[shiftyer1]

I never knew double actions have been around since the 1850's. I always assumed they didn't come around till 1915 or so. I love weds. nite at the range. gun shows all nite long

[Oro]

I didn't think practical double-action guns came until the late 1870s/1880s. What were the earlier ones?

[shiftyer1]

The early model they showed had 2 triggers, not exactly practical. But double action was not favored due to speed. Until of course the 1900's. Billy the kid had double actions. I never would have imagined that.

[Jim K]

The Starr DA was used in the Civil War, and the Cooper DA revolvers date to the same period. The Cooper is a true double action, but the Starr really is a trigger cocker. It acts like a DA when firing DA but in SA you have to cock the gun with the trigger, then release the trigger and fire the gun using the sear behind the trigger. The Pettingill DA revolvers date to the same period.

There were British DA revolvers even earlier, and the Adams and Kerr double actions were made here in the late 1850s.

Even earlier there had been DA pepperboxes.

Jim