Project Description
!!!!!SOLD!!!!!
!!!!!Winner of NRA silver medal # 81 at the 2013 NRA Annual Meetings as one of the 3 best miniatures on display!!!!!
This is an antique toy 12 shot revolving cannon, made by an unknown maker, I’m told between 1875 and 1880. Measures about 15 3/4″ long overall with a 7 1/2″ smoothbore barrel of about .34 caliber. The front wheels measure 5 1/4″ in diameter and the rear wheels measure 2 7/8″ in diameter. All of the wheels are about 11/16″ wide. The cannon is about 7 3/4″ wide and about 8 1/2″ tall. Construction is cast iron, machined steel, and machined brass. The sideplates and wheels look to be cast iron, and are painted an olive green enamel, except for the wheel spokes, which are painted a red enamel. The barrel, cylinder, axles, hammer, and the rest of the steel parts look to be machined steel. The hardware is mostly high quality brass. The round wheel nuts have not only holes for a spanner wrench, but are also knurled on the edges. The ejector rod button also has knurled edges, and looks to have traces of maybe tin plating on the front. The cannon chambers and shoots .38 Smith & Wesson centerfire blanks, but it might shoot live rounds too! There are no markings of any kind that I can see. It is interesting how the hand and pawl work on the outside of the cylinder, like a ratchet, instead of the rear like most revolvers. Really interesting mechanism. There is a lever on the right side that when pulled back, cocks and trips the hammer, and also advances the cylinder. One of the coolest toys I have ever seen! It is obviously very old, but just as obviously, it has been well cared for over the years. I think it is a factory made piece, as the equipment to cast the parts would have been way beyond most home hobbyist. Not that there were any home hobbyist during that time period anyway! Has about 90% of the original olive green and red enamel paint, which shows some dirt, stains, and fading. The steel parts are a gray brown patina with some very minor dings and some very fine pitting in places. Look at the photos, they pretty much tell the tale, and to be honest, I don’t really know anything more about it anyway! If you have any info, I would sure appreciate you letting me know. Includes NRA silver medal #81 that was won as one of the 3 best miniatures on display at the 2013 NRA Annual Meetings in Houston, Texas. !!!!!SOLD!!!!!
