Pettengill: The Civil War’s Only Hammerless Revolver Ammoland Inc. Posted on
Pettengill revolver actions were easily gummed up by blackpowder residue. (Rock Island Auction Co)
U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Countless revolver variations found their way into the hands of soldiers, both North and South, during the Civil War. From the diminutive Smith & Wesson Model 1 to the heavy-handed LeMat and everything in between, they all looked very similar to one another.
That’s what makes the revolvers designed by Charles S. Pettengill so unique.
In an era dominated by single-action revolvers with external hammers, the New Haven-based inventor created a double-action revolver with an internal hammer. Sure, there were other double-action models available (like those patented by Starr in 1860), but none of the others were what we would today call “hammerless.”