Endurance.—Two hundred and fifty rounds were fired, the revolver working without difficulty throughout. It was allowed five minutes to cool after each 50 rounds.
Fouling.—The revolver remained uncleaned forty-eight hours, after which it was fired 50 rounds. It was allowed five minutes to cool after the 12th, 24th, and 36th rounds. Though badly fouled at the rear of the cylinder, by the escape of gas at the primer (the ammunition being outside priming) the arm worked satisfactorily.
Dusting Test.—The revolver was next cleaned and thoroughly dusted with fine sand. It was then wiped off with the hands alone. Twelve rounds were fired. The revolver was then dusted as before, to ascertain the combined effects of dusting and fouling. Six rounds were fired. The revolver worked freely throughout.
Rusting Test.—The revolver was cleaned—all oil being carefully removed—and dipped for ten minutes in a solution of sal-ammoniac, after which it was exposed in the open air for forty-eight hours. At the expiration of this time it was considerably rusted, but still operated quite freely. It was fired 12 rounds, loaded without cleaning, and again immersed for ten minutes in the sal-ammoniac solution. It was then exposed in the open air for another period of forty-eight hours.
In order to prevent the rusting of the rifling, both ends of the barrel were closed with cork, and in the first dipping the cylinder chambers were protected in a similar manner.
At the end of the prescribed time the revolver was found very badly rusted. The rust was so thick on the sides of the hammer that it could not be cocked without the rust first being scraped off with a screw-driver. The trigger was rusted in a similar manner, and had to be scraped and forced back and forth in order to operate it. The locking-bolt slide was rusted so that it could not be started by hand. It was driven back by tapping on the thumb-screw with a hammer. The barrel was then partly turned to the left by hand, but the base-pin was so much rusted that the barrel had to be secured in a vise in order to complete the turning and draw it to the front along the pin.
About twenty minutes were consumed in getting the pistol in condition to fire the remaining rounds required by the prescribed test.
Considering how badly the pistol was rusted, it worked very satisfactorily.
The claims made for this revolver by the exhibitors are:—
1. Beauty of outline.