Miller Pill-Lock Revolving Rifle

John and James Miller of Rochester New York designed and built this rifle, which is an example of an intermediate revolving firearm. It comes after the flintlock Collier guns, but before Sam Colt’s Paterson demonstrated how to use the hammer to automatically index the cylinder. Miller’s gun (it was actually patented by James Miller, in 1829) requires the cylinder to be manually rotated between shots, and uses a pill lock ignition system. Each chamber in the cylinder has a small recess into which a pill of explosive mercury fulminate can be seated and sealed in place with beeswax. The firing pin on the hammer crushes the pill upon firing, creating the sparks to ignite the gunpowder charge in the chamber.
Only a few hundred of these rifles were made, between 1835 and 1850. They were constructed by about a half dozen different gunsmiths, with the most common being Billinghurst (a man who had worked with the Miller brothers).
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[@JonathanChappell]

I agree with Ian's almost-laughter when describing the action; Carrying pills of mercury fulminate sounds like a horrible idea.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Not something I'd want fastened to me in a firefight!

[@DiehardMechWarrior]

Whenever Ian features guns like this, it quickly goes into my "weapons that one day will be equipped by my D&D character" list.

[@WinterCedar]

Does anyone else think that Ian would make a good narrator for an audiobook​?

[@jemlesvideo]

Damn right he's a speach crooner. His smooth voice with mechanical gun noises that's so cool to ear

[@ericsaldana8236]

He has a great cadence. I seems organic and natural. even when going off a script he wrote.

[@ringowunderlich2241]

Too bad to see beauties like this disappearing in private collections. The design of the gun, as well as the craftsmanship are outstanding. Many thanks for a glimpse on this piece of gun history.

[@exploatores]

In a museum storage room it dissapers to the world, in private collections they reapear now and then. remember most of the guns on forgotten weapons are from private collections.

[@aurorawhorealis]

Museums are the worst place to have guns. Only the most minute fraction will be shown, and they will probably be far back in a case or high on a wall and hard to see detail, and the absolute majority just sit in storage. Not to mention it's usually only muskets or other well known/ubiquitous guns that get shown, these amazingly interesting oddballs would be gone forever from viewing. These guns are coming into the public eye BECAUSE of private ownership

[@ringowunderlich2241]

Yep, museums I know and are not strictly bound to a certain theme or person, have the tendency to change their exhibiton themes to present as most of their stuff as they can. If you are really interested and ask the museums politely they might give you a closer look, at least on stuff that is not kept together only by the dust layer, like pergament or papyrus scrolls ;)

[@KarlBunker]

Beautiful engraving, beautiful wood, beautiful curves and lines to the design. Also, the pill lock was a new one on me. Interesting!

[@matth6762]

The craftsmanship and quality of this firearm is mind blowing. Especially for how old it is.

[@flyingninja1234]

That rifle is in amazing condition.

[@criffermaclennan]

the craftsmanship is superb

[@mre.w.2850]

added notes. Fulminates were discovered by Edward Charles Howard in 1800.The use of fulminates for firearms was first demonstrated by a Scottish minister, A. J. Forsyth, who patented his scent-bottle lock in 1807; this was a small container filled with fulminate of mercury.Joshua Shaw then made the transition to their use in metallic encapsulations, to form a percussion cap, but did not patent his invention until 1822 In the early 19th century joseph Manton, British gunsmith invented the tube (or pill) lock, an improvement over Alexander Forsyth's scent-bottle lock. Rather than storing a reserve of fulminate in a container they were now single-use pellets. The hammer of the gun was sharpened; when it fell it crushed the tube, causing the fulminates to detonate.

[@Hawk1966]

A 167 year old gun that moves and locks as smooth and well as that? Outstanding quality of manufacture. The engraving was exceptional as well. Did I miss you mentioning the caliber? Looks like a .32 but I could be wrong.

