little bit rough & ready, it was brave of him to pursue with manufacturing such a firearm but you are right Ian, its a cool pistol!
A very neat design indeed. Also a very interesting shape. I would like to fire one of those someday to see how the recoil feels.
Very interesting concept with no patent infringement problems. Now I am going to have to research the wafer primer concept because I seem to remember seeing it incorporated in a Sharp's Carbine at the Smithsonian???
I have seen and handled one of these. Very cool
Can the pellets detonate all at once in their tube when the spring below them abruptly snaps?
There's my new concealed carry.
I should get *two.*
That's a really neat design. How many pellets does the tube hold? Judging from the thickness of the pellet tray I'd say they're probably about 2mm in thickness so the tube likely holds quite a few of them. An actual number would be nice, though.
Great video as always, Ian!
swiss I’m dubious if there are any surviving pellets left. My guess is about bb sized
what a beautiful revolver
My first grade teacher was named Butterfield. She didn't show us anything nearly as cool as this though.
Now I got an itch that needs scratched.....time to break out the 357. Magnum and have some fun!
That is brilliant
Perfect handle shape for a cane revolver.
That's a pretty clever design
since the nipple is only primed at the last second before firing doesn't that mean the other nipples could let moisture (etc) into the powder charge?
In theory, yes.
I would love to see a video on iron sights through the ages and maybe you can better explain the reasoning behind such tiny sights on so many guns.
This gun needs be ina movie underrated as fuck
Really cool
cool design
That low bore axis probably made it a nice shooter.
Ingenious 👍👍
Very interesting. The grip positioning might help make the recoil impulse straighter, thus reducing muzzle rise. I'm sure a 41 cal ball or slug at 800-900 fps was decent power in its day. That primer delivery bar sure had to be timed precisely to the hammer. That is craftsmanship there. Too bad they weren't more widely distributed. How about telling us the weight on the guns too, at least a close estimate? I'm sure it's hard to take a scale with you, but if u have a gun of known weight to compare it to, u can estimate by feel. This would give us some perspective as to how it compares with its contemporaries. Great video as always. Thank you
Coffee and automatic priming? What a morning!
Also too bad, i had hoped for Dan Butterfield to be involved with this... you'll probably recognize the name from the movie "Gettysburg" when they talk about a previous commander of their Brigade inside V Corps that devised his own bugle signals :D (Butterfield actually is often named as the composer of TAPS, the bugle call played at funerals, but he may have just rewritten an earlier call that then became more famous and popular than it's inspiration) then he went on to command V Corps and became chief of staff under Hooker and Meade with some controversy about the Hooker discipline in the Headquarters (alcohol and prostitutes) tarnishing his reputation. He went on to the Western theater following Hooker after Gettysburg, but was wounded before his unit could go with Sherman through Georgia... After the war he was treasurer, but had to resign over a corruption scandal and went back to American Express, then actually an "express" delivery service, founded by his father John W. Butterfield and the Messr Wells & Fargo, who founded their far more well known transportation business when the board around Butterfield refused to expand into (then not directly connected to the other states) Utah, ultimately becoming its CEO.
Had he been behind this revolver, it would have been even more enjoyable. But we only got a less colorful Jesse/James Butterfield...
That's a good term, Proprietary Patented Pellets
Ian I'd love to see some sharps guns hopefully you can find some :)
This is the kind of Pistol that makes me go: Yup... That's a funky lookin' gun. I like it.
Nice revolver
are we getting a traditional "forgotten weapons" vodeo on the 2000 rounds per minuite machine pistol in .22 LR?
Are you talking about the Trejo?
Possibly the American 180?
He did one on the american 180 awhile back
I think he's talking about the one he shot while he was in Switzerland. Can't remember what exact gun it was, though. He posted a video of it on Facebook if I remember correctly.
Is that the Zonda?
cool gun
I wonder if the caps were anything like the pellets for the Sharps rifle/carbine?
I wonder how well that primer magazine feed worked?
Looks like primer pellets have quite a lot of friction while thing is operating, i wonder if there was problems with acidentnal priming inside the tube.
I wonder if the primer pellets could have been coated in varnish or shellac to make them water proof.
I have a painting depicting a French Currassier Regiment armed with a pattern pistol very similar to this, not sure about the date.
Would there not be more chance of chain fire with it not having caps on there sealing them up ?
It can shoot Butter Bullets! The Barrel is Buttered! I'm melting as I write, melting, melting!
Imagine combining this revolver with paper cartridges. You could pull of fast reloads for the time.
Beauty
My first thought when hearing this gun's name was Dr. Seuss.
Hey Ian, when you are browsing the guns looking for something to do a video on, do you ever stop and say “wait, have I done a video on this already?”
I bet if you only put one or two priming pellets in it would go kaboom when you inserted the magizine.
I just couldn't keep my eyes off the scoped rifle behind you on your right! my left!..... have you done a video of that long sweet heart?
