12 shot revolver

Ben Towe · March 5, 2010, 06:42 AM

I read a Louis Lamour book once that made reference to a 12 shot revolver carried by one of the characters. If I recall it was referred to as a Naval revolver of .32 or .36 caliber. Was there ever such a creature or is this a purely fictional weapon?

simonkenton · March 5, 2010, 08:53 AM

The LeMat is a 9 shot revolver, with a shotgun barrel. So it is a ten shot.

I never heard of a 12 shot.

Hardcase · March 5, 2010, 10:59 AM

That would be the Walch Navy 12 shot revolver. It had two triggers and two hammers. You'd load each chamber with two balls and charges, one atop the other for a total of 12 loads in six chambers. The nipples were staggered in two concentric rings, one ring per hammer/trigger. A channel in the cylinder would direct the outer cap's discharge to the forward charge. The idea was that the ball behind the forward charge would block the rear charge from igniting.

Front trigger for front charges, back trigger for back charges. Or, now and then, front trigger for both front and back charged...oops! They didn't make many of them...and I'd hate to think what a 12 round chain fire would look like!

Here are some pictures: http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/ad...p?itemID=32781

Lavid2002 · March 5, 2010, 11:25 AM

wow....thats amazing. If you think about it it uses the same premise as the new firearms....Where one charge is infront of the other. The only major difference is the modern one uses electronic charges to ignite the rounds, and this used percussion caps....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U-qjYiMU6I

Hawg · March 5, 2010, 12:55 PM

I saw one in a museum once that had twelve chambers in two rows. Big bulky thing. Don't remember who made it.

RJay · March 5, 2010, 01:06 PM

When Louis Lamour wrote about a area or item, it was there, he did his research very well. You can use his books as a travel guide.

hickstick_10 · March 5, 2010, 02:23 PM

for the life of me i cant remember the book. But there was an english percussion revolver that had 2 cylinders mounted on a swivle inside the frame. You fired six shots, pushed a lever and swvled the next cylinder into battery

Ben Towe · March 6, 2010, 01:37 AM

RJay, I knew that that was usually the case. That's why I thought it must exist. Maybe I can figure out which book it was for a better description, but that could be a challenge (I read a lot of books).

Frontier · March 6, 2010, 04:03 AM

How about a 20-shot?

Nope, can't seem to get this pic up. Anyway, it's a 20-shot pinfire revolver.

Frontier

Danielcan · March 9, 2010, 12:06 AM

S&W makes a sharp looking 10 shot .22 revolver

Charles Ellis · March 9, 2010, 08:53 PM

I was at a firearms museum at Texas A&M and they had a French pin fire revolver that had at least 20 holes in the cylinder.A very strange looking gun.

gelhard · August 25, 2010, 12:13 PM

Ben Towe
I Know I'm bringing up a old thread but to answer witch book it was that Louis L'Amour used the Waltch navy in is how I came upon this older thread and to see if I could find a Picture.
I'm just rereading Lando and the lead hero (aka Lando) uses the Waltch Navy to foil the bad guy. I believe he used it in 1 other book also but haven't been able to recall it it could possibly be Heller with a Gun. I'm going to have to dig that one out of my paper back library to check it out.
George

bedbugbilly · August 25, 2010, 02:39 PM

gelhard - an old thread but it's still interesting!

I always figured that most gunmakers made a 20 + shot revolver . . . . now that may sound like a stupid remark (and it probably is

) . . . . but let's face it . . . . watch an old western . . . . . . something like Gene Autry or one of those . . . . . . . in the chase scenes, did you ever see so many cowboys a shootin' it up and they never had to reload? Hmmmmm . . . often wonderred 'bout that . . . .

ClemBert · August 25, 2010, 03:21 PM

USFA 12 Shot Revolver

gelhard · August 25, 2010, 08:45 PM

ClemBert
Now that is ONE unique handgun. Imagen if Gene and Roy would have had one of those they would have REALLY bin able to have gotten of as many shots as they did in those old B grade flicks LOL

nuage · November 23, 2010, 05:09 PM

Actually L'Amour wrote about this gun first in his "magazine novels". The title was "Showdown o the Hogback" and the character who owned the gun was the hero, Captain Tom Kedrick.
He used a pair of these 36 caliber pistols.

The magazine novel was later expanded into a full novel by L'Amour and it was renamed "Showdown at the Yellow Butte".

It is a very rare weapon that was used during the Civil War.

SIGSHR · November 23, 2010, 11:07 PM

There is an excellent book, Firearms Curiosa by Lewis Winant, it has pictures and at least one set of patent drawings of a 12 shot revolver.

freqlord · November 28, 2010, 01:54 PM

Showdown on Yellow Butte is among my favorite books by him along with The Haunted Mesa, Sackett Series(I have the movie on right now actually

), and of course, the Kilkenny series. I do remember reading the book with that 12 shot revolver though, but I can't remember the title for the life of me. Looks like it's time to read through all of his books for the fifth time.. oh darn!

