Harrington & Richardson · Pistol
Harrington & Richardson British Bulldog
Revolving · .38 S&W · introduced 1880
Also known as British Bull Dog, H&R Bulldog
About the Harrington & Richardson British Bulldog
The Harrington & Richardson British Bulldog is an American copy of the Webley British Bull Dog, a compact solid-frame double-action pocket revolver. Produced in the 1880s and 1890s, it features a short 2.5-inch barrel and a five-shot cylinder, typically chambered in .38 S&W or .32 caliber pocket cartridges. Designed as an inexpensive, concealable self-defense sidearm, it was one of many American-made copies of the popular British Bull Dog pattern.
The British Bull Dog pattern was so ubiquitous in late-19th-century America that a copy is often cited as the revolver Charles Guiteau used to assassinate President James A. Garfield in 1881.
Harrington & Richardson British Bulldog specifications
General
- Type
- Pistol
- Action
- Revolving
- Firing mechanism
- Double action single action
- Trigger
- Double action
- Calibres
- .38 S&W, .32 S&W Long
- Magazine capacity
- 5 rounds
- Magazine
- Rotary magazine
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 64 mm (2.5 in)
- Overall length
- 152 mm (6.0 in)
- Height
- 108 mm (4.3 in)
- Width
- 35 mm (1.4 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 0.48 kg (1.06 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling
- Right hand
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- blued
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 190 m/s (623 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 172 J (127 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 14 m
History
- Introduced
- 1880
- Discontinued
- 1900
- Production status
- Discontinued
- Country of origin
- US
Available calibres
Features
- Solid frame
- Fixed sights
- Short barrel
- Concealable
- Spur trigger guard
One of several American British Bull Dog copies alongside those from Forehand & Wadsworth and Iver Johnson. Exact specifications vary between the numerous small manufacturers who produced this pattern.
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