British Officer's Sidearm 1850-1860's

bluemike807

bluemike807

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Having trouble finding information on what would have been the standard sidearm of a British Officer, in the approximate period of the 1850s-1860s.

Any help would be appreciated
 
By 1868, a lot of officer-folk were looking at pivately equipping with the Webley RIC, a .442 cartridge revolver with a side-gate....:)

Another choice was the Tranter revolver (never formally adopted by the army, made in 1856, a cap & ball revolver).

Before that :yingyang: , you're into the Beaumont-Adams, a (n originally pre-centefire) percussion revolver....:redface:...it was formally formally adopted byt the army around 1856, but - like the RIC and even early Webleys - was purchased privately by British officers as for use in the Crimean War (notice an early-adoption trend here ? :D )....
 
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Officers could carry anything they wanted to PROVIDING it accepted standard service ammunition.
Oh by the way, the Colt SAA was made in .455.
One would also run into Adams, Tranters, and Kynochs accepting .476 or .455
Goihg back to the percussion era, Colt also had a London Factory
 
John Sukey said:
Officers could carry anything they wanted to PROVIDING it accepted standard service ammunition.
Oh by the way, the Colt SAA was made in .455.
One would also run into Adams, Tranters, and Kynochs accepting .476 or .455
Goihg back to the percussion era, Colt also had a London Factory
Click to expand...

Good call :yingyang: , I had forgotten to mention the Colts ! :redface:
 
As mentioned, officers bought all their own kit, including their revolver and sword. Bought their Commissions until 1872, as well.
A new officer was, usually, told what to buy. Requiring the revolver to be chambered in the service cartridge was a W.W. I regulation. Winston Churchill, for example, carried a C96 Mauser pistol at Omdurman, fought in 1898.
 
sunray said:
As mentioned, officers bought all their own kit, including their revolver and sword. Bought their Commissions until 1872, as well.
A new officer was, usually, told what to buy. Requiring the revolver to be chambered in the service cartridge was a W.W. I regulation. Winston Churchill, for example, carried a C96 Mauser pistol at Omdurman, fought in 1898.
Click to expand...

And sang its praises to his mother, of the Mauser being what saved his life during the battle, if I recall correctly.:)
 
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