MINT BORE** Cased C1855 George Gibbs Bristol Webley Bentley ‘Wedge’ Frame 120 Bore Five Shot Double Action Only Percussion Revolver With Spurless Hammer, Octagonal Barrel & Accessories None Revolver

**MINT BORE** Cased C1855 George Gibbs Bristol Webley Bentley ‘Wedge’ Frame 120 Bore Five Shot Double Action Only Percussion Revolver With Spurless Hammer, Octagonal Barrel & Accessories. Sn 20035 - 20035

George Gibbs (1811-1884) was an English Gunsmith recorded as working in Bristol between 1830 and 1884 both on his own and as J & G Gibbs (1835-41) at various addresses in Bristol including Redcliffe Street, Thomas Street 29 Corn Street and the Lewins Mead Factory St John’s Bridge Bristol. His family business continued after his death and was recorded as operating in Bristol and London throughout the Victorian era, both World Wars and post war into the modern era finally closing in the year 2000 (see page 225 of Brown’s book British Gunmakers Vol 2). This is an original example of the English Webley Wedge Frame double-action only percussion revolver, as produced in the late-1850’s through about the mid-1860’s . These guns use a 2-piece frame and barrel design, similar to that of Colt revolvers, with the two parts held together via a “wedge”. Adams and Tranter revolvers utilized one-piece frame/barrel assemblies that were forged from a single piece of iron. The “wedge” frame design is attributed to Birmingham gun maker Philip Webley, although Webley himself seemed to have manufactured very few of the guns. The simplified double-action lock mechanism typically encountered in these revolvers is usually of the Joseph Bentley design, and these guns are often referred to as Webley-Bentley revolvers, even though they were produced by many makers. This is an antique, cased C1855 George Gibbs Bristol Webley Bentley ‘Wedge’ Frame 120 Bore Five Shot Double Action Only Percussion Revolver. It has a black powder proof mark on the barrel. The top of the frame is signed ‘G. Gibbs 29 Corn Street Bristol’. The double action only firing mechanism works crisply. It has the correct loading lever and has a spurless hammer. The pistol has a 4” octagonal barrel (8 ½” overall). The barrel’s bore is near mint clean & bright with crisp rifling. It has a blade fore sight and ‘v’ notch frame rear sight. The metal has even patina and much original blue finish to the barrel and cylinder. Its finely chequered walnut grip is undamaged. The pistol is contained in its fitted Oak case. The case is lined in blue felt and has compartments which snugly fit the weapon and its accessories. The accessory compartments contain an original brass and copper black powder flask by Bartram & Co, a brass & steel double bullet mould marked ‘120’ (bore), 4 moulded lead bullets and 1 ball, 2 tins labelled E.Joyce & Co London & Eley Bros containing a quantity of percussion caps, a white metal oil container with screw off lid which has an integral oil applicator/ tool, a cleaning rod, screwdriver tool and nipple remover tool. The inside of the lid has a clean George Gibbs 29 Corn Street Bristol trade label. The lid of the case has an inlaid void brass disc and it has a lock (key absent). The price for this antique cased pistol with many original accessories includes UK delivery. NB As an antique percussion revolver no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 20035

£2,325.00