[Jim K]

I asked this a while back, but with new people on, I would like to try again. I have seen a cased pair of .22 automatic revolvers, marked "Riviera". This is the only mark other than Belgian proof marks and the serial numbers 1001 and 1002.

The hammer is quite heavy, and has a built in stud for the firing pin. The breech is made with a gap to allow part of the base of the case to bulge back and then is cut away so the cylinder will still turn.

As best I can tell from an examination (no firing), the guns are designed so that when a round is fired, the base bulges back, and that drives back the heavy hammer, turning the cylinder and re-cocking the hammer. Unlike the Webley-Fosbery or other "automatic revolvers", the gun does not function by recoil, and there is no recoiling top part. The frame is solid, like the old H&R revolvers.

Anyone ever hear of that brand, or whether it had any success. Those two are the only ones I have ever seen. Maybe they started numbering at 1001 (a common ploy to make new designs appear more popular than they were), but the guns have the appearance of production guns, not one-off models.

Jim

[dfariswheel]

In cases like this, I suggest going to the experts: The NRA.

A little known benefit of being an NRA member is, they will answer these kind of questions, if you send them the question, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

The tech people at the Rifleman have sources beyond belief, and can usually find info for you.