Help ID a gun?

Question

Every once in a while I see a weapon on TV that looks like a rifle, but has a revolving cylinder like a pistol. Think of a revolver with a realllly long barrel and a stock. Is there a special name for this kind of gun. What's its primary purpose? (it's usually being used as a sniper weapon when I see it in movies, etc)

Answer 1

Is it this carbine here?
http://www.cybershooters.org/shotpics/Mateba%20rifle.jpg

If it is, it's a Mateba, semi auto revolver carbine. Chambered for either 454 casull or 357 magnum.
Really interesting design.

Answer 2

The only examples of a rifle that utilizes a revolving cylinder like a pistol were called just that, 'revolving rifles'. The only successful models of this weapon were manufactured by the Remington Arms Co. in the mid- to late 1800's, in both muzzle-loading percussion models and cartridge models in most of the popular pistol cartridges of that era.
It has no other 'special' name.
They were quickly overshadowed & outclassed by the Winchester lever-action repeating rifles, once the Winchesters advanced in developement to be able to shoot more powerful rifle cartidges than the pistol rounds that the weaker Remington 'revolver' system was limited to.

Answer 3

It's called a "revolving rifle" strangely enough, sometimes a revolving carbine....depends on the type.

The idea was that, back in those days of black powder muzzle loaders, you could have a carbine that fired more than one shot without reloading. Before that, if you wanted a second shot, you had to have a double barrel rifle or shotgun. The cylinder in the revolving rifle gave you six shots without reloading.

Once cartridges came into being, you could load several into your rifle at once and the revolving rifle was made obsolete.

You still see them at cowboy shoots etc, and you can even buy replica black powder weapons, but they're more a novelty than a real weapon anymore.

Answer 4

Colt made "revolving" rifles and shotguns back in the day. Currently the only shoulder weapons that uses a revolving cylinder is the "street sweeper" shotgun which is no longer available, and another similar weapon that is used by law enforcement to fire tear gas, smoke,bean bags, and a couple of other ordinances. We all know how accurate Hollywood is in it's use of firearms.

Answer 5

Some of the classic Old West black powder revolvers came with very long barrels and a shoulder stock. I think a whole lot more reproductions were made than originals....

The Colt 1861 Navy had a notch to attach a shoulder stock, I know for sure.

Answer 6

I never in my life seen a sniper rifle like you are talking about.The only thing that I can think would be a street sweeper or Striker 12 shotgun or possibly a USAS 12 but these are not sniper rifles they are shotguns.You also mite be thinking of a revolving gernade launcher.

Answer 7

Like these ones ?
http://www.cochisemuzzleloaders.com/1858%20Remington%20Revolving%20rifle%20by%20Uberti.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/civilwarantiques/colt_revolving_rifle.html

Colt made them in 1855, but as has been said they were not as common as Hollywood would have us believe.