Chicago Firearms Co. model "The Protector" |
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When I saw Steven Seagal doing maintenance on this gadget in a movie, I fell in love with it. |
For several years only those few frames remained imprinted in my memory, then at an EXA (italian firarm trade show) the encounter with this object that I thought was only the invention of a zealous set designer.
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Finally my curiosity was satisfied, I was able to see and touch this strange weapon that from its shape could seem like a Star Trek blaster. |
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It is actually a nice "squeezer" type "revolver", built around 1890 by the Chicago Firearms Co.
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Opening the lid reveals a cylinder with radially arranged chambers, resembling the cylinders of a radial aircraft engine. Seven chambers house .32 Short Rimfire rimfire cartridges. The hammer, with its integral firing pin, is located in the center of the frame. |
This pistol was certainly not designed for precision shooting, and it's pointless to dwell on the impossibility of accurately hitting a target at more than a couple of meters, given the complete lack of sighting devices. The safety features are limited to the small lever, positioned under the index finger, which releases the cylinder. What else can I say? If this object has had a certain effect on you and perhaps you'd like to own one, I've found several sites online selling antique weapons that have some examples in their catalogs. |
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Whoever invented this device certainly had a lot of imagination; the large external lever acts on two "trigger bars," one cocks the hammer and the other rotates the cylinder. When the cylinder presents the cartridge in front of the barrel, the hammer escapes from the "cock" and does its job, striking the mini-cartridge.
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