[2] Collier's revolver was not self rotating but it was self-priming: a compartment automatically released gunpowder into the pan when the hammer was cocked.
[3][4][5] It was patented in 1818, produced from 1819 by John Evans & Son of London, and purchased by European officers in the presidency armies.
A single barrel allowed greater accuracy and a faster reload time while reducing unnecessary weight.
However, its flintlock action was a serious drawback: flints were unreliable and had to be changed frequently, while inferior quality powder risked a misfire.
[12] In 1839 Collier designed a machine for mass-producing nails for the Globe Dock Factory, Rotherhithe, Surrey.