[@SgtKOnyx]

AHHHHHHH THE COLORS AND SHAPES!!!

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

I hope a Pieper revolving carbine comes for sale some day, I'd love to see a video on that (and also buy it)

[@roadpanzir]

Rochester was a design & manufacturing power house for many years, good review Ian.

[@mmclaurin8035]

Absolutely beautiful old gun.

[@NazarovVv]

A NEW ONE? Geez I'm pretty sure I checked this morning and there was nothing! Loving the speed with which you are putting these videos up!

[@novaman3509]

That rifle has a beautiful stock.

[@aldi404]

What an unusual and interesting firearm

[@shotforshot5983]

That was made with loving care, and has been maintained all it's life.

[@chi7891]

This gun is in remarkably good condition!

[@klaasvaak-fw7yx]

i wish Ian did a video on a banana on the 1st of April

[@TheGamingPile]

klaasvaak0413 or did a whole video on one of those cheap plastic pellet guns as if it was a work of art :)

[@ToastyMozart]

+Nathan Hogan A disassembly and functional breakdown of a Nerf Strongarm would have been amusing.

[@SeraphinaPZ]

Advanced rubber band finger gun techniques, or he just pulls out a crossbow.

[@dfwai7589]

We must give this man likes so Ian sees this

[@softwave1662]

i literally am begging to see something like this happen

[@Claptonisgod33]

I'm from Rochester New York and I thought the only firearms history we had was our ridiculous murder rate

[@TheGreenMarksman]

beautiful engraving and patina

[@audiefarmer4118]

Early 1900's? Who made the lathes and tooling to produce that kind of accuracy. Never occurred to me until that cylinder pulled off.

[@RichardGoth]

Beautiful gun! Never seen one this ornate before...thanks Ian!

[@CptComeshot]

Pleasing to the eye. Another cool weapon explained, thanks forgottenweapons!

[@TBAG]

maybe it's just me as a noob in firearms, but I thinks it's a good idea to start the video by saying what year the gun is from. just me maybe, I love your videos nevertheless!!!

[@HillbillyHades]

TBag [Epic Gaming Content] Read the description. He writes a nice informative piece for every gun and I'm sure almost nobody reads it.

[@MilledSteel]

Amazing old school craftsmanship

[@tally5k339]

10 likes within 2 minutes of uploading. Way to go, Gun Jesus.

[@StPaul76]

The machining and fit in this weapon looks more like 1880's than 1820's.. Cross pins and stuff.. Comparing this to a 3-decade later Civil War-era Enfield musket is like comparing a 1930's Bugatti to a 1970's Ford Escort.. :D It's always fascinating to see something built way ahead of it's time.

[@spef7396]

epic!

[@videolookertube]

That profile pic is epic1!

[@goju09alt9]

You look familiar.

[@JAK0723]

spef What video is your profile picture from?

[@outerspace9392]

JAK0723 Allen & Thurber pepperbox revolver

[@jimvandemoter6961]

Ian, another great history lesson. One more gun I've never heard of. I do have a question though, would it be legal in California or New York? After all it's seven shots, isn't that considered high capacity? Just askin'.

[@BeasBotBonanza]

That buttstock looks pretty sharp haha. I'm sure it would hurt quite a bit if anyone was holding wrong! Also I am loving these nursery rhyme videos that are coming up beside these too lol

[@BeasBotBonanza]

I understand how it would be more stable when shouldering properly but I do worry about those who weren't properly trained with it

[@drmaudio]

That design is really quite elegant in it's simplicity.

[@jonluchtefeld6639]

firearms are just amazing..

[@peterihoy4908]

What a beautiful gun. I can't see a plate in front of the cylinder being effective in preventing chain-fires. Surely it would tend to route the blast across the faces of the other chambers and make it more likely? Better to vent it to the atmosphere? I wonder if the plate could have been some form of deflector to protect the users forearm from the blast?

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Cool mechanism!

