This is a photo of the S&W American Model. Being a very crafty old New Englander, Daniel Wesson took out patents on this design which prevented other manufacturers from making Top Break revolvers until the patents expired. As it happened, the next really big thing in revolver design, the Colt Single Action Army did not debut until a few years later in 1873. A revolver that would except cartridges from the rear, and could be broken open to eject all the spent rounds simultaneously. With the White Patent due to expire in 1869, Daniel Wesson was sure the other gun makers would be ready to jump into the cartridge revolver market with their new cartridge revolvers, so he came up with something revolutionary. This patent gave S&W the exclusive right to make revolvers with the chambers bored through to accept cartridges from the rear. The Rollin White patent, which S&W controlled was about to expire. This large, 44 caliber revolver, first introduced in 1870, was built on what S&W called the #3 frame. The very first Top Break revolver made by anyone was the Smith and Wesson model that eventually came to be known as the American Model. Much too big for an adequate discussion in a forum like this. What advice do you have for a beginner in this category (give as much detail as you can). I would like anyone's opinion about pursuing this urge (shooting a. My local gunsmith refuses to work on them and claims there is no parts market for them, therefore a waste of time and money.
I would like to explore the 19th and 20th century top break revolvers made by Iver Johnson, H&R, S&W, etc., with the intention of satisfying my nostalgia for this niche in our firearms history.