Automatic revolvers

[Jim K]

I know "automatic revolver" is something of a joke, in spite of at least two guns (the Webley Fosbery and the Union) that would seem to fit that category.

But I saw something different this weekend at a gun show. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to talk to the seller except to get a general idea of the functioning. There were two revolvers, sequential serial numbers, in .22 caliber. They were of 1920's vintage. According to a very brief conversation, they worked by allowing part of the recoil shield to move, kicking back the hammer to full cock and rotating the cylinder. While there have been primer actuated center fire rifles (Garand's early experiments were with primer actuation) this is the first time I seen it in a revolver.

Does anyone have any idea what these guns were and any info on them.

Jim

 

[C.R.Sam]

Long shot but....
.22 Long Rifle Spanish Zulaica automatic revolver.

Pictured lower right of this page.
http://www.earmi.it/armi/atlas/91.htm

And #4020 this page.
http://oldguns.net/cgi-bin/f2f/f2f.pl?http://oldguns.net/q&a4_01.htm

Sam

 

[fourdeuce82d]

I know "automatic revolver" is something of a joke, in spite of at least two guns (the Webley Fosbery and the Union) that would seem to fit that category.


Actually, there's a third one - the mateba in .357 & .44 mag. I own the .357 version- weird gun- shoots from the six o'clock position on the cylinder, barrrel/cylinder recoil about .75"....makes shooting the mags like firing a low-end .38- no muzzel climb. Trigger resets each shot, feels like a 1911. Good fun!

 

[C.R.Sam]

Betcha Jim n I left out the Mateba because it is a current gun of fairly recent design.

They do be fun tho.

Sam

 

[Jim K]

Of course I am aware of the Mateba, but these guns are a lot older. I did forget to note that they are of Belgian manufacture.

The odd thing is that they look just like a conventional .22 revolver (I thought at first they were old H&R's). They are not recoil operated and have no "top" like the other automatic revolvers that recoils. The only tip off is an odd looking hammer with a sort of round bar at the front. Presumably it is struck by the "piston" and provides the inertia for operating the gun.

I hope the seller is at the next gun show at that location; if so, I will try to get him when he is not so busy and ask some questions. He was asking $1400 for the pair; not only was the price higher than I wanted to pay, but I don't need two of them.

Jim

 

[mete]

Sean Connery carries and fires a W-F auto Revolver in a Mexican revolution movie and has one in a futuristic movie that I have not seen.

 

[Hatchett]

That would be that bizarre "Zardoz" movie. It was a Webley Fosbery, I believe.

There was one of these in the Maltese Falcon too, or at least Bogart calls it one. When I watch the actual shooting scene in slow-mo, I don't see that hammer coming back after dropping.

 

[Jim K]

I got a better look at one of those .22 "automatic revolvers" today at Monroeville. There are only two markings on the guns, both on the barrel. The top of the barrel is marked "Riviera" and the right side is marked "Made in Belgium". Other than the 15xxx serial numbers and Belgian proofs, that is it.

Really curious. I discount the serial numbers; European makers often started at 10000, 15000 or even 100000 to make it appear that a new design was already popular.

Jim

 

[Sunray]

The Russians made a semi-auto revolver too. Find a copy of Small Arms of the World. Or Small Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. It's in there.