By sequentially rotating through each chamber, the revolver allows the user to fire multiple times until having to reload the gun, unlike older single-shot firearms that had to be reloaded after each shot. The hammer cocking in nearly all revolvers are manually driven, and can be achieved either by the user using the thumb to directly pull back the hammer (as in single-action), via internal linkage relaying the force of the trigger-pull (as in double-action), or both (as in double/single-action). īefore firing, cocking the revolver's hammer partially rotates the cylinder, indexing one of the cylinder chambers into alignment with the barrel, allowing the bullet to be fired through the bore. Because most revolver models hold up to six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, revolvers are also commonly called six shooters. 357 MagnumĪ revolver is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Colt Single Action Army Firing a Smith & Wesson Model 686. For other uses, see Six Guns and Six shooter (disambiguation). 'Six Gun' and 'six shooter' redirect here.
