Bentley Transitional Revolver

About the Bentley Transitional Revolver

The Bentley Transitional Revolver is a mid-19th-century British double-action percussion revolver designed and built by Birmingham pistol maker Joseph Bentley. Built on a solid cast-iron frame with an open-top octagonal barrel and a spurless self-cocking hammer, the five-shot cap-and-ball revolver bridged the gap between early pepperbox pistols and the later solid-frame cartridge revolvers. It featured Bentley's patented hammer-nose safety and a Colt-style loading lever, and in .44 (54-bore) form it roughly equalled the ballistics of the American .44 Army revolvers. Genuine Bentley-made examples are scarce, with fewer than about 850 believed produced, and the design was widely copied by cheaper Birmingham and Liege makers.

Marketed as an affordable British service-style revolver during the 1850s, the Bentley became a popular civilian and export handgun. Retailer-marked examples sold through New Orleans and Liverpool dealers reached the American South, and a number saw use during the American Civil War.

Bentley Transitional Revolver specifications

Serial numbers run from roughly 1 to 850, with an 'A' prefix appearing near serial 200. Bentley held British patents No. 960/1852 for the revolver and No. 768/1854 for its improved loading lever. Also offered in smaller bores such as .36 and .40.