Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a P.W. Porter Third Model turret rifle, serial number 1228, manufactured by George P. Foster in Taunton, Massachusetts during the 1850s. This is one of the most mechanically unusual percussion rifles ever made – featuring a vertical turret instead of a horizontal cylinder. Parry W. Porter patented his turret design as an alternative to conventional revolving rifles. The turret stood upright with chambers arranged in a vertical circle, rotated by a lever action that also cocked the hammer. George Foster manufactured these under Porter’s patent in limited numbers through the 1850s.
This example shows Third Model features – percussion nipples on the turret and an angular side hammer, typically seen in the 680-1225 serial number range per Flayderman’s guides. At number 1228, this is late production. It includes a loading lever, which differs from strict Third Model definition but shows Foster was still experimenting with the design.
The sights are offset to the left to clear the vertical turret. The turret is numbered 1127 while the barrel, frame, and lock carry matching 1228, indicating the turret was replaced or renumbered during its working life. Foster produced only a few hundred Porter turret rifles across all variations. The vertical turret made the rifle bulky and unbalanced, and the complexity meant more potential failures. Production numbers stayed low, and by the 1860s when metallic cartridge repeaters arrived, revolving rifle designs of any type were obsolete.
Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!
Scarce P. W. Porter “Third Model” Revolving Turret Percussion Rifle | Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1049/1324/p-w-porter-third-model-revolving-turret-percussion-rifle. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Writer | TheFirearmBlog
Writer | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Old soul, certified gunsmith, published author, avid firearm history learner, and appreciator of old and unique guns.
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