Kerr's Patent Revolver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kerr's Patent Revolver
Type	Revolver
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
Used by	Confederate States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia
Wars	New Zealand wars, American Civil War, Australian frontier wars, Fenian raids, Red River Rebellion, Boshin War
Production history
Designer	James Kerr
Designed	1855
Manufacturer	London Armoury Company
Unit cost	$18.00
Produced	1859–1866
Specifications
Length	12.25 in (311 mm)
Barrel length	5 in (130 mm)
Caliber	.36 and .44 in (9.1 and 11.2 mm)
Action	Single-action, cylinder rotates if trigger is pulled while hammer is down but the gun must be cocked manually in order for it to fire.
Feed system	5 round cylinder

The Kerr's Patent Revolver was a special type of handgun. It could fire five shots and was made in England. The London Armoury Company produced these revolvers from 1859 to 1866.

This revolver is easy to spot because its hammer (the part that strikes to fire the gun) is on the side. It was used by soldiers in several conflicts around the world. This included the American Civil War and the New Zealand wars.

The Story Behind the Kerr Revolver

How the Revolver Was Designed

The Kerr's Patent Revolver was designed by a man named James Kerr. He used to be a manager at another gun factory called Deane, Adams and Deane. Robert Adams, who invented the Adams revolver, was Kerr's cousin.

Kerr came up with a way to make the Adams revolver better. He got a special patent for his idea in 1855. When Robert Adams started a new company called the London Armoury Company in 1856, James Kerr joined him.

London Armoury Company's Focus

The London Armoury Company made military rifles and revolvers. Kerr also designed rifles for the company. These rifles were based on a popular design called the 1853 Enfield rifled musket.

In 1859, the company decided to focus more on making rifles. Because of this, Robert Adams left the company. He took his revolver designs with him.

Starting Production of the Kerr Revolver

After Adams left, James Kerr designed a brand new revolver. It came in two main sizes: .36 caliber and .44 caliber. The .44 caliber was also known as "54 bore" in British measurements.

Production of the Kerr revolver began in April 1859. At first, the British government did not buy many of these guns. Sales to regular people were also not very high. All the revolvers sent to New Zealand were the larger .44 caliber size.

Kerr Revolvers in the American Civil War

Supplying Both Sides

The U.S. Civil War started in 1860. Both the United States (the Union) and the Confederate States (the Confederacy) needed many weapons. They started buying guns from companies in Britain.

In November 1861, the Union army bought 1,600 Kerr revolvers. Each gun cost $18.00. However, the Confederate army's buyers, Major Caleb Huse and Captain James D. Bulloch, made a deal. They agreed to buy almost all the rifles and revolvers the London Armoury Company could make.

A Key Supplier to the Confederacy

Because of this large order, the London Armoury Company became a major supplier for the Confederacy. They sold most of the 11,000 Kerr revolvers produced to the Confederate forces.

It's believed that Kerr revolvers with serial numbers between 3,000 and 10,000 were sent to the South. However, some earlier ones might have been shipped too. There are no exact records to show the total number sold to the Confederacy.

Challenges of Delivery

Getting these weapons to the Confederate army was difficult. The Union navy had set up a blockade to stop ships from reaching Confederate ports. Many weapons bought from England and Europe had to sneak past this blockade. So, the exact number of Kerr revolvers that reached the Confederate soldiers is unknown.

Many people who wrote about the Civil War say that the Confederate soldiers really liked the guns from the London Armoury Company. They thought these weapons, including the Kerr revolvers and Enfield-style rifles, were some of the best they received. The London Armoury Company actually supplied more revolvers to the Confederacy than all the Southern gun makers combined.

End of Production

As the Civil War continued, the London Armoury Company relied almost entirely on sales to the Confederacy. When the war ended in 1865, the company lost its biggest customer. It closed down in the spring of 1866, just one year after the war finished.

How the Kerr Revolver Worked

Unique Design Features

The Kerr Revolver had a special design. Its hammer was mounted on the side of the gun. This was different from many other revolvers of that time. The internal parts of the Kerr revolver were similar to those found in single-shot pistols or rifles.

This simple design made the gun easy to fix. Soldiers could often repair it in the field without needing special parts. The revolver also had a strong metal strap over the top of the cylinder (where the bullets go). This strap helped hold everything together.

The pistol was about 12.25 inches long in total. Its barrel was about 5 inches long. Most Kerr revolvers were made in the .44 caliber size. A few were made in the smaller .36 caliber.

Single-Action Operation

The Kerr revolver is often called a "single-action" gun. This means you have to pull the hammer back manually before you can fire it. When you pull the hammer back, it locks into place. This action also makes the cylinder turn, bringing a new bullet chamber into line with the barrel.

Once the hammer is pulled back and locked, you then pull the trigger. This makes the hammer fall, striking the percussion cap and firing the gun. If the hammer is down and you pull the trigger, the cylinder will turn, but the hammer won't cock back.

In a "single-action" gun, pulling the trigger only does one thing: it releases the hammer. In a "double-action" gun, pulling the trigger does two things: it cocks the hammer back and then releases it. Early Kerr revolvers had a more complex double-action system, but it was harder to make and repair. So, the company soon switched to the simpler single-action design.

Serial Numbers and Patents

On the side of the Kerr revolvers made by the London Armoury Company, you can see "KERRS PATENT.xxxx" engraved. The "xxxx" is actually the gun's unique serial number, not the patent number. This same serial number is also on the side of the cylinder.

Some old books mistakenly called this the patent number. But like other famous revolvers, such as those made by Samuel Colt, these numbers are just sequential serial numbers. They help identify each individual gun.