March 5, 2010, 06:42 AM	#1
Ben Towe Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2009 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 1,128	12 shot revolver I read a Louis Lamour book once that made reference to a 12 shot revolver carried by one of the characters. If I recall it was referred to as a Naval revolver of .32 or .36 caliber. Was there ever such a creature or is this a purely fictional weapon? __________________ 'Merica: Back to back World War Champs

March 5, 2010, 10:59 AM	#3
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	That would be the Walch Navy 12 shot revolver. It had two triggers and two hammers. You'd load each chamber with two balls and charges, one atop the other for a total of 12 loads in six chambers. The nipples were staggered in two concentric rings, one ring per hammer/trigger. A channel in the cylinder would direct the outer cap's discharge to the forward charge. The idea was that the ball behind the forward charge would block the rear charge from igniting. Front trigger for front charges, back trigger for back charges. Or, now and then, front trigger for both front and back charged...oops! They didn't make many of them...and I'd hate to think what a 12 round chain fire would look like! Here are some pictures: http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/ad...p?itemID=32781 __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

March 5, 2010, 11:25 AM	#4
Lavid2002 Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2007 Posts: 2,568	wow....thats amazing. If you think about it it uses the same premise as the new firearms....Where one charge is infront of the other. The only major difference is the modern one uses electronic charges to ignite the rounds, and this used percussion caps.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U-qjYiMU6I __________________ Math>Grammar

March 6, 2010, 01:37 AM	#8
Ben Towe Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2009 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 1,128	RJay, I knew that that was usually the case. That's why I thought it must exist. Maybe I can figure out which book it was for a better description, but that could be a challenge (I read a lot of books). __________________ 'Merica: Back to back World War Champs

March 6, 2010, 04:03 AM	#9
Frontier Member Join Date: February 21, 2010 Posts: 32	How about a 20-shot? Nope, can't seem to get this pic up. Anyway, it's a 20-shot pinfire revolver. Frontier Last edited by Frontier; March 6, 2010 at 04:13 AM.

March 5, 2010, 08:53 AM	#2
simonkenton Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2008 Posts: 891	The LeMat is a 9 shot revolver, with a shotgun barrel. So it is a ten shot. I never heard of a 12 shot.

March 5, 2010, 12:55 PM	#5
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	I saw one in a museum once that had twelve chambers in two rows. Big bulky thing. Don't remember who made it.

March 5, 2010, 01:06 PM	#6
RJay Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2005 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,936	When Louis Lamour wrote about a area or item, it was there, he did his research very well. You can use his books as a travel guide.

March 5, 2010, 02:23 PM	#7
hickstick_10 Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Posts: 477	for the life of me i cant remember the book. But there was an english percussion revolver that had 2 cylinders mounted on a swivle inside the frame. You fired six shots, pushed a lever and swvled the next cylinder into battery

March 9, 2010, 12:06 AM	#10
Danielcan Junior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: East of Vancouver, B.C. Canada Posts: 12	S&W makes a sharp looking 10 shot .22 revolver

March 9, 2010, 08:53 PM	#11
Charles Ellis Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2010 Location: conroe,texas Posts: 200	I was at a firearms museum at Texas A&M and they had a French pin fire revolver that had at least 20 holes in the cylinder.A very strange looking gun.

August 25, 2010, 12:13 PM	#12
gelhard Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Noth Dakota Posts: 3	Ben Towe I Know I'm bringing up a old thread but to answer witch book it was that Louis L'Amour used the Waltch navy in is how I came upon this older thread and to see if I could find a Picture. I'm just rereading Lando and the lead hero (aka Lando) uses the Waltch Navy to foil the bad guy. I believe he used it in 1 other book also but haven't been able to recall it it could possibly be Heller with a Gun. I'm going to have to dig that one out of my paper back library to check it out. George __________________ *North Dakota One of the First Shall Issue States*

August 25, 2010, 02:39 PM	#13
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	gelhard - an old thread but it's still interesting! I always figured that most gunmakers made a 20 + shot revolver . . . . now that may sound like a stupid remark (and it probably is ) . . . . but let's face it . . . . watch an old western . . . . . . something like Gene Autry or one of those . . . . . . . in the chase scenes, did you ever see so many cowboys a shootin' it up and they never had to reload? Hmmmmm . . . often wonderred 'bout that . . . . __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

August 25, 2010, 03:21 PM	#14
ClemBert Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2009 Location: Orlando Posts: 936	USFA 12 Shot Revolver

August 25, 2010, 08:45 PM	#15
gelhard Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Noth Dakota Posts: 3	ClemBert Now that is ONE unique handgun. Imagen if Gene and Roy would have had one of those they would have REALLY bin able to have gotten of as many shots as they did in those old B grade flicks LOL __________________ *North Dakota One of the First Shall Issue States*

November 23, 2010, 05:09 PM	#16
nuage Junior Member Join Date: November 23, 2010 Posts: 1	walch 12 shot navy pistol and Louis L'Amour Actually L'Amour wrote about this gun first in his "magazine novels". The title was "Showdown o the Hogback" and the character who owned the gun was the hero, Captain Tom Kedrick. He used a pair of these 36 caliber pistols. The magazine novel was later expanded into a full novel by L'Amour and it was renamed "Showdown at the Yellow Butte". It is a very rare weapon that was used during the Civil War.

November 23, 2010, 11:07 PM	#17
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	There is an excellent book, Firearms Curiosa by Lewis Winant, it has pictures and at least one set of patent drawings of a 12 shot revolver.

November 28, 2010, 01:54 PM	#18
freqlord Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Castle Rock, CO Posts: 58	Showdown on Yellow Butte is among my favorite books by him along with The Haunted Mesa, Sackett Series(I have the movie on right now actually), and of course, the Kilkenny series. I do remember reading the book with that 12 shot revolver though, but I can't remember the title for the life of me. Looks like it's time to read through all of his books for the fifth time.. oh darn!

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