E. PATON & SON LONDON TOP BREAK REVOLVER

SERIAL NUMBER: 1999. BARREL: 5 1/2". CALIBER: .450 ADAMS. MANUFACTURED: circa 1875-1895. This British officers top-break revolver was completed and sold under the marquee of the luxury gun making firm E. Paton & Son (historically operating out of London, Perth, and Inverness). Manufactured during the late Victorian era, most likely between 1885 and 1895, this highly bespoke firearm highlights the finest standards of late 19th-century British artisan finishing. Rather than mass-producing handguns, elite retailers like Paton procured high-quality, unfinished frames and actions from major manufacturing hubs in Birmingham and custom-tailored them to luxury or military specifications. Mechanically, the revolver relies on a robust top-break action coupled with an automatic star-wheel extractor, which simultaneously clears spent casings when the barrel assembly pivots downward. The foundation of the firearm is built upon a licensed trade action stamped "PATENT 1421" on the right side of the frame, marking it as a premium design procured from a major patent holder-such as Webley or Charles Pryse-to ensure a rigid lockup. To guarantee structural safety during heavy recoil, the cylinder is forged from high-tensile composition steel, explicitly verified by the "STEEL" stamp struck into the cylinder wall. Fulfilling strict British Army regulations for a private-purchase officer's sidearm, the revolver is also outfitted with a factory-fit lanyard ring at the base of the grip frame to prevent the weapon from being lost in combat. CONDITION: Good in honest condition. The bore is bright with sharp rifling. Operates normally. C&R 27-522