Colt House Revolver

Anatomy and specifications

Both the House and Cloverleaf models shared a solid hidden spur-trigger frame, an architecture also seen in the Colt Sidehammer of 1855. Unlike the Sidehammer's flat-ended grip, these revolvers featured a recognizable bird's-head grip, a style common on many small pistols and derringers of the era. Both models were chambered for .41 caliber rimfire cartridges, available in long and short sizes. The House Model, also called the Jim Fisk Model, had a five-round straight non-fluted cylinder and was produced only with a 2-5/8" barrel, with no variant development. The Cloverleaf Model had a four-round fluted cylinder that, viewed from front or rear, resembled a four-leaf clover. It was produced in two barrel-length variants: 1-1/2" and 3". The 1-1/2" variant contained an ejector rod within the cylinder's center pin, allowing reloading without removing the cylinder. The 3" variant placed the ejector on the same axis as the center pin, requiring the cylinder to be removed from the frame for loading.