Robert Adams' first revolver designs were conceptualized in 1851, when Adams received a patent for a solid frame double action only revolver. This design was very strong as it featured a frame and barrel designed that was made from a single forging. Adams brought his new designs to London arms manufacturers George & John Deane. With Adams' patent, and several innovations of their own, the Dean brothers were able to design what would become one of the first double action revolvers to hit the firearm's market.
The .436 Deane and Adams was a five-shot percussion revolver with a spurless hammer, - the revolver used a double-action only system in which the external hammer could not be cocked by thumbing it back, like most other pistols of the era, but instead cocked itself when the trigger was pulled. This made it possible to fire the gun much more rapidly than contemporary single-action revolvers.
Deane and Adams's revolver was shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and subsequently approved by the British Army's Small Arms Committee in addition to being adopted by the East India Company for use by their cavalry. Orders for the revolver were great enough to prompt the Deane brothers to make Adams a partner in their firm, which became Messrs. Deane, Adams, and Deane.
Although highly regarded, the hand-crafted Adams revolver was more expensive than Colt's mass-produced guns. It lacked a recoil shield behind the cylinder, which left the shooter's hand subject to powder burns resulting from "blowback" from ill-fitted caps. Additionally, the lack of a hammer spur was criticized since the longer trigger pull of the Adams made it less accurate than the Colt. Furthermore, the Adams's nipples, upon which the percussion caps were set, were unhardened and sometimes burst upon firing.
An "Improved Frame" model was offered in 1854, presenting both a sleeker look and more comfortable grip. In that same year the British Board of Ordnance reviewed the Adams together with other percussion revolvers with a view to adopting one as an official service sidearm. Concerns about the gas escape between the cylinder and barrel during discharge resulted in no decision being made. Nevertheless, when fighting in the Crimea began, the Deane & Adams revolver proved very popular among British officers who purchased them for combat. Many considered Adams self-cocking double-action design to be superior to the American Colt as it could be fired much faster and was offered in larger calibers than Colt's revolvers. The largest of Adam's chamberings was the .38 bore, or .50 caliber.
Captain Joshua Crosse of the 88th Regiment of Foot used a Model 1851 Adams during the Crimean War (1854-56). He wrote favorably about it to its inventor, Robert Adams, following the Battle of Inkerman (1854), in which he was wounded after being surrounded by Russians:
'I then found the advantages of your pistol over that of Colonel Colt's, for had I to cock before each shot I should have lost my life; but with yours, having only to pull the trigger, I was able to shoot four Russians, and therefore save my life. I should not have had time to cock, for they were too close to me, being only a few yards from me, so close that I was bayoneted through he thigh immediately after shooting the fourth man'.
The Adams revolvers also saw some limited success on the American market, with multiple military equipment dealers, like Schuyler, Hartley & Graham importing them in limited numbers. The Confederacy also purchased a number of Adam's patent revolvers and they were largely well-liked by Southern troops. After the war, a number of Adam's patent revolvers were imported and sold by a number of large surplus retailers.
Despite its age and long history, this 54-bore (.44 caliber) 1851 Adams Revolver is in great shape. It is mechanically excellent, and functions reliably with every pull of the trigger.
Externally, this revolver has a pleasing silver patina with no pitting or rust. The grips are original and in great shape with crisp, sharp checkering and no cracks, splits, or repairs.
All the gun's serial numbers match, and the bore and chambers are both in good, shootable condition. The barrel features strong rifling with some minor scattered rust and surface pitting throughout, and no major pitting can be found in either the bore of the chambers of the cylinder.
