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Who had the first smokeless revolver and what was the first smokeless cartridge ? Pretty sure it will be 45 Colt or the 44-40 cartridge. I know a lot of cap and ball revolvers were converted to cartridge gun but of course still used black powder cause smokeless was not invented till the 1880s and I know the Lebel was first smokeless rifle and round .
I would guess the 44 Special cartridge introduced in 1907 was smokeless, also the 45 Colt US Govt Model 1909 cartridge was smokeless
Even the 38 Special started out with black powder
Wow I would not of guessed it would of took them that long , I was thinking some were in the mid 1890s maybe .
It was a lot earlier than that. The 8mm Lebel 1892 Revolvers were smokeless from the get go. I can't say exactly who made the first smokeless powder designed revolver but certainly it was the 1890s if not earlier.
The 10.35mm Italian cartridge designed for the 1874 revolver and also used in the later 1889 Bodeo was produced using smokeless powder in starting in 1890. However, the ubiquitous .22 short rimfire was produced using a semi-smokeless in 1887. Great question. I hope someone has a more definitive answer. Tom
Thanks I new the European s were ahead on the smokeless revolver and was starting to research that very thing . I even almost bought a Bodeo few weeks back at a pawn shop but we could not agree on the price .