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Old June 1, 2015, 01:40 PM   #1
Lee Enfield
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Cylinder Release of Break Top?

Just curious... Is there an example where you have the same cylinder release (like on most revolvers that release the cylinder out to the side), but the cylinder release opens the top instead on a top break revolver? It would essentially be to operate the same function but without breaking the top from the top/barrel manually. Thanks in advance!
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Old June 1, 2015, 01:43 PM   #2
T. O'Heir
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Never seen anything other than the typical Enfield release. Break tops are a very old design.
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Old June 1, 2015, 04:22 PM   #3
Bob Wright
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The Smith & Wesson Perfected Model had such a release. But this was in combination with the standard lift latch of the top break.

This came about because someone observed that a police officer, holding a gun on a suspect, could be disarmed if the suspect merely reached over and lifted the barrel catch latch and opened the gun. To prevent this, S&W incorporated the thumb latch as used on modern Smith revolvers.

Itsa all been tried before!

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Old June 1, 2015, 06:55 PM   #4
James K
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I think you mean a top break that can be opened with the shooting hand. If so, there have been several, including the S&W Schofield, as well as a number of British revolvers, including many models of Webley, plus guns like the Aston, which have the barrel release at the top of the backstrap.

As Bob says, it has all been tried before.

Jim
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Old June 1, 2015, 08:36 PM   #5
Bob Wright
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James K,

You just reminded me of an old cap pistol from days of yore: The Texan by Hubley.

The barrel assembly was spring loaded, and pressing on the thumb latch allowed the barrel to spring down to load another roll of caps!

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Old June 1, 2015, 08:49 PM   #6
James K
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Bob, just a reminder that you have violate the law against causing old fogies to remember childhood. I didn't have one of those guns, but another kid did and I recall it well.

Jim
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