Welcome to immediately’s Photo of the Day! Right here we have now a P.W. Porter Third Mannequin turret rifle, serial quantity 1228, manufactured by George P. Foster in Taunton, Massachusetts in the course of the 1850s. This is likely one of the most mechanically uncommon percussion rifles ever made – that includes a vertical turret as an alternative of a horizontal cylinder. Parry W. Porter patented his turret design as a substitute for standard revolving rifles. The turret stood upright with chambers organized in a vertical circle, rotated by a lever motion that additionally cocked the hammer. George Foster manufactured these below Porter’s patent in restricted numbers by way of the 1850s.
This instance exhibits Third Mannequin options – percussion nipples on the turret and an angular facet hammer, usually seen within the 680-1225 serial quantity vary per Flayderman’s guides. At quantity 1228, that is late manufacturing. It features a loading lever, which differs from strict Third Mannequin definition however exhibits Foster was nonetheless experimenting with the design.
The sights are offset to the left to clear the vertical turret. The turret is numbered 1127 whereas the barrel, body, and lock carry matching 1228, indicating the turret was changed or renumbered throughout its working life. Foster produced just a few hundred Porter turret rifles throughout all variations. The vertical turret made the rifle cumbersome and unbalanced, and the complexity meant extra potential failures. Manufacturing numbers stayed low, and by the 1860s when metallic cartridge repeaters arrived, revolving rifle designs of any sort had been out of date.
Most of our POTDs make the most of photographs from our pals at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms public sale in the US. Take a while to browse their current auctions – who is aware of, possibly you’ll discover a piece of historical past to take dwelling!
Scarce P. W. Porter “Third Mannequin” Revolving Turret Percussion Rifle | Rock Island Public sale, www.rockislandauction.com/element/1049/1324/p-w-porter-third-model-revolving-turret-percussion-rifle. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Author | TheFirearmBlog
Author | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Outdated soul, licensed gunsmith, revealed writer, avid firearm historical past learner, and appreciator of outdated and distinctive weapons.
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