POTD: More Like Old News – Forehand & Wadsworth Old Army Revolver
Sam.S 10.16.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Forehand & Wadsworth Old Army was an elegant-sounding but ultimately unsuccessful large-frame revolver introduced in 1873. Made by a firm that evolved from Allen & Wheelock, it borrowed design elements from contemporary Smith & Wesson, Merwin Hulbert, and Webleys. But chambered for the .44 Russian cartridge, clumsy ejector rod, and high cost, the Forehand & Wadsworth Old Army couldn’t compete with Colt and S&W. Under 2000 were produced, a small fraction of Forehand & Wadsworth’s main product – inexpensive pocket revolvers. The creatively designed but overly complex Old Army highlighted the risks of a small gunmaker straying from its niche. Forehand & Wadsworth ultimately lacked the expertise and marketing to break into the lucrative military revolver market dominated by Colt and S&W. The failure of the Old Army to gain traction contributed to the company’s decline and absorption into Hopkins & Allen in 1902.
“Manufactured in the mid-1870s, it is estimated that less than 1,000 of these revolvers were manufactured. Many collectors classify these revolvers as a “Secondary Martial” weapon. The revolver is chambered for the 44 caliber Russian centerfire cartridge. The top of the barrel rib is marked “+FOREHAND & WADSWORTH, WORCESTER, MASS. U.S. PAT.D OCT. 22.61 – JUNE 27 ’71 – OCT. 28 ’73 +”. The serial number is found on the butt, hammer, barrel, cylinder, two places on the cylinder pin assembly and both grip panels. It has pinned blade front (replacement) and frame notch rear sights and nicely figured walnut grips.”
Lot 3168: Forehand & Wadsworth Old Model Army Revolver. (n.d.-ag). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved October 16, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/78/3168/forehand-and-wadsworth-old-model-army-revolver.
