peashooter85:The Harrington Volley Gun, Invented by Henry Harrington in 1836, the Harrington Volley
peashooter85:The Harrington Volley Gun, Invented by Henry Harrington in 1836, the Harrington Volley gun was a percussion pistol which featured seven barrels, all of which discharged simultaneously. The most interesting feature of the Harrington Volley pistols was its removable breechblock, making it a breechloading firearm. The breechblock was removed and loaded separately, and featured seven individual chambers which were loaded with black powder and .31 caliber bullets. The breechblock was placed back into the breech and locked into place with a lever located under the hammer. A percussion cap was then placed on the nipple, which when struck by the hammer drove a spark into the breech which ignited all seven chambers simultaneously. The Harrington Volley pistol was produced in Southbridge, Massachusetts from 1836 to 1837. Very few were produced. Others models were made in five and nine shot variants, utilizing larger or smaller caliber bullets. A rifle model was also produced. -- source link