Firearms History — The Revolver
The History of
the Revolver
From the 1836 Colt Paterson to the modern S&W Performance Center — the complete history of the revolver, the firearm that defined two centuries.
Get My Free Gun Valuation →
185 Years of the Revolver
The Revolver — 185 Years of Continuous Relevance
Samuel Colt’s 1836 patent revolutionized warfare: a pistol that could fire 5–6 shots without reloading. For 150 years, the revolver was the standard defensive sidearm worldwide. Even today — with polymer semi-automatics dominating the market — quality revolvers hold 70–110% of their original retail value and sell briskly to buyers who understand their advantages.
| ERA |
REVOLVER |
SIGNIFICANCE |
| 1836 |
Colt Paterson |
First commercial revolver — 5-shot cap-and-ball |
| 1847 |
Colt Walker |
Largest most powerful cap-and-ball revolver — .44 caliber |
| 1856 |
S&W Model 1 |
First revolver firing metallic cartridges — .22 rimfire |
| 1869 |
S&W Schofield |
US Army revolver — top-break rapid reload |
| 1873 |
Colt Single Action Army |
The definitive frontier revolver — still made today |
| 1899 |
S&W Hand Ejector |
First swing-out cylinder — model for all modern DA revolvers |
| 1908 |
S&W Military & Police (Model 10) |
World’s most produced revolver — 6+ million made |
| 1935 |
S&W .357 Magnum |
First Magnum cartridge — set standard for power |
| 1955 |
S&W Model 29 |
Most powerful production revolver at launch — .44 Magnum |
| 1955 |
Colt Python |
Finest production revolver ever made — still commands premiums |
| 1980 |
S&W 686 / Ruger GP100 |
Modern double-action standard — both still in production |
| 2020 |
Colt Python Reissue |
Most coveted modern revolver — holds 85–95% of retail |
Why Revolvers Survive
Why the Revolver Is Still Relevant in 2026
Simplest Possible Manual of ArmsA double-action revolver has no external safety, no magazine, no slide to rack. Point and pull the trigger. Under stress, simple wins. For household members who won’t practice regularly, a revolver may be genuinely safer than a semi-auto.
Maximum Caliber OptionsRevolvers chamber the most powerful handgun cartridges available — .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, .500 S&W. No semi-auto platform handles these cartridges. For dangerous game defense, the revolver’s power ceiling exceeds any semi-auto.
Investment ValueQuality revolvers appreciate. Pre-lock S&W Model 29s, vintage Colt Pythons, and pre-1964 revolvers have increased 200–500% over 30 years. No polymer semi-auto has this track record. The revolver as investment has no semi-auto equivalent.
FAQs
Revolver History FAQs
What was the first revolver?
The Colt Paterson (1836) was the first commercially successful revolver. Earlier prototypes existed but none achieved commercial success. The Paterson used percussion caps and had a 5-shot cylinder.
When did police stop carrying revolvers?
US police departments began transitioning from revolvers to semi-automatics in the mid-1980s through 1990s. New York City transitioned from .38 Special revolvers to 9mm semi-automatics in 1994. Most agencies completed transitions by 2000.
The Complete System
The 5-Platform Private Sale System
More from gunprice.com/
Related Guides
