Revolvers

Revolvers are a weapon type in Red Dead Redemption.

Many characters in Red Dead Redemption canonically carry specific weapons. Marshal Leigh Johnson carries a pair of matching Cattleman Revolvers. Sometimes the types of pistol an NPC character will carry may change over time and encounters, and can only be referred to by the specific category of pistol that they carry.

Background
A revolver is a repeating weapon that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. As the user cocks the hammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name. Modern revolver cocking mechanisms are divided into two types: Single-Action and Double Action. A Single Action revolver requires the user to manually cock the hammer back each time the weapon is to be fired. A Double Action revolver can be cocked at the same time the trigger is pulled, although manually cocking the hammer can reduce the trigger's travel and improve accuracy. The difference is represented in-game by the fact that the Double Action Revolver manages a higher rate of fire than other revolvers.

Depending on the design, revolvers can be reloaded several different ways. Many modern models allow the cylinder to be released from the frame on a swing-out arm to one side or the other, but this was not common in the Old West period. The Cattleman Revolver (called the Colt SAA in real life) required the user to unload and reload one cartridge at a time through a loading gate on the right side of the weapon. The cylinder only left the frame when dismantled for cleaning. The Schofield Revolver, on the other hand, had a frame which could break open on a hinge. Its main selling point was that all six chambers were open for reloading at the same time. Early revolvers, such as the LeMat Revolver, used black powder with a percussion cap ignition system and required several minutes to load.

Throughout the late years of flintlock weapons, many inventors attempted to create weapons with rotating barrels or chambers as a way to overcome the single-shot disadvantage of muzzle-loading weapons. These met with mixed results. The earliest revolver that a modern audience would recognize as such was patented in England in 1818. Sam Colt would later improve upon this design and patented the first widely-used revolver in 1836. He would continue to improve upon his design until his death in 1862. Due to aggressive litigation in defense of his patents, the Colt firearms company would maintain a monopoly on the revolver market for decades. Colt's 1873 Single Action Army was the most successful firearm of its time, and is still popular today among sporting enthusiasts. Over the course of the last century revolvers have been increasingly replaced by automatic firearms in the military and law enforcement roles. However, due to the simplicity of design and function revolvers have never been rendered completely obsolete.

Description
They are mostly used in Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Revolver by bandits and the protagonists. They are the first kind of pistols available to the player, and are relatively powerful, although they have disadvantages in both ammunition capacity, and reload time. Revolvers are the usual weapons used in the pistol category, even though semi-automatic pistols can be used too. Revolvers use Revolver Ammo.

List of Revolvers

 * Cattleman Revolver
 * Schofield Revolver
 * Double-action Revolver
 * LeMat Revolver