George W. B. Gedney was a mechanical engineer in New York City. He patented numerous inventions, several on guns and related items. Patent #35,999, issued 29 July, 1862, was made in the form of a revolver. The small wood patent model exhibits several interesting features, some of them covered by this patent. The four shot cylinder has radial grooves at the rear and tiny flash holes for each chamber. The free floating firing pin in the frame is forced against the rear of the cylinder to direct the flash from the priming directly to the charge in the chamber. The hammer forces it flush against the cylinder at the moment of firing to keep the flash from spreading. There are also brass wings riding against the rear of the chamber. They fit into the radial grooves when the cylinder is in firing position to direct any flash that escapes away from the other flash holes. The main feature of Gedney's patent was his use of a solid stick of priming compound to ignite the charges instead of individual percussion caps or pellets. The stick of priming material is loaded in a spring loaded metal tube that rests in the center of the cylinder pin. The feed mechanism located in the vertical housing between the hammer and the rear of the cylinder, sheared off a section of the priming and moved it to the nipple for firing. One wonders about the efficacy of cutting an explosive material with a chisel like device! The use of the trigger guard as a loading lever was anticipated by Ethan Allen’s patents of 1857 and the use of the cylinder pin as a container for priming material by William Bell’s patent of 1860. The model is made mostly of mahogany with the trigger guard, flash shield, loading pin and feed mechanism behind brass. The trigger is missing but none of the patent features are connected with it. With copies of documents from the United States Patent Office.

Very good, with minor dents and dings. Some chipping has occurred, and light cracks are visible.