Notes from the gun shop...

Slocum Sliding Sleeve Revolver

It was an interesting day.  Right from the beginning we had an interesting firearm, the Slocum Sliding Sleeve Revolver (serial #9xxx) .32 rimfire.  Approximately 10,000 of these were made by Brooklyn Arms Company from 1863-1864.  I got photos which you can see here.  This gun has one problem, a broken hand.  Were it not for that and a lack of ammo you could shoot it.  A very neat gun.

The concept was simple, instead of having a bored through cylinder, patented by Rollin White and exclusive to Smith and Wesson, have the chambers as separate parts in the cylinder and load them by first sliding the chamber forward over the fixed ejector rod, dropping the cartridge in the "trough" and then sliding the chamber back over the cartridge.  The grooves on the rear of the chambers are to provide a grip.  The frame is of gun metal, the barrel of iron, the cylinder of steel.  The individual chambers are VERY well fit to the cylinder.  The grips are genuine mother of pearl, my photos don't do them justice.  The top of the barrel is marked "BA Co. PAT APRIL 14th 1863".  The National Firearms Museum has one that is in much better condition. 

Right side of Slocum with sleeve chamber slid over ejecting rod

We also had an L.C. Smith 10 ga. "damascus" barreled shotgun apparently very tightly choked with a unique modification.  I'd have to go back to verify but I believe it was a quality 5 gun.  The rear portion of the upper tang had been removed and the safety deleted.  I didn't have an opportunity to get photos of that one.