Wheel-Spoke Revolver

[Shotgun Steve]

Some 19th-century gunmakers were certainly not the least when it came to inventing funny and crazy items.

The gun pictured here is called the Wheel-Spoke, probably due to its relatively vague resemblance with a spoked wheel. The maker is unidentified.

It is actually a 6-shot, .22 calibre turret-revolver, made in the 1850's.

The weapon is extremely rare and absolutely amazing.

Only 3 of the 6 chambers may be loaded at a time, for each fired round passes through a hole in the central axis, and then through the opposite chamber before entering the barrel !!!

So the reason why it is preferable for the user to ensure the opposite chamber is empty, is easy to understand...

The presented low-quality picture is the only one I have on hand so far; but it is sufficient to give an idea of what that crazy thing looks like.

[Shotgun Franklin]

I'd sure hate to have to defend myself with it.

[pony express]

Seems like the gas lost in a regular cylinder gap wouls be nothing compared to TWO 22 cal holes in the top of the "chamber". And if you didn't hold it at arms length, you might get powder burns from the extra chambers.