Wheelgun Wednesday: A Look At The Manville R12, 12 Gauge Revolver

Welcome to  TFB’s Wheelgun Wednesday, where we discover the vast world of revolvers together. In this week’s edition, we’ll take a brief look at the Manville R12, which is a 12 gauge revolver designed for using special tear gas cartridges. The R12 was designed during the mid-1930s as a less lethal option for law enforcement to disperse riotous crowds or to deal with dangerous individuals. Let’s take a look at the Manville R12 revolver.

Wheelgun Wednesday @ TFB:

• Smith & Wesson Model 20 .357 Magnum
• NEW Charter Arms Double Dog Revolver Series
• A WWI Bayonet For British Revolvers
• Spohr Revolvers – German, Shooting Precision
• Smith & Wesson 586 Classic Review

MANVILLE R12 TEAR GAS REVOLVER

Despite constant (and inevitably flawed) attempts to create utopias, certain events spur some people to violence, which spurs others to create ways to curtail that violence. From the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, Charles Manville and his Manville Manufacturing Company sought to give law enforcement another tool in the shed when it came to dealing with rioters and immediate threats from individuals. One such invention was the Manville R12, specifically made for launching tear gas from brass 12-gauge shells.

I was recently given the opportunity to handle a Manville R12 revolver, which was a pleasant surprise. It feels pretty light considering the bore size, although the tear gas loads are low pressure and were only rated for an effective range of 10 to 15 feet. Thus, the overall construction didn’t need to be too robust and was constructed with alloy. Later designs from the Lake Erie Chemical Company (LECCO) are said to have used a plastic frame. Regardless of which model you might handle, this was designed for chemical loads only; never attempt to fire a standard 12 gauge loading through the Manville R12 or LECCO 512.

Although it’s not the focus of today’s topic, Manville also developed a much larger “ Machine Projector” that was likely the inspiration for the “ Street Sweeper” from the 1980s. The Machine Projector had a “plurality” of chambers that Manville devised for 12 gauge, 25mm, and 37mm munitions.

Tracking down specific instances in which the Manville R12 model was used was a bit difficult, and the larger Machine Projector seems to take the spotlight in web searches. If you or your more seasoned relatives have some stories regarding these unique pieces of history, please share them in the comment section. A few auction sights estimate that the current value of the Manville and LECCO 12 gauge revolvers varies from $200 to $500.

What do you think about the Manville R12 tear gas revolvers?