Question Re: Adams Patent Revolver

[JCM298]

Back in the `50's,when I was in my teens, I was at a junk shop in Saint John, NB. I bought a broken Adams Patent revolver and took it back to New York. It's been a wall hanger for 50 years. It's .45 caliber but it's not an ACP. It's possibly a Webley or Eley caliber.

The gun is a source of amusment and, at times, has been an attention getter. On one occasion, when there was a full dress inspection, including guns, I removed my Python from my holster and used the Adams to stand inspection. Needless to say when I presented it to the Lt. for examination, there was a look of shock. The whole unit roared with laughter and of course I got chewed out.

I've done a little research on this gun and I found that the Adams Patent may have been issued to the RCMP or, as it was called in those days, the NWMP.

Can anybody tell me anything about this revolver and any connection with the RCMP? It looks very similar to the gun at this site, but mine is not nearly in this good a condition:

http://www.littlegun.be/arme britannique/ancien artisan/a adams gb.htm

Thanks,

John

Edit: Corrected terminology: NWMP not RNWMP,
John

 

[GrantR]

John:

Yes, First and Second Model .450 Adams revolvers were the first official sidearms of the NWMP (North West Mounted Police - the Force was not "Royal" until 1904, when that honour was bestowed by King Edward VII, in recognition of service in the Boer War.)

Adams revolvers were in service with the Mounted Police from 1874 through 1876. If you can provide me with the serial number of your Adams (either here, or by a private message here, or direct e-mail, if you prefer) there is an off chance it might be among the numbers compiled from various records as having been in NWMP service. I have a copy of "Arms & Accoutrements of the Mounted Police, 1873-1973", in which the known serial numbers are listed. Of course, Adams revolvers were also extensively used by Army officers throughout the British Empire ...

Here are images of the two Adams models used by the NWMP, scanned from another reference, "Small Arms of the Mounted Police" -

The Adams revolver was supplanted as the NWMP handgun by the .476 Enfield, Marks I and II (Models of 1882 and 1884) - in service from 1884 through 1905. FWIW, here's a picture of the NWMP MkII Enfield revolver in my collection ....

 

[green]

First model Adams MkI
Second model Adams MkIII
MkIIIs used by the NWMP are stamped with a small circle enclosing CMP on the right side of the frame in front of the cylinder.

 

[Claven2]

Nice snag regardless!

 

[JCM298]

Thanks for the replies.

GrantR,

I'll try to get the serial number and let you know. Thanks for the correction on the word "Royal". I knew that but forgot it,

John

 

[JCM298]

GrantR,

I e-mailed the serial number to you. I've been cleaning my "bomb room", as my wife calls it, and the Adams was in a bottom box and it took a while to get through it. Thanks for your help,

John

 

[GrantR]

On the off chance that it might be of interest to someone else on the forum, here is the text of the e-mail reply I have dispatched to John - thought it would be OK to post it here since it does not identify his serial number (just in case he might not want that made public.)

You caught me at home and frittering away some time on the computer, thus the relatively quick response!

I have checked the list of serial numbers for NWMP Adams revolvers and , unfortunately, yours does not appear. However, that particular list is acknowledged as being incomplete - "No single list of the Snider carbines and rifles or the Adams revolvers has been found. The serial numbers which are available have been compiled from a number of sources." (-i.e. from Detachment records, etc.)

The serial number is "in the range", at any rate - the list shows one Mark I Adams with the serial number 2184, with the next highest number in the list being 3762. (FWIW, the MkI numbers recorded - 78 of them - range from a low of 29 to a high of 6349. MkIII numbers - 153 of those - range from a low of 5671 to a high of 8325.)

The upshot of all that is that your revolver is not a "known" NWMP specimen, but still could be one .... they were not specially marked for the Force, for the most part.

 

[JCM298]

Thanks for the help. It still makes a good wall hanger and there is always the story of the presentation at the full uniform inspection,

John