The six-shooter revolver was a popular weapon in the Wild West due to its fast reload time and reliability. It could hold up to 10 rounds, but the six-shot model was the most popular among law enforcement. Early models required reloading one bullet at a time, but later versions had hinges that allowed for faster reloading. Modern six-guns have a hinged barrel and extractor for easy reloading with a special clip. Single-action revolvers require the shooter to pull back the hammer, while double-action revolvers perform two actions with the trigger. The popularity of the six-shooter has declined with the advent of semi-automatic pistols.
Whenever the Lone Ranger or Roy Rogers produced his gun in a western, it was most likely a revolver known as a six shooter. While single-shot pistols were in popular use in Wild West times, the six-shot revolver offered its user a number of tactical advantages beyond its small size and ease of concealment. This weapon could be reloaded much faster than a rifle or muzzle-loader, for example.
However, not all revolvers were six-shots. Several manufacturers have created revolvers with 5-shot barrels up to 10 marine guns. The six-shooter became one of the most popular models among early law enforcement, perhaps due to its excellent balance and reliable action. Individual rounds remained in their chambers until cleared, making jamming during rapid firing much less likely.
Early models could only be reloaded by inserting one bullet at a time into an open chamber and twisting the barrel. The next generation of guns had hinges that allowed the shooter to “break” the gun in half from the top and reload all six chambers simultaneously. This improved reload speed considerably, but also created a weak point at the gun’s hinge. One of these top-loading six shooters could break after substantial use.
The modern six-gun has a hinged barrel and extractor for easy emptying and reloading. The entire barrel can be rotated to one side, causing a mechanical extractor to push out any used rounds. The shooter can use a special “velocity magazine,” essentially a clip with six bullets in the correct positions. New shells can be loaded into the chamber all at once and the entire mechanism snaps back into place for further firing.
A typical six-shot revolver can be described as single or double action. In a single action revolver, the hammer must be pulled back by the non-shooting hand and must be locked in position. Squeezing the trigger releases the hammer, which strikes the bullet and fires the gun. In this case, the trigger itself performs only one action – to release the pulled hammer.
In a double-action six shooter, the trigger performs two actions. When the shooter pulls the trigger, a mechanism pulls the hammer back and locks it in place. Pulling the trigger back releases the hammer further and the pistol fires. This double action makes it easier to shoot with one hand, but the higher tension on the trigger can make accuracy more challenging.
A single action six shooter would be similar to using a compound bow; the tension is eventually reduced and the shooter has time to aim. A double action weapon would be similar to using a recurve bow; tension remains high throughout the entire shooting process, reducing the amount of time a shooter has to hold sights on a target.
With the advent of semi-automatic pistols with easily reloadable 15-round magazines, the six-shot revolver’s popularity has declined in recent years, but it still remains a sentimental favorite among gun collectors and members of organized shooting clubs.
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