[@CthulhuInc]

Ian, this reminded me of Alexander John Forsyth's "scent-bottle" firearms. If you ever come across one of these weapons, will you please do a review?

[@zacharyrollick6169]

I've often fantasized about an early 1800s breech loading rifle that used that ignition system.

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

This one occupies an interesting place in history.

[@tyrusdoraneko3125]

Bear with me for not knowing the proper terms for parts, I admittedly have little experience with firearms and none with antiques: So when the hammer comes down, the firing pin first hits the beeswax covering the charge. Once a cylinder is empty, how do you get the beeswax out? Presumably the firing pin pushes some of it through the small hole. Unless the force of the charge blows the wax outward instead?

[@scotthancock9592]

Tyrus Doraneko Just conjecture but I doubt much gas if any would come past the hammer. You would probably have to use a pin or something similar to clean the flash hole occasionally.

[@brucelee3388]

Ian - and quite a few posters - need to brush up on early percussion firearms. Forsyth and many other developers used Potassium Perchlorate as the main ingredient of their priming compound, in tube locks this was mixed with powdered charcoal in a 1:48 ratio which de-sensitized the priming enough that the pewter tubes used in magazine fed Tube Lock percussion guns could cut off the end of the tube from the main supply without exploding the whole thing, but still have it fire when crushed in the primer cup. Forsyth's locks aka 'Scent Bottle' locks had a hollow magazine that contained a number of roughly spherical pills of Perclorate mix, one of which would fall into a hole in the axis pin of the magazine as the magazine was rotated and when the magazine was rotated back into position a pin lined up with the pellet and could be smacked into it by the hammer firing the gun. The main problem was that the Perchlorate residue caused erosion and rust of the lock as well as the bore.

[@JTMC93]

Curious on your ideas on the Hans Stopler Revolver. (One of 2 debated as the oldest repeating single barreled firearms.)

[@jasonmendoza6163]

Nice and tight with 7 ignition holes

[@skwerldeath]

Beautiful gun! At around 7:34, is that semicircular divot just ahead of the cylinder the result of a chain fire, with the ball causing a small dent...? Or is that an intentional machined surface (if so, why?)

[@viswasubramanian4738]

It's a dent. It's 170 years old

[@robertpacific8319]

What if you covered the chamber holes in the cylinder with beeswax after loading, would that help mitigate chain fires?

[@benm5913]

I love revolver rifles. That is all.

[@SuperAWaC]

what a cool action. do you have your own room at RIA, ian?

[@8aleph]

It may not rotate when cocked but it's infinitely superior to reloading after every shot. That is beautiful condition for a rifle that shows much use, the pill holes are burred must have been shot considerably

[@connerlehman2137]

Hey Ian I recently got the family heirloom, a Leman flintlock, it's an Indian trade gun form what I think is from 1823. It turns out I'm related to leman so I was wondering if you could do a video on those guns and leman himself

[@ChudesaRadugi]

Спасибо вам за ваши ролики, очень интересно!

[@marekotec2540]

The pillock rifle. Yeah, sounds great to me. :D

[@hugebartlett1884]

May seem slow by today's standards,but then,this would have been formidable,seven rounds against one or two. Also,these seven rounds would most likely have lasted all day,so reloading would not have been much if a problem. Back in those days,you were very conservative with your ammo,and certainly did not go blasting away all over the place. Ammo could be hard to come by in some places,and costly. Very clever and good looking for its time.

[@farmerboy916]

For once, the recommendations aren't baby videos. What more could you want from a gun at the time (apart from something to protect your hand against chainfires); it actually indexes safely, fires multiple shots, and even is a takedown rifle of a sort.

[@Hesric]

Ian, do you know what the first recorded rifle was? I really couldn't find anything that says ''first''. I'm not talking about hand cannons, of course. I expect something along the lines of ''first military-adopted matchlock'' or perhaps arquebus?

