Colt's · Revolver

Colt Cloverleaf House Pistol

Name: Colt Cloverleaf House Pistol
Brand: Colt's

Single action revolver · .41 Short Rimfire · introduced 1871

Also known as Colt House Model Revolver, Colt Cloverleaf, Colt House Pistol

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About the Colt Cloverleaf House Pistol

The Colt Cloverleaf House Pistol is a single-action, spur-trigger pocket revolver chambered in .41 Short Rimfire, produced by Colt from 1871 to 1876. It was Colt's first solid-frame revolver designed specifically for metallic cartridges, and its four-shot deeply fluted cylinder resembles a four-leaf clover when viewed from the front, giving the gun its nickname. A five-shot round-cylinder version was also produced under the broader House Pistol name.

The Cloverleaf marked Colt's transition from percussion revolvers into the metallic-cartridge era, arriving the same year Colt was developing the cartridge conversions that would lead to the Single Action Army.

Colt Cloverleaf House Pistol specifications

General

Type: Revolver
Action: Single action revolver
Firing mechanism: Single action
Trigger: Sheathed trigger
Calibres: .41 Short Rimfire
Magazine capacity: 4 rounds
Magazine: Revolving cylinder

Dimensions

Barrel length: 76 mm (3.0 in)
Overall length: 171 mm (6.7 in)

Barrel

Rifling: Right hand

Materials

Barrel: Steel
Receiver / frame: Brass
Stock: Walnut
Finish: silver_plated

Performance

Muzzle velocity (typical): 130 m/s (427 fps)
Muzzle energy (typical): 71 J (52 ft·lb)
Effective range: 10 m

History

Introduced: 1871
Discontinued: 1876
Production status: Discontinued
Country of origin: US

Features

Solid frame
Cloverleaf fluted cylinder
Spur trigger
Bird head grip
Pocket revolver

Safety

Recessed chambers

Made with 1.5 in, 2-5/8 in, and 3 in barrels. Recessed chambers were a safety feature for the rimfire rounds. The 4-shot cloverleaf cylinder was later replaced by a 5-shot round cylinder.