According to testimony given at the Colt VS. Mass. Arms Co. trial, Smith
invented his revolver in 1830 and completed a working rifle by the spring
of 1833. His brother, Samuel C. Smith, described it as follows:
"That gun had six chambers; the revolving was caused by cocking; the cylinder
was kept in place by a spring on the outside, fastened on to the top of the work,
and there was a roller put into the end of the spring, and grooves cut in the cylinder.
The Miller gun is nothing like it at all; there was no cock on the outside of our gun;
the cone was in the end of the cylinder; the cock went by a spiral spring; there was a
spring to hold it at the time of cocking, and there was a little roll in the end of it;
there were holes in the cylinder similar to that, but of a little different shape;
and as it revolved the catch came in and held it; the bolt was made to roll out of the hole;
it was a friction roller that kept the cylinder in place; the roller came out by cocking;
it was not connected with the works at all. He made that chimney concern to put his caps on;
on the stock there was a little slide."
Only one of these was made and, if it still exists, it bas not been identified. However,
there are several unidentified mechanisms known today which are similar to the described gun.
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