[@ToastyMozart]

Rifling was invented in 1498 and improved by a Nuremburg armory employee 22 years later, so the first rifle was probably a german experimental piece. Though it took a while for rifles to actually catch on, as black powder didn't play well with the grooves and nullified most of the benefits.

[@kaymio6547]

It would've been really nice to take a look down the bore when it's that easily accesible.

[@andypanda4927]

I wonder if this 'type' had the same issues the Colt Revolving did. If so few were made and we're as well made as seemed implied . . . ISTR flash over was a serious issue w/revolving rifles.

[@bugglemagnum6213]

that stock is very sharp

[@dooterscoots2901]

this reminds me of antique road show

[@pepperspray7386]

I wonder if the auction ever sees things like the old Weaponeer the US Army used for training? That would be cooler than any arcade machine (with the exception of Street Fighter 2 turbo) in a garage.

[@kunicross]

From the handguard in front I guess this pattern of rifle does not have a cylinder gap, am I right?

[@sotijas]

why dont they make revolver rifles anymore it looks so cool

[@Bladsmith]

Because they're impractical, bulky and painful to shoot.

[@КонстантинТирский]

\\painful to shoot. Nagant obturation system solves that problem in 1886.

[@Bladsmith]

So because they're impractical, bulky, unnecessarily complex and inaccurate due to shitty trigger pull.

[@fatmikecj]

Bladsmith doesn't that apply to revolver pistols too? I'm sure there would be a small market for novelty if nothing else.

[@Bladsmith]

If you couldn't fire a revolving handgun with a standard handgun grip without getting blasted with hot gas, then sure.

[@oceannavagator]

A seven shooter, I imagine seven shots would have been a nasty firefight in those days.

[@shonny61]

I wonder how many Brits get a kick out of the lock system name. Perhaps the genesis of the gun-as-phallic-symbol theory.

[@billprigge7747]

just curious... have you ever had a gun break while disassembling it Ian?

[@tz8785]

Loading the chambers and then add the pills? Wouldn't this maximize the damage if one of the pills goes off during loading or sealing?

[@ToastyMozart]

I think the idea is that the powder and bullet would be pointed away from you when loading the pills, so if there was an accidental ignition while loading you wouldn't get shot like you would if you were loading the rounds at the time.

[@ES1976-3]

I always feel the need to ask this question with these weapons or the percussion cap revolvers but did anyone ever carry an extra loaded cylinder for reloading? I know that "cowboys" occasionally carried 2 pistols to have more rounds to shoot.

[@daisannobakudan9207]

probably not. it's not very practical, because usually it requires a bit of disassembly and fiddling around to get the cylinder out. much more practical to just carry 2 pistols and plenty of ammo.

[@mordecaieagle4240]

After i saw Pale Rider i decided to do some research about cylinder swapping, apparently some professional gunslingers carried extra cylinders with their remington 1858s since it's easy to just swap cylinders, but it wasn't common because most people didn't worry about getting into prolonged firefights and those who did, carried shotguns or rifles along with the revolver.

[@GreenDayFanMT]

really cool gun, the bee wax would maybe make it a bit rain and water "proofed"

[@Lynch256]

Is it the earliest firearm with a cross pin like that for disassembly?

[@Bob.martens]

Who on earth has or makes time to watch this an then dislikes?

[@JackOSUrulz]

Bob Martens probably some libtard that makes the gun channel rounds on a daily basis handing out dislikes, which isn't entirely far fetched since there's plenty of those idiots without a job and a heart full of hate since they got TRUMPED.

[@taurasmi9239]

Im fairly convinced at this point that most of those, on quality videos like that, are from missclicks.

[@EngineeringVignettes]

Personally I would be a bit nervous with one hand on the barrel stock and firing this thing.. given the risk of a chain fire. Having the cover plates in front of the barrel may help (maybe).. wonder why it was removed. - Eddy

[@itskevonejonesyo1088]

This seems like an enragingly difficult guns.

