By the time that breech loaded revolvers were approved for service, in 1868, the percussion revolver had been in use for 14 years. It had not eclipsed the single shot percussion pistol, in that time, as one might have expected, if the numbers in use and numbers in storage are anything to go by: in 1862, out of 27,465 single shot, muzzle loaded pistols, 8233 were in store (approximately one third), but out of 30,906 revolvers, 14,576 were in store (approximately half) (Revolvers of the British Services, 1854-1954, page 5). However, the conversion of P53 Enfield rifles to the breech loaded Snider system seems to have created a new enthusiasm for revolvers and the Deane and Adams service revolvers began to be converted to breech loading from 1868. The Enfield revolver was issued in 1880, followed closely in 1887 by the Webley revolver, an indication of the desire to find a system that was effective.
All three of these revolvers had independant ammunition issued for them, but so close were the bullet and case sizes that, in emergency use, the ammunition could be interchanged between revolvers (British Small Arms Ammunition, 1864-1938, Labbett, page 158).
Breech loaded revolvers
