POTD: The Slocum Revolver’s Slick Patent Bypass
Sam.S 09.21.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have the odd case of the Slocum revolver and its separate chambers. The Slocum revolver by Brooklyn Firearms Company was an attempt to circumvent Rollin White’s bored-through cylinder patent. Most guns dodging this patent used proprietary ammunition types to feed their unconventional mechanisms. But the Slocum ingeniously took regular .32 rimfire rounds. Rather than boring open chambers, the Slocum’s cylinder had an outer curve cut. This allowed each chamber to slide forward for loading and unloading. So the Slocum avoided patent infringement while maintaining compatibility with standard ammo. Creative workarounds like this were common in the decades that White’s patent stifled revolver development. The Slocum shows that some inventors found clever technical loopholes and made functional guns within the patent’s constraints. It highlighted the innovation inspired by legal hurdles.
“Manufacturer: Brooklyn F A Co
Model: Slocum
Type: Revolver
Gauge: 32 RF
Barrel: 3 inch round
Finish: bright
Grip: rosewood”
Lot 287: Engraved Brooklyn Firearms Slocum Separate Chambers Revolver – Engraved Brooklyn Firearms Slocum Separate Chambers Spur Trigger Revolver. (n.d.-c). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/2026/287/engraved-brooklyn-firearms-slocum-separate-chambers-revolver.
