Invention of the Revolver
The first revolving' gun is said to have been
made by John Gill of New Hern, but some¬
body stole llu> idea from him anil had it
patenttMl before he eould succeed in doing
so.
By GHIMIIl»i: S. CAKHAHAY
Although his weapon was
never patented, the first
. revolving gun is said by
national experts to have been made
in 1829 by John Gill at New Bern,
t Only recently is he beginning to
receive due credit for his remarka¬
ble invention, which has made
such revolutionary changes in war¬
fare during the past century.
The first patent for this type of
i gun was granted to D. G. Colburn
on June 29. 1832; while Samuel
Colt obtained the patent for his
revolving gun in 1835.
Gill’s first revolver was a per¬
cussion gun. with 14 chambers.
Some time after he had perfected
the new principle of the revolving
chamber for a pistol, so as to make
it possible to fire more than one
shot in rapid succession, he started
to Washington to have it patented.
For several years he had failed to
realize the importance of procuring
a patent.
According to the story told
several years ago by his son-in-
law. the late Charles Fred Hargett,
of New Bern, Gill traveled by
boat with his unique gun to
Norfolk and thence up the bay to
Baltimore. In the latter city ho
was taken ill. Someone called on
him there, and he is said to have
told about his invention.
vention and his priority claim, he
never did anything about it.
In a recent national news re¬
lease. Gill was credited with
making the first revolving gun.
with Colburn given credit for the
first gun patent for this type of
weapon.
Colt is said by some authorities
to have obtained his idea for a
revolver from a revolving flint¬
lock carbine in the Tower of
London, the invention of Joseph
Collier, an English gunsmith. Hav¬
ing run away to sea in 1828 at the
age of 14 from his home in
Hartford, Conn., Colt is said to
have made a wooden model of his
famous Colt revolver while on a
long voyage to India. Other author¬
ities say that he got the idea for his
invention from watching the
spokes of the ship’s steering wheel,
as each in turn came directly in
line with a clutch which could be
set to hold it. Then. U|>on his re¬
turn home he designed and con¬
structed in 1832 a pistol with a
revolving chamber of cartridges,
using the memory of the ship's
wheel as a model. This first
attempt was a failure, but later
proved successful with the aid of a
skilled gunsmith, who could do
the precise fitting and delicate
adjusting necessary.
Born in the country near New
Bern. Gill lived for some years in
that city. During his later life
he moved to a farm near Cherry
Point on Hancock Creek where he
died and was buried. He had two
sons and two daughters. One son.
Richard Gill, was long an employe
in the patent office at Washington.
Gill's home and shop at New
Bern stood on the lot on Broad
Street now adjoining St. Luke’s
hospital. He was an able watch¬
maker and silversmith. Many
silver spoons and other articles
still in use in this section are said
to have bee'll made by him. The
site has been marked by the New
Bern Historical Society. He also
resided for a time in an old house
on Burn street, now destroyed,
that long ranked as a jx-rfect type
of Dutch colonial architecture.
For years he tried to make some
useful piece of machinery with
perpetual motion. Night after night
he sat up. trying to make his dream
come true; but. needless to say,
he failed.
He is said to have vulcanized
rubber and laid slates with it on
the Craven County jail roof, long
before Goodyear developed
modern rubber processing.
His original revolving gun is
said to have been stolen from him
during the capture of New Bern by
Union troops in March. 1862.
A .Man «if Many Parts
Showing his diversification of
work, the following advertisement
appeared in a New Bern |>a|>er in
1829; "John Gill Gold and Silver¬
smith. Respectfully informs the in¬
habitants of New Bern and its
vicinity that he has returned to
this place and has opened the Shop
which he formerly occupied on
Broad Street, where he is prepared
to execute all orders in his line of
business with neatness and dis¬
patch and «>n th«‘ most reasonable
terms. Silver Plating executed in a
shell combs welded and polished,
new and superior style. Tortoise
so as to be equal to new.
"In addition to the above branch
of business, he will alter Common
Guns, into Percussion Guns: and
every- description of work in the
gunsmith's line will be neatly and
faithfully executed.
"Door locks and keys repaired
in the best manner and at the
shortest notice. From $6 to $10 in
Cash will be given for old and
broken Tortoise Shell Combs."
North Carolina’s Cherokee In¬
dians used to dole out rum by the
mouthful. If one wished, he might
use someone else’s mouth as a
measure, no doubt picking some-
one who resembled J«x‘ E. Brown.
1 1
Theft of a Patent
The visitor became interested,
and asked to be allowed to borrow
the model to show a friend. The
request was granted. On recover¬
ing from his illness. Gill is
reported to have proceeded to
Washington to obtain his patent.
There he found that a patent on a
practically identical model had
just been granted to Colt.
Mr. Hargett asserted that Gill, a
quiet, modest man. had no money
or inclination to try to prove
publicly his previous claim. Nor
was he financially able to perfect
his invention in a practical way
for the market, and so, though he
often talked quietly about his in-
THE STATE. JULY 15. 1950
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