Ian, you're my favorite person on youtube. I watch a LOT of youtube so that's saying something.
how often can you expect that mechanism to fail?
Is there any relation to the North-Savage revolver known?
Ian, you have described a number of weapon components lately is being made out of brass. Are these most likely to be in fact gunmetal? Do you feel the distinction is unnecessary, and you were just calling "red brass" "brass"?
What was the reasoning behind making such minuscule sights on guns around this time?
Interesting... curious as to what you need to do to drop the hammer after you cock it without firing... without firing..
Wonder how reliable the system was.
I Remember Having a Toy Version Of this Gun as a Kid Ian Pretty Cool 😎🎃
Can you get percussion caps for that at all and please state if ammo is ready and available for for the weapons or no longer made thank you Ian.....
So nobody makes the type of cap used in that pistol , ball caps, i know there are plenty of the other types but was wondering.... A weapon with out ammo even if not used is a pretty paper weight and nothing more, i had a .36 ball an cap that saved my life at one time 40 years ago so thats why im asking..
Knew some but was wondering about the wafer primer caps??? A nd haven't use ball an cap since 1983 or so....As for ball cap guns i live in NJ where every thing is illegal now except breathing and they are thinking about taxing that as slingshot and the pellet guns that fire illegal to own without a license and next year you'll need license to have sex with your wife..i only hang around here cause my parents won't leave and their in their 80s...
Cool :)
And the Lord said let there be a new video, and it was so.
Am I the only one that wonders what this sold for at auction? Or the value?
Yay I'm early to a video.
Tbh, I find inline-style revolvers odd. Although it does look like a cool idea
Butterfield gun, for Australian Butterfield.
Praise be!!! The Gun Jesus blessed us again with his knowledge and smooth voice !!!
Do anyone of you, know of a cap and ball revolver with a quick change cylinder (a magazine for a revolver)
CarrotofGreatness I'd be surprised if they exist. During the cap and ball era making parts sensitive to precise fit, like revolver cylinders, interchangeable, would be a massive undertaking
The British Kerr Revolver reviewed by Ian recently had a very easily removed cylinder. But as said by Krpajda above I doubt the replacement cylinder would fit and operate perfectly without a Gunsmith fettling both cylinders and the gun. Plus you would need some sort of container to hold the spare cylinder just carrying it in a pocket might mean an empty cylinder and a pocket full of bullets, powder and caps.
If memory serves me correctly, Clint Eastwood demonstrates that very thing in 'Pale Rider'.
+Smoke That - Good example.
Spare cylinders WERE a 'thing' at one time in the cap & ball era, even for the cap & ball Rifles.
But metallic cartridges came out before they became truly common - kinda from the same reasons as mentioned here - better manufacturing tolerances made BOTH easier to do.
Is there any other material, besides ivory and wood, ever used for grips before cheap plastic manufacturing was invented?
A lot of Scottish pistols had metal grips.
i really like the butterfield video games they do world war won good coooool
Hii I have a revolver which I'm not sure witch it is could you help
Why did I read this as “the butterfly revolver”
I've seen a butterfly _polearm,_ so why not?
I want it
It looks like somebody had a couple of "Pirateguns" left over and fixed their grips/stocks to a revolver... not the most pleasing shape in my eyes.
Well I know what im changing my last name to...
Eric Automatic Priming, it does have a certain ring to it haha
Perhaps getting yourself a red and blue truck and go for Automus Prime even?
So the past few days your videos haven't been showing up in my suggestions... Is CZcams screwing with you again?
I should add: I am still subscribed, so CZcams didn't unsubscribe me from Forgotten Weapons a second time.
Saw one in a gun show the other day. Nowhere near that good of condition
Capt Char was it 3 times as bad?
So, like a little pellet of bare mercury fulminate?
Matthew Trzcinski probably something less reacrive, with mercury filminate as a bare pellet dropping the gun would be dangerous.
I hope Butterfield sued the hell out of PEZ for stealing his automatic priming design.
Seeing as the pellet pushing plate doesn’t seem to be precision fitted, I.e. there is a gap larger than is necessary for the plate to move, wonder what’s the likelihood of the pellet column exploding from firing. Especially if there is a timing problem with the nipples or a damaged hammer. Definitely a novelty and not suited for general issue.
Legionitalia I was wondering the same thing. Also what are the chances of the pellet falling out if the gun is held at an angle ( as sometimes happens when a person is suprised and has to access the firearm quickly) . Any one have any thoughts on the likely hood of this happening?
*BUTTER*
Loads almost like a BB gun lolz
F R A N K L Y
The little softie in me read the title as "Butterfly"
Coitus Ergo Sum aww that's cute.
Would this revolver then be issued alongside a butterfly knife?
Hi guys,thanks for tuning in to another video on forgotten weapons.com I'm GUN JESUS and today we're taking a look at a revolver
Thank god this was released just now. I was just having the worst time i ever had in the last 7 years and ian releases another great video.thanks ian. Sigh this sounds really weird.