By Rick Lisson via wideopenspaces.com
At first glance, the Enouy revolver seems to be some kind of steampunk weapon with lots of imagination and little practical use. But this is a real firearm from the past, with an interesting history. The innovative revolver was patented by Joseph Enouy of Middlesex, England in 1855. A compound magazine wheel with eight different cylinders spun on a rod attached to the butt and a bracket from the underside of the revolver barrel. Each cylinder held six shots . . .
With that much metal, the revolver was very heavy and unbalanced, making accurate shots difficult at best. Additionally, the large compound magazine wheel made it impossible to carry in a holster, which meant you had to lug it around. For these reasons, the revolver was a flop. There are no records of it ever being manufactured or sold commercially.
But you’ve got to hand it to Joseph Enouy for creativity.