Powell's revolver

[LincolnMan]

(06-16-2013 01:02 PM)NJREB1863 Wrote:  Not being an expert on percussion revolver by any stretch, what I do know makes me think that the reason Powell's Whitney did not fire was caused by either a faulty percussion cap OR a clogged nipple under which the cap would have been placed. It was common for percussion weapons to misfire for either one of these reasons. The revolver has no firing pin as with modern revolvers/pistols. The force of the hammer striking the percussion cap filled with fulminate of mercury, sent a spark through the hollow nipple igniting the black powder which fired the round. If this was the cause of the misfire, Powell could have tried cocking and firing his gun again but in the panic at the time, maybe he just struck out and pistol-whipped Seward instead.

No firing pin! Of course! Something about the report of the bent firing pin bothered me but I couldn't figure it out. There was no firing pin.