[@RockIslandAuctionCompany]

That is one beefy cylinder.

[@PDeRop]

Ian.. I know it would be embarrassing, but have you ever had any antique weapons break on you while disassembling them? If so.. indulge us and give us some bloopers :)

[@vincecirivello1385]

Just a suggestion. Can you add links to the guns you mention in reference in the video? ( This is similar to blah blah blah).

[@cmitch419]

nice

[@PDeRop]

and THAT's no replica? HOLY SHIT it looks good.. someone has been babying that one.. shame Belgium is not the country to be buying guns from :) Ok.. that phrasing sounds weird.. since Belgium has a pretty impressive gun-producing history.. but it would be me buying this gun from a country that doesn't like me to have a gun :)

[@revolverocelot6334]

Hey, Ian, add some music to intro, because I never know if my headphones are plugged, please ;p

[@alancrews2066]

Nice

[@Hawk1966]

Wonder if it could still fire?

[@ToastyMozart]

Whoever came up with the name "Pill-lock" really didn't think things through.

[@sethgordon4473]

Was the caliber mentioned?

[@stewknoles4790]

That is in nice condition. I wouldn't fire it. Besides, without a firing pin it's useless. Nice wall hanger.

[@VVershCSIV]

It would be funny to see crowder do a spoof of Ian like he did Hickok45

[@TrikeRoadPoet]

What caliber was this gun?

[@hungrydogracing]

So could this be called a takedown style rifle

[@johnkilcer]

Back face looks almost like a late webly recoil plate.

[@Finwolven]

Apparently, it's Miller time.

[@busenmeister5115]

i think mccree would use this gun

[@b19931228]

It'd be hard to roll with this bad boy.

[@michaelking8483]

whats the screw on the inside face of the back of the gun

[@davidstegman8147]

About what Caliber is it?

[@nelsonaugustine2205]

when i was 12 years old i found a revolver rifle underneath a tree. it had a octagonal shaped barrel and it had bullets in it.

[@zacharyrollick6169]

Please elaborate. What environment did you live in? Was it possible it was a relic?

[@furgy425]

Please, what is the caliber?

[@javik4091]

A gun for a pillock! See what I did?

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Anybody else kinda miss the old FW intro theme?

[@betaich]

Nope

[@kennya90j]

betaich You, sir... you have no nostalgia, nutrients, or Eagle Powers. (sent from my cliff face using Loud Shouting)

[@betaich]

I don't need eagle powers. I have dodge power instead. So much power so wo so doge.

[@MosoKaiser]

Not really. Longer intros, almost no matter how cool and well done, get old after seeing them a few times and you just end up wanting to skip them.

[@Lazyguy22]

BA-DUM BA-DA-DU-DUM, BA-DUM BA-DUM BA-DUM dum-dem-dim-dum-dim-dem-dum-dum dum-dem-dim-dum-dim-dem-dum-dum NYEEOOOWWW NYYEEEOOWWW NYEOWWW NYEENYEEE NYEEEOW NYENYEOWW NYEEOOWWW NYEEOOOWW NYENYENYEOOWWWW dum-dem-dim-dom-dem-dim-dum-dom-dem-dim-domm DAKADUM DAKADOM

[@williamsmith8475]

@ 4:17 CA compliant

[@MKVProcrastinator]

Borderlands? Elephant gun? Anyone? No?

[@ChishioAme]

If it took more than one shot, you weren't using a Jakobs.

[@jamesgrossmann371]

caliber?

[@FatherDyer1990]

YO IAN, LIKE WHATS POPPIN

[@chrisnorman1183]

"Have it in finger tight..... It's nice and tight" bahahah but awesome Vid as always :)

[@jasonmendoza6163]

It's nice and tight

[@michaelking8483]

can you talk about teat-fire and monkey tail cartridges