What Is a Revolver Quill?

What it Does

• Just like a cylinder pin, base pin or center pin, the quill sticks out from just below the rear of the barrel, holding the cylinder in place. The cylinder rotates around the quill as the revolver is fired.

Iver Johnson

• Several Iver Johnson top-break revolvers--including the Safety Hammer Auto Revolver, U.S. Revolver, 66 Trailsman and 67 Viking--feature removable quills. Most Iver Johnson revolvers with quills are .22, .32 or .38 caliber six- or seven-shooters.

Harrington &Richardson

• At least three top-break revolver models made by Harrington &Richardson (the 925, 926 and 935) each feature a quill, permanently attached to the barrel piece. In fact, the two pieces are jointly known as a "barrel &quill." The 925, 926 and 935 all come in .22, .32 and .38 caliber models, ranging from five